Harmful Effects of Medicines on the Children

Dear Islamic brothers! People suffer from diseases due to the different reasons; sometimes due to a change in diet, sometimes due to overeating and sometimes due to taking the wrong medication. Sometimes it seems as if we ourselves invite most of the diseases because there are such ingredients mixed in our food items and beverages which make us suffer from diseases. Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat ‘Allamah Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qaadiri دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه said, ‘When you will avoid eating pizzas, kebabs, parathas, samosas, cold drinks, sweet beverages, etc., (unhygienic food items), اِنْ شَـآءَ اللّٰە you will get rid of the medical treatment of many diseases.’ (Faizan-e-Sunnat, vol. 1, pp. 469)

Along with making Du’a in the blessed court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, we should also take medicines for getting relief from the diseases, but remember cautiousness is necessary for using medicines. Following are some precautions regarding the use of medicines.

Consult a doctor for treatment

First of all, we should try to keep away from illness. If we have suffered from it, we should get treated for the disease, not by ourselves by reading any prescription mentioned in any book of medicine or any blessed Hadees, but rather, we should consult a doctor for treatment. Our Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم told a patient [about] his [i.e. patient’s] disease and the treatment but did not treat him by himself, and sent him to a physician.

Sayyiduna Sa’d Bin Abi Waqas رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُ said: I once fell ill. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came to inquire after my health. He صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم placed his blessed hand on my chest, I felt the coolness [of the blessed hand] and he صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘You are a heart patient, go to Haris Ibn Kaladah Saqafi, he treats [the patients]. He [will] take seven ‘Ajwah dates of Madinah and grind them along with their kernels and make you drink it.’ (Abu Dawood, vol. 4, pp. 11, Hadees 3875)

Hakeem-ul-Ummat Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه said, ‘The medicines prescribed in the blessed Ahadees should be used with the consultation of any physician who is aware of the weather, our temperament, the effectiveness of the medicine and [the current] state of our illness. (Because) the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم prescribed the medicine but sent the blessed companion رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُ to the physician for the use of medicine. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 41)

Use of antibiotics and allopathic medicines

One should not use antibiotic medicines relying upon one’s own knowledge assuming his disease to be ordinary but rather, he should use medicine with the consultation of his physician because overdose or the use of medicine without physician’s consultation may cause harm. Similarly, allopathic medicines are used for different diseases. Taking allopathic medicines may also cause harm to one’s health.

Causes of harmful effects of medicines

There may be many causes of the harmful effects of medicines. Some of them are as follows:

1     Sometimes by taking medicines more than the prescribed dose.

2     Sometimes by taking medicines while having food.

3     Sometimes by giving adults’ medicines to the children.

4     Sometimes by the harmful effects of the chemicals used in the medicines.

Some precautions

1     Always get a medical prescription from any authentic doctor and act upon his instructions.

2     One must get information from his doctor about the harmful effects of the medicines.

3     If one suffers from allergy due to any medicine, he should let his doctor know about it for sure.

4     If one’s illness intensifies or remains the same at the time of taking medicines or after taking medicines, he should not take further medicines but rather he should visit his doctor.

5     When using more than one medicine at the same time, one must inform his doctor about it.

6     One should use his medicines till a specific period as prescribed by the doctor. The patient should not make any change in it himself.

Harmful medicines for children

1     The adult medications are harmful to the children, for example, the medicines for adults in which ‘aspirin’ is added causes the kidney and brain diseases amongst the children.

2     Similarly, if the children below 10 are given ‘tetracycline’, their teeth get yellow and their bone growth gets affected.

Keep the following points in view when giving medicines to the children

As compared to adults, children’s matters require more attention because their medication dose is different.

1     Give the quantity or dose of a medicine to the children as per doctor’s prescription.

2     Give medicine to children in your presence, otherwise they may overdose on it.

3     Do not give medicine to the children terming ‘dessert’ or ‘juice’ but rather say clearly, ‘It is a medicine’, so that they become habitual of taking medicines.

Harmful effects of medicines on the children

Suckling babies or babies inside the wombs of mothers may get affected by the medicines which are taken by the mothers. Therefore, pregnant women should not use any medicine according to their own desires, but rather, they should use medicines after consulting their doctors. Similarly, those women who breastfeed should also be very careful when using medicines because many medicines get mixed with their milk and prove harmful to their babies. If there is a need to use the medicines, they should do so when there is a gap of at least one hour between taking medicine and breastfeeding.

Note: Use all the medicines in consultation with your physician or Hakeem.

Medically, this article has been checked by Dr. Muhammad Kamran Ishaq Attari, Majlis Tibbi ‘Ilaj (Dawat-e-Islami).