Medicine can do wonderful things. Our lives are better in the last 50 or so years because of medical advances. We have birth control pills, vaccines for childhood illnesses and medications for blood pressure and cholesterol. These are only a few of the miracle drugs that now are life-changing and sometimes even save our lives. However, because there are now so many different types of drugs, we have a new challenge. It is to make sure the medications we are taking to not interact with each other.
Your pharmacist can give a quick and educated answer for any problem that you may have with medications. If for some reason you do not want to talk with your pharmacist, you can call your physicians office or go on line at: http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html. This site will also advise you what medications you cannot take with grapefruit juice.
If you have an inflammatory condition such as arthritis, the doctor may want to prescribe a narcotic drug, which may be habit-forming. The reason for this is that most of the anti-inflammatory drugs that will help these conditions also produce serious side effects.
However, it is up to you, as a consumer to figure out your quality of life without the anti-inflammatory medications, as opposed to the possible side effects. If you do decide to take NSAIDS, your physician will administer tests about every three months for liver and stomach problems.
You can help your physician decide what is best for you by the following:
When a physician prescribes a medication, do your own research about that drug.
Every time you visit your doctor, make sure he or she knows what drugs that you are allergic to.
Always ask about drug interaction.
If you have side-affects from a drug, stop taking it immediately and call your doctor.
Keep a list of your medications.
Drugs are sometimes necessary, but if you could find a doctor or pain clinic that is open to all types of treatment, such as acupuncture, counseling and physical therapy, you would have more options to choose from.
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