My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Young Adults
We offer clinics specially designed for Young Adults, ages 18 to 25. And we make it easy to stay connected with your doctor while you are on the go. You can e-mail your doctor, make appointments, and refill prescriptions – all on our website, any time and any place.
Drinking and Getting High: You Decide
You probably know people who drink or get high, even though there are risks and these activities can be against the law. Maybe you're curious and have done some experimenting yourself. Or maybe you've decided drinking and getting high aren't for you.
Either way, Kaiser Permanente encourages you to get the facts and think for yourself as you make these decisions. We're not here to judge you. We just want you to stay healthy and safe.
While drugs or alcohol can feel like a quick fix, in the long-term they pose great risk to your physical and emotional health.
Make your own decisions
- Think for yourself. Decide what you want to do ahead of time and stick to it. Hang out with people whose choices you respect. Ask yourself if using fits in with who you want to be.
- Don't buy the lie. Alcohol companies spend billions of dollars each year trying to get young people to drink.
- Not everybody parties. Lots of young people don't drink or get high. Surprised? It may seem like "everyone is doing it," but actually, lots of people are deciding that they are not interested.
Know the risks
Decide if you want to deal with the consequences of what could happen while you're drunk or high, which may include:
- Driving with alcohol (or drugs) in your bloodstream is dangerous, and it's a crime. Your license can be taken away, and you can face big fines (thousands of dollars).
- How would you feel if abusing drugs or alcohol caused you to hurt yourself or someone you care about? Alcohol-related accidents are a major cause of injury and death for young people.
- You need a clear head to make healthy decisions about dating and sex. Hooking up with someone while you’re drunk or high increases your risks for date rape, an unwanted pregnancy, STDs, and the chance that later you’ll regret getting together.
"But I'm just experimenting…"
Some people start out by occasionally drinking or getting high as a way to have fun or to escape from feelings they don’t like.
But even occasional use can lead to health problems and long-term abuse – even when you're still young. Nobody ever starts out thinking they’ll end up abusing or unable to stop.
Substance abuse
A person can abuse alcohol or drugs without actually being addicted. Some of the problems linked to substance abuse include:
- Not being able to meet work, school, or family responsibilities
- DUI arrests and car crashes
- Medical conditions such as liver or stomach problems, "meth mouth," heart problems, paranoia, STDs – the list goes on
Check yourself
Answering the following questions can help you decide if you have a substance use problem:
- Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking/using?
- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking/using?
- Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking/using?
- Have you ever felt the need to drink/use first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you may have a problem with alcohol or drugs. We can help if you want to quit or cut back. Let your physician know how much you drink and what drugs you use.
- Work with your physician to put a plan together to help you quit or cut down.
- Call the Chemical Dependency and Recovery Program (CDRP) at your local Kaiser Permanente.
Don’t wait until things become unmanageable to cut back or quit. We can help.
Additional References:
- External Link to Rethinking Drinking - Alcohol and Your Health - NIAAA
- External Link to Above the Influence
- External Link to NIDA InfoFacts - Science-Based Facts on Drug Abuse and Addiciton
- External Link to Young Adult Health
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.