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Our knowledge of pain medications is superficial, based on imperfect sources of information. It is for this reason that we can be dangerous to each other, choosing a drug unknowingly according to the principle “for two, grandmother fortune telling” – says the neurologist, Dr. Monika Białecka, MD. So how to use drugs so as not to harm yourself?
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- Dangerous interactions
You have a nasty cold, you walk into a pharmacy and stand helplessly in front of a shelf with OTC drugs. You don’t know what to choose. And do you know what drugs you cannot …
- Combining certain medications for high blood pressure can be dangerous
Elderly people treated for arterial hypertension with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and receptor blockers at the same time …
- What to drink medication with? These drinks should be avoided
What should be avoided while taking medication? Drugs are almost always washed down with something – water, juice, coffee or tea. We know which ones should be taken before and which …
1/7 Paracetamol and glass
Both paracetamol and alcohol are processed in the liver by the same enzymes. If we use a paracetamol preparation, when there is still a high concentration of alcohol in our body, we additionally burden the liver and can damage it by toxic metabolites of the drug. In this case, it would be better to reach for a preparation, e.g. with ibuprofen.
2/ 7 Medicines for adults given to children
Many people give children painkillers that are only intended for adults. This is a mistake, because medicines for adults differ in the active substance and the dose contained in the drug. It may turn out that the drug that we give the child contains too much of the drug substance, which may lead to an overdose and the appearance of poisoning symptoms in the child, sometimes life-threatening. Certain medications, such as aspirin, are contraindicated in the younger age group (under 12) due to the risk of liver and brain damage. In addition, inflammation is most common in a child with pain and fever, so make sure that the drug you are administering has an anti-inflammatory effect (such as ibuprofen).
3/ 7 Drug abuse
It often happens that, convinced about the safety of painkillers, we take them at every possible opportunity, without following the recommendations contained in the leaflet. And overuse of painkillers can lead to a number of side effects, such as nausea, stomach ulcer, and skin lesions. Paradoxically, the use of painkillers several times a week may cause drug-induced headaches, the so-called rebound headaches.
4/ 7 Painkiller – how long should you take?
An over-the-counter pain reliever is a reliever medication. If the pain lasts longer than 3 days, a visit to the doctor is necessary, and masking the problem with painkillers may only increase the risk of serious health consequences.
5/ 7 Drug safety
No drug is completely safe – it is only safe to use the drug in accordance with the indications and in the right dose. For example, the abuse of paracetamol, which is considered to be safe, can be extremely dangerous. This can lead to liver damage, for example.
6/ 7 High doses of painkillers
Taking the drug in doses higher than recommended in the leaflet is often pointless or even dangerous due to the so-called ceiling effect. The ceiling effect is the lack of a stronger analgesic effect after exceeding the so-called maximum dose, taken once or throughout the day. As a result, we do not feel a stronger analgesic effect, and the risk of side effects increases.
7/ 7 Combining drugs
The popular aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen belong to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The simultaneous use of two drugs from this group is a mistake, as it increases the risk of side effects (e.g. gastrointestinal disorders). However, it is allowed to combine a drug from the NSAID group with paracetamol, which is not an NSAID. We should also be careful when combining painkillers, e.g. with medicines for colds. They often contain the same active ingredient, which may increase the risk of an overdose and worsen its side effects. If we have any doubts as to whether the drugs can be used together, we should ask the doctor or pharmacist.