Things to take care of during medication
Irrespective of the type of medicine your doctor prescribes, it’s always of utmost importance to take precaution, because there’s no telling how your body might react to a given medicine, irrespective of its claims to be side effect free.
Here are some basic rules you can follow to avoid medication side effects:
- Read the label carefully. Always follow directions and never hesitate to ask questions.
- If the doctor asks you to take one tablet 2 times a day, then don’t take two tablets once a day in order to heal faster or feel better quicker. You do not know what effect that dosage might have on your body.
- Ask beforehand if any medicine (especially cough syrup) will make you drowsy or affect everyday tasks such as driving, working at the office etc.
- Never eat medicine on an empty stomach until and unless explicitly stated by your doctor
- Do not use the same medicine that someone else with the same condition as yours is using. Dosages given by doctors are prescribed for keeping each person’s needs in mind. Also, you do not know for sure that your body will react in exactly the same way as your friend’s.
- If you’re taking more than one type of medicine a day prescribed by different doctors, ask them over and over again whether or not there could be a bad interaction between the medications, resulting in terrible medication side effects.
- Never ever combine alcohol and medicines.
- Even if you start feeling better before your medicine’s course finishes, keep taking the meds for the full length of the time prescribed. This will ensure that the last germ, bacteria or virus residing in your body is killed.
- Avoid keeping medicines in new containers because then you’ll lose valuable information such as expiry date, list of ingredients, precautions etc mentioned in the original boxes.
- Don’t store medicines in your bathroom as the humidity there might have an effect on the potency of the drug. Try to keep them at either room temperature or in the refrigerator, and away from sunlight.
- Keep medicines in a place that are completely out of reach of young children, like high shelves or locked cabinets.
In case you do develop medication side effects like a rash, body itch, breathing difficulties or vomiting, call your doctor immediately and schedule an appointment. Do not ignore these symptoms because they might be warning signs of a deeper medical problem that your body might be experiencing.
We, at advisor healthcare, are working continuously to make healthcare ridiculously simple and within reach of everyone. Advisor Healthcare is a mobile solution which works as your personal Health Assistant and keep track of medication, diet plan and important body vitals.
Originally published at blog.advisor.healthcare on July 6, 2015.
