There are many side effects of medicine that you should know more about. Prescription drugs sometimes come with side effects, even though they contribute towards healing our bodies when we feel sick. You should always keep a few things in mind in this regard.
Keep your expectations realistic
Side effects may take place with almost any kind of medicine as per experts. They are usually common with medicines such as pills taken for birth control and even for serious ones for combating cancer.
A lot of prescription medicines often lead to stomach or gut issues including diarrhea, nausea and constipation since they go through the digestive system. Many other types of medication including medicines for diabetes or blood pressure and even anti-depressants, may lead to dizziness at times. Some medicines may lead to feelings of depression, drowsiness or irritability. Some may lead to weight gain while some may hinder sleep or sexual desire alike. Chronic side effects of medicine are never desirable in this regard. Wondering how to deal with side effects of medicine? Here are some tips that you can use.
How to deal with medicine side effects?
Here are some tips if you have been thinking how to deal with medication side effects-
- Always seek help from your doctor regarding information on the usual side effects, whenever you are prescribed any specific medicine. You should always get this information beforehand. This will help you stay prepared and if possible, get counter strategies and accompanying medicines from the doctor likewise.
- Always talk about any sudden symptoms to your doctor and pharmacist. This will help them diagnose the issue and suggest proper remedies.
- A few side effects may go away by themselves with the body getting used to any new medicine, hence the doctor may recommend sticking with the prescription plan for some more time.
- In some cases, doctors may get you to reduce the dose or try another medicine.
- It may sometimes help if you take a particular medicine at a different time of the day as per your doctor’s advice. Changing the frequency may also help matters.
- List out all your medicines when you are discussing these side effects with the doctor. At times, side effects happen due to negative reactions between two or multiple medicines.
- Doctors may help filter out the medicines that you no longer need or may do without.
- A new symptom may be a side effect of any particular medicine; hence make sure that you narrate the entire story to your physician. You may be suffering from another medical condition which requires a separate set of medicines for treatment.
- Talk about any lifestyle adjustments that you need to make for preventing side effects, i.e. bypassing alcohol, smoking, specific food items and changing your daily routine.
- Some medicines like blood thinners or cholesterol medicines may not function suitably if you consume Vitamin-K rich food items for instance. Some medicines may heighten sensitivity to sunlight exposure, necessitating the usage of sunscreen. There is no one size fits all formula. You need to be alert enough to catch hold of any symptoms and discuss them with your doctor instead.
While doing your own homework is always a good practice, make sure that you consult your doctor at all times. Talk to your doctor about the side effects, list out your medication and supplements and work closely with him or her to find possible reasons. Do not make any medication changes without consulting your doctor. This applies to your daily dosage as well, particularly if you are undergoing treatment for any serious health issue. You may be able to tackle some of these side effects, particularly if they go away on their own after some time. However, temporary side effects that quickly turn chronic should be carefully examined.
Watch out for any such chronic side effects and symptoms. Consult your doctor immediately once you witness the same. Get a detailed blueprint in place, including lifestyle adjustments and medication changes, courtesy of your doctor’s guidance. This will help you deal with them and possibly overcome them after a certain duration. Trial and error is sometimes a part of the process while consuming medication for a variety of ailments.
