Side Effects of Medicines

When you are sick, visiting a doctor and consuming prescription medicines, are often the best way to get better. Instead of visiting a doctor, you may sometimes resort to seeing a herbal or homeopathic practitioner or just pop in at your local pharmacy, hoping to buy something to ease the symptoms of your sickness. However, few of us realize that when a medicine is ingested hoping to cure a particular organ of the body, it is bound to have an unwanted effect on other organs or parts of your body. These unwanted effects are called side effects, and can range from being mild to serious, and may sometimes even be fatal.

The first thing everyone should be aware of is that our bodies are composed differently, and hence what works for one, may not necessarily work for another human being. Yes, our bodies are made up of the same components, but these components (hormones, enzymes and chemical mediators) are present in an infinite number of permutations and combinations in each person. Usually a drug or a medicine works well with the bulk of the human race, and does not agree with just a few. But what if you fall into the smaller percentage of people with whom the drug may not agree?

Here are a few precautions you should take when you start yourself on a course of a medicine you have never tried before.

• Ask your medical practitioner, health consultant, or whoever has prescribed the drug to you about the likely side effects. This is the best course, they are aware of your medical history, and will be able to determine if the drug is suitable for you, or not.
• When a doctor prescribes medicines, most patients don't hesitate to take it. However, the right thing to do is to read the literature that comes along with the prescription medicines. The label on the drug should also be read carefully, and many untoward side effects of medicines can be avoided just by following this simple practice.
• Stay away from alcohol while you are on your medication. Alcohol is a well-known cause of side effects.
• If you are already on medication, perhaps for serious ailments such as heart disease or cancer, be sure to check with your specialist if you can take any new medicines.
• Before stopping a medication or changing it, check with your health care practitioner, and follow the advice given to you.
• Never take a medicine prescribed to someone else, even if that person has the same health problem as you. Follow this rule especially steadfastly when treating children under your care.
• If you have no access to a medical practitioner, you could also reference reputed medical websites that list side effects of medicines.
• Take exact dosages of the medicines prescribed to you, and take your medication at correct time intervals.

Why are the above precautions important? Sometimes even popular, seemingly harmless medications like over the counter drugs can cause side effects to some people. E.g., those with kidney or liver disease should never take crocin. So go ahead, take that medication your healthcare practitioner has recommended, but not before you do your own piece of homework on it.