It is not uncommon to make mistakes while you are taking medicine. This especially stands true when you have several health conditions and take more than one medicine at a time. This raises the question, whether consuming two different medicine for a different medical condition is appropriate or not.
An incorrect dose, wrong drug, or misunderstanding the prescription can contribute to oral medication mistakes. Most people take into consideration that one simple oral medication mistake can lead to further medical complications.
Oral Medication Mistakes To Avoid
It is important that you, as a patient, have a clear understanding of the medication you’re taking. Ignoring these small mishaps can result in medication errors which can actually land you in the emergency room.
Here are a few common habits that lead to oral medication errors.
1. Break The Pill Before Consuming
There is a reason why pills medicine are encapsulated in the capsules or are compressed into pills. Opening the capsules and breaking the pills before consuming them might have adverse effects on your body.
Yes, we understand that some people have a hard time swallowing the whole pill. But hey, we have swallowing gel for that. Deciding on your own and consulting with your doctor might put you in the emergency room.
Although this mistake is not life-threatening, they still pose a threat to your health. Hence, next time you find it hard to swallow medicine pills, consult your doctor for an alternative or try consuming pills with swallowing gel.
2. Taking Too High A Dose
Consuming painkillers to relieve your pain is not a big deal. It doesn’t have any side effects if you are consuming it moderately. However, if you are consuming it regularly, it can damage your liver.
According to the US Food & Drug Administration, taking a high dosage of the painkiller is dangerous for your health. You might experience drowsiness and internal bleeding.
3. Taking Medicine Too Often For Smallest Reasons
In a Pharmacoepidemiology Drug & Safety study, 15% of the patients who use NSAIDs exceed the recommended limit. This shows that people are consuming medicine for the smallest of reasons.
Consuming a Calpol for a mil headache is not a solution, sometimes having a good night’s sleep will get the job done. In fact, you will feel more rejuvenated. You need to understand that you must limit the consumption of medicine to get out of the bad habit and take the easy way out of the smallest medical conditions.
4. Taking Meds Without Food
Have you ever thought about why the physicians and doctors advise their patients to have some food before having the medicine? We know that most of you know the answer. But let me answer for the people who don’t understand its importance. Consuming medicine after food helps the medicine be easily absorbed in the body, and the medicine becomes more effective.
Yes, there are times when some medicine is advised to take on an empty stomach, which means an empty stomach is the requirement to bring out the full potential of oral medication. Hence, follow the instructions of the doctor and take your medication accordingly.
5. Mixing Med Inappropriately
Your med could be the one that is making you sicker. Yes, we know you’ll be surprised to hear this from us. But this does happen, especially when you are on multiple medications and consuming different types of medicine at a time.
When you consume different types of medicine, it can leave a negative impact on your health. They might negatively react with each other and make your medical situation worse.
There are some medicines doctors never prescribe at the same time. The reason is simple: these medicines react with each other and, instead of treating the illness, give rise to new medical illness symptoms.
Take Away
It is common for people to swallow pills and make that easier; they break the pills into small pieces. Well, that is one way of consuming Pills; however, doctors do not advise doing so. Following the proper oral medication, habit is of epitome.
If you are not clear about your medication and have any doubts regarding your medicine and dosage, instead of deciding for yourself what to do, ask your doctor.
If you keep making the mistakes we have just mentioned above; you might be inviting further medical complications.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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