Article from BMH
for 2 February, 2006
Brattleboro Reformer

TAKING MEDICATIONS CAREFULLY IS IMPORTANT

By Robert Tortolani, MD

Just about everyone has taken a medication at one time or another. A medication can be something as simple as an over-the-counter (OTC) pain pill to something as complex as an intravenous drug administered in the hospital. Medications also include herbal remedies, vitamins and supplements. Many medications are prescribed by your primary care physician; others by consulting physicians, still others by dentists or optometrists. Chiropractic, naturopathic and homeopathic practices may recommend certain medication. Finally, other mediations are chosen by the person who decided to try an OTC medication for one symptom or another, sometimes on the recommendation of a friend, family member or pharmacist. Your pharmacist is an excellent resource for helping to decide whether an OTC medication is a safe choice, considering your other medications or an existing health condition such as hypertension. He should be consulted openly. No matter how a medication has come to be taken by an individual person, the goal is that it is helpful in allowing that person to attain or maintain optimal health.

It is clear that medications and medicine-taking are complex issues, and as one gets older, the challenges of understanding the reasons for taking the medications and taking them correctly increase a great deal. The high cost of medications is another huge problem and one that is of great concern to all of us.

Medications have always been the ultimate “double-edged swords,” as the best medications recommended for the best reasons can cause side effects such as digestive upsets, fatigue, or weakness, or true allergic reactions that cause hives or other types of rashes, and even facial swelling, low blood pressure, and shortness of breath. It is very important that you speak with the healthcare professional who recommended the medication if you have any one of these things happen to you.

And, then there is always the possibility of drug interactions that can occur in your body, one drug influencing the way another drug is absorbed from the digestive tract into the blood stream or the way the drug is broken down and excreted by the body. These drug interactions can occur among prescribed drugs, over-the-counter drugs, herbal supplements and vitamins. There can even be interactions between medications you take and a food such as grapefruit juice. It is important to read the informational material given you by your pharmacist whenever you get a new medication as that can give you a heads up on any possible drug interaction or side effect.

This brings me to the main point of this month’s column. Because of the great complexity of medications and everything else we take to enhance our health, we have the responsibility of knowing everything we are taking and why we are taking it.

I strongly recommend that each person has an updated list of all medications he/she takes in the way of prescribed medications, herbal supplements, over-the-counter medications, and vitamins. This list should be carried in your wallet or purse, and it should be available to your healthcare professional at each office visit. It should also be given to the physician caring for you in an emergency department if you are seen for an urgent problem, or need to be admitted to the hospital.

Staying healthy and regaining your health when ill are both full time challenges. Our best chance for optimal health involves taking responsibility for knowing what medications we use and sharing that information with our healthcare professionals in whatever setting we happen to be seen. This collaboration and information-sharing is not only important, it is essential for optimal health.