How to manage the side-effects of painkillers
Painkillers, including both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, work miracles in easing our pains and getting us relieved from the distress that comes from the aches. They may also prevent and regulate long-term conditions. However, at the cost of relief, we often have to face certain side-effects of these drugs and sometimes they are also seen to vary from one person to another. Now although this should not automatically make you discard the medication, it is always a good idea to be aware of them while taking the medication, especially if it happens to be an important part of your well-being. Here are some ways in which you can cope up with the side-effects of painkillers, or at least control them.
Make yourself aware
Side effects are known to occur from a number of medicines, be they prescribed by your doctors or are bought OTC. Their ranges can also be rather variable starting from stomach disorders to causing weight gain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, Motrin, and Aleve etc. may give rise to conditions like stomach upset, nausea, and heartburn and sometimes even allergic reactions, although they are not seen in many. Long-term usage of these drugs, especially in high doses, may result in stomach ulcers and kidney dysfunctions and also increased the possibility of heart strokes in some. Opiate pain relievers, on the other hand, may cause nausea, dizziness and vomiting, constipation and light-headedness. So it always pays off to have an idea beforehand in order to cope with these side-effects and not let them become chronic.
Ask your doctor
It is always a good idea to ask your doctor about the side-effects when he is prescribing a new medicine to you. It is nothing but the combined efforts of the doctor, the pharmacist and the patient which makes sure that the correct information is reaching the patients. Some side-effects are serious and some disappear on their own, and in fact, some side-effects can also be avoided. Your doctor will have the best information regarding these to guide you thoroughly and help you deal with your discomforts.
Keep a list of all your medications handy
Sometimes side-effects are also caused by 2 or more drugs reacting with one another. So it is recommended to hand a list of all the medications you are taking, to your doctor so that he can prescribe accordingly for your pain-relief and avoid any unwelcome counter-effects. It is important to remember that a new symptom may only be a side effect of another drug and if your doctor does not get to know the whole story, it may so happen that he may erroneously prescribe a completely different drug assuming you have a different disorder.
Know if lifestyle changes are needed
Apart from the medications, it is often also required to cater to a lot of aspects of your lifestyle to make the drug really do what it is supposed to. Doctors often recommend lifestyle changes like abstaining from alcohol or dietary alterations with the medication he is prescribing.
While taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs, it is always important to remember all these points and act accordingly to prevent or at least control any unwelcome side- effects. Side-effects do not mean you have to live with the pain and rule out the medication, they only mean that you have to be careful and know when to be concerned.
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This post was originally published in CareGuru.
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