Take Heed When Mixing Medicines

 

Despite what some may think, more isn’t always better. In fact, one time when less can be more is when it comes to taking medication. When you buy medicine over-the-counter and also when a doctor prescribes you a medication, there are warnings about possible side effects and mixing various types of medications. Some medicines also warn about consuming certain foods because it can possibly cause adverse side effects.
Most people probably never think about the consequences of taking prescription and over-the-counter medications. We don’t even always take heed of warnings against driving, eating, drinking or smoking while on a specific type of medication or even looking for vitamin c serum for face. By the time we do pay attention, it’s usually because we’ve experienced one or more of the adverse side effects. For example, one young woman reported feeling worse after taking a combination of prescription medications and antibiotics that were prescribed to clear up her kidney infection. She said the more antibiotics she took, the worse she felt. As a result, she stopped taking her prescribed medications altogether and sought alternetive treatment methods such as herbal treatments which actually worked for her and her condition improved.

This isn’t to say that prescribed medications will not work for everyone. In this particular instance, the woman’s poor reaction to antibiotics was her own personal wake up call to be more careful about the medications she was taking and how these medications interacted with her food, herbal supplements, and her own body chemistry. According to pharmicist Rita Amigdalos, “herbal medications are often better than herbal supplements when treating infections.” It’s basically up to the patients discretion whether or not they wish to continue on taking prescribed antibiotics for their conditions. If you’ve been taking one or more medication for a certain amount of time and have yet to see any positive results, you may wish to look into alternative treatments. Antibiotics are usually needed to clear up infections and serious illnesses but keep in mind that all medications have reactions. With antibiotics, it’s almost always the case that you will experience some sort of side effect.

The wrong combination of legal medications can be a huge problem for those consuming such doses. On the back of all medications whether prescribed or purchased over-the-counter, there is a recommended daily dosage as well as a warning not to exceed so many dosages within a 24 hour period. Statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this month revealed that unintentional poisoning was the second highest cause of accidental death in the United States according to a survey that was conducted between 1999 and 2004. Unintentional poisoning included drug overdoses of both legal and illegal drugs taken for non-medical reasons as well as taking the wrong dose for certain drugs. It’s not at all uncommon to experience unintentional drug interactions. For instance, if you have a cold you may take pain medication and cold medication and in the process can end up overdosing. Maybe the first time you take such medications together you don’t experience adverse side effects. This doesn’t mean that the next time things will go as smoothly. Overdosing on legal drugs can have consequences that include liver damage, drowsiness, and racing heartbeat which could put you at a greater risk for cardiac issues.

Before consuming any medication, be sure to check the information. Make sure that one medicine doesn’t include that same active ingredient as another medication you’re taking in order to avoid accidentally doubling up on doses. Talk to your doctor about possible effects of medications you’re being prescribed and don’t be afraid to do your own research on a particular medication. A search on the internet can reveal much information about the ingredients in and side effects of medications. Also be smart and don’t purchase medications from websites you’re unsure about or from individuals over the internet. The medication being advertised may not be what you think it is and consuming it can have detrimental or even deadly effects for you.

Another thing you want to pay close attention to is your diet. If you notice that your symptoms are improving or getting worse, look at the type of diet you’re consuming. Diets containing normally healthy foods such as fiber, grapefruit juice, and charbroiled fare can cause dramatic changes in the way your body metabolizes certain medications. Take fiber for instance, it can absorb medications and make them less effective. So before you think a certain medicine is just not working for you, take a look at reasons why it may not be working. It may be that you need to make adjustments to your diet.

Medications all have expiration dates located on them. Take note of these expiration dates prior to consuming the medications. Expired expiration dates often mean a medicine that’s loss much of it’s potency and as a result, is less effective. Other medications past their expiration dates such as certain antibiotics can actually become dangerous if you take them. You need to take prescribed medications within the time your doctor tells you which may be for weeks or months, or at least until you’ve taken all of the prescribed medication. Don’t stop taking a medication just because you start to feel better after a few days. If you have some type of bacterial infection, this is not enough time for it to clear up and you need to continue taking your medication as prescribed.

No one wants to take medication only to get sicker than they were before. To try to avoid such mishaps by educating yourself on what it is you’re taking and know whether or not it’s safe to combine certain medications. Also take note of any foods and alcoholic beverages you’re consuming that may cause adverse side effects. If you exercise caution when taking medications, hopefully you won’t have anything to worry about other than getting well soon.



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