Post Punk Kitchen Forum

After finding out that my vitamins have beeswax in them, I thought it might be interested to see what's in my other medication. There's lactose in both of them. Now these I can't stop taking or replace with another brand, so I guess I have been and will be putting lactose in my body twice a day.

Can I just say that I forking hate society and the way that it's build up to mean that everything and anything we make, produce, create, sell, buy and whatever-the-hell-kinds-of-other-verbs-you-want-to-add HAS to include something that hurts animals??

Sorry for the rant. I'm sure this is old news to most of you, but it was new to me and it breaks my spirit. Comfort?

Its hard I know, but don't drive yourself insane!!!

Personally I do what I can, but I have to take asthma meds (although significantly less since going vegan) and I'm, 100 % sure they are not vegan :(

All you can do is try and get as healthy as possible so you don't have to rely on meds forever.

I hear you. I took the same ADD medication for literally years before one day noticing on the info sheet that they contain lactose. It was medication I really needed (and sorely miss... but obviously, that sorta thing doesn't mesh with breastfeeding) and there wasn't another option so I just had to suck it up, and it sucked.

So yeah, you have my sympathy and understanding.

Oh, I'm sorry. It's a sad feeling when you don't have a choice but to ingest stuff you don't want to. But I think most vegans take medication when they need it, it's something there are no alternatives for and I think it's more important for us to be healthy, alive and awesome to continue being vegan and reduce animal suffering over all.

<3

You sure sure sure there is no alternative to the ones with lactose? Lactose is just a cheap filler, it absorbs the medicine/vitamins. So there is almost always an alternative, due to it being a very unnecessary ingredient... unlike say, asthma meds, which is harder to replace whatever non-vegan thing is inside. I'd say you could tell us what it is you are taking and we could sleuth and find something better but I assume you not saying what it is already means it is private.

Also edited to add: Yes however to understanding and comfort! Very annoying situation that many of us have been in. And even if there is no alternatives or you just don't want the alternatives for whatever reason (price etc), still I offer understanding and comfort. *pats on virtual back*

*warm hug*

Some stuff just can't be avoided, this sounds lame but that's the way it is.

To go straight to the core: I think we're all animals, and (some) animals have their needs and requirements.

To put it to extremes: cats, like for instance tigers have a need for animal flesh in order to survive.

You are an animal yourself too, and in these circumstances you have a "need" for certain products in order to "survive"

If your medication (like perhaps anti-depressants) have animal ingredients in them or are tested on animals; that's just the way it is. Your personal "survival" is more or just as important than the possible or un-measurable "animal abuse/ hurting other animals"

Though animal suffering is real and preferably should be avoided, sometimes using animal based products can't be avoided and absolutely doesn't make you a lesser person.

*note: I use asthma medication suspended in milk powder myself

We get up everyday and do the best we can. In an absolutely perfect world our needs could be balanced nicely with the needs of every other living creature. We don't live in a perfect world.

You have my comfort and total understanding.

Maybe this will make you feel better? http://gizmodo.com/5672560/there-is-no-escape-from-cows

It's clearly meant to be a jab at vegans, but I read it differently. Veganism isn't about being perfect. It's not about reaching some peak of purity that makes me better than non-vegans around me, and that impossibly purity is often what makes veganism seem so impossible to most people. To me, veganism is about harm reduction. It's about doing the best I can with the resources available to me and trying to set a good example to the people around me.

Right, exactly. I always think: it's a journey, not a destination.

I think the other posters have been eloquent. I just want to offer {{{{{HUGS!}}}}} I don't want you to feel badly for using medicine to stay healthy. I don't think anyone would.

This got me curious so I did some research to find out what is in my medication: Glycerin (don't know origin) and lactose. Boo.

This totally sucks, but I would be in a really, really bad place if I didn't have my medicine. It's a small compromise I have to make and I don't think anyone should beat themselves up about something that's so vital to their health.

Hear, hear. An organism's #1 priority in this universe is to survive. Vegans vie to survive as thoughtfully, compassionately, and peacefully as technology will allow.

In 12 minutes, I'm getting my eggy flu shot at work.

I also got an eggy flu shot. I'm around a lot of people during flu season. Even if I wanted to take the risk of getting it myself (probably no big deal for somebody of my age and health status), I'm still around a few hundred people a week. In the long run, I made the decision that it was better for me to do my part to reduce overall flu rates. We do the best we can in the world in which we live.

Throwing lots of support your way! I know it sucks, and like some of the other posters, I have to take asthma medicine too and it's depressing that there just isn't any vegan medicine for it. Try not to beat yourself up about it because if there's no alternative, there's nothing you can do about it. Think of all the animals you ARE saving because the rest of your life is vegan!

Thanks all for the wonderful replies, back patting and comfort. You guys are wonderful. :)


I totally caught that you just called me awesome. ;) This is a great quote, I'm going to repeat it to myself when I feel down.


I so agree. I know I'm not any less vegan or not trying hard enough or anything like that because of this, because I know I'm doing the best I can... I'm not blaming myself! It isn't about being perfect, I know that's impossible. :) I'm not mad at myself for having to take something that has lactose in it... I'm mad at the world that I have to take something that has lactose in it in order to not go batshit crazy (which I think pretty much answers Mars' question :P).

So, uhm, you're all wonderful, the animal-hurting world sucks, and grrr, arrggh!

ETA: A lot happened while I was typing: sorry about the flu shots, guys! You're stopping the spread of the flu, just think of it like that.