When your health care provider prescribes medications for you, it’s important for you to understand how to take them, and their potential side effects. Usually, the benefits of medications outweigh the discomfort of side effects, but in some cases side effects can be serious, and need to be communicated to your doctor.
Understanding Your Prescriptions
First, when your doctor gives you a prescription, you should make sure that you understand several things about the medication. These include:
- The specifics of what the medication is for and its benefits
- How much to take, how often, and when during the day to take it
- How to take the medication, i.e. with or without food
- How long you’ll be taking the medication for
- The potential side effects
- Potential interactions with other medications that you take, including over the counter medications or supplements
It’s important to ask your doctor these questions, and to ensure that they know all the other medications that you take. Your primary care doctor should always have this information in your records, but if you go to another provider, such as at an urgent care, you should always have a list of all medications that you take.
While your health care provider is the first source of information about your prescriptions, it’s also a good idea to discuss them with your pharmacist, and to read the labels to ensure that you take the medications correctly.
What Is a Side Effect?
A side effect is an unintended effect of a medication which may be uncomfortable, but is usually not dangerous. However, some medications have rare side effects in certain people that are serious and require medical intervention. Some side effects, on the other hand, are desirable, such as a medication that can cause drowsiness that you can take before bedtime.
It’s very important that you understand all the potential side effects of medications that you’re taking so that you know if you’re experiencing something serious or unusual.
Common Side Effects
Certain side effects are common to many medications. The most common category of side effects is gastrointestinal issues because most medications go through the digestive system. These side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
Other common side effects include:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Dry mouth
- Rashes
- Sleep disturbances like insomnia
Some medications, such as antidepressants, may have certain common side effects for a short period of time until your body adjusts to the medication and then they go away.
Dangerous Side Effects
Medications can cause serious side effects in some people. Certain medications may cause allergic reactions that require medical attention, such as anaphylaxis. Penicillin is an example of a medication that causes an allergic reaction in some people.
Other types of severe allergic reaction are Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) which cause the top layer of skin to become detached.
Other potential serious medication side effects include:
- Heart problems like irregular heartbeat or palpitations
- Blood clots
- Liver or kidney damage
- Lung issues
- Mental health issues like suicidal thoughts and hallucinations
It’s very important to know if your medications have the potential for dangerous side effects and how common those side effects are. In most cases, severe side effects are relatively rare.
Prescription and Over the Counter Drug Interactions
Prescription medications and over the counter medications, including supplements, can have interactions. Sometimes they have shared ingredients that will cause you to have too much of the ingredient. An example would be a prescription pain medication that contains ibuprofen taken with over-the-counter ibuprofen.
Other OTC medications can impact the effectiveness of prescription medications. For example, antacids can decrease the absorption of some prescription medications.
Taking OTCs and prescription medications that have the same side effects can increase the side effects.
Not all drug interactions are known, so it’s important to take note of any unusual symptoms if you are taking OTC medications or supplements with your prescribed medications.
Resources to Learn About Side Effects
Your doctor and pharmacist are your first go-to resources for information on medication side effects. You can also check reputable sources online, but the best online resource is the FDA, which is the government body that approves medications for use. They have a side effect check tool on their website.
What to Do When You Experience Side Effects
It’s important to know the potential side effects before you start taking a medication so that you know what to expect. If you have common, mild side effects, you should give it time as your body adjusts. Do not stop taking a medication without speaking to your doctor first.
If you find yourself having common side effects, but find them intolerable, speak with your doctor about options. They may be able to offer advice on lifestyle adjustments, such as diet adjustments, that can help, or they may change your dosage or switch you to another medication altogether.
If you have one of the known more serious side effects, or you experience something unusual that you feel is serious, seek immediate medical attention.
In Closing
Understanding the prescription medications that you take and their side effects is important before you start taking them. Being prepared can save you from worrying about what’s normal, and can also save your life. If you need help understanding your prescriptions, Health Service Alliance is here to help. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized, and accessible care regardless of your ability to pay. Reach out today to learn more.
