What You Should Know About Prescription and OTC Medication Side Effects
Even though medication is useful in helping the human body overcome a certain condition, you should know that almost all of them include side effects as well. The adverse reaction produced by prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication can be defined as a disagreeable less important reaction that usually occurs along with the welcomed therapeutic effect of medication. The severity, intensity and number of side effects you can experience from drugs varies from person to person, as their manifestation is closely related to general characteristics of an individual, such as weight, gender, age, the status of the disease and his overall health.
In addition to their different manifestations for each person, the side effects of drugs also vary according to the type of medication a person takes. The reason for this is that drugs and medication include different dosages of ingredients that may not react well with the chemicals produced by the human body. In addition, the side effects you can experience from medication can occur immediately after you started taking them, when you increase or decrease the dosage or at the end of the treatment, especially after extended periods of taking a certain drug.
Prescription drugs most common side effects
Statistics indicate a significant increase of the number of people that are currently following a prescription treatment. Since the number of people suffering from chronic or other types of conditions and that need to take medication in order to be able to cope with their illness, it is important that they educate themselves about the adverse reactions that their little aids can induce. All in all, whenever you are going to follow a medication treatment prescribed by your doctor, it is important that you ask him about the possible side effects and the correct way of taking the drugs.
The most common side effects you can experience from drugs that you take according to the doctor’s instructions include nausea, rashes, sleep disruptions, headaches, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, drowsiness and slow breathing. In case you experience these symptoms, the best thing you can do is see your doctor and adjust your dosage. However, if that does not ameliorate or eliminate your side effects, he will probably change the medicine altogether.
It is important to note that most side effects occur due to abusing and interactions with alcohol and other drugs. The symptoms usually include hallucinations, euphoria, anxiety, paranoia, mood swings and changes in personality. In extreme abuse cases, some drugs such as painkillers and antidepressants are lethal. On the other hand, the side effects of certain type of drugs are positive. For instance, if you are taking birth control pills, then you will notice an improved appearance of your skin and hair.
The side effects of Metformin
Metformin is one of the best-known medications used for regulating the sugar levels in the bloodstreams of people suspected to have type II diabetes. In order to get the best out of this medication and ensure you will experience as little Metformin side effects as possible, you should do your best to improve your life style by introducing regular physical activities and watching your diet closely. While it is extremely efficient in preventing diabetes, it has the potential to cause adverse reactions. The Metformin side effects will usually appear immediately after you started the treatment.
As indicated on the instruction guide, the Metformin side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and an unpleasant taste of metal in your mouth. Most people that are under the treatment report that the Metformin side effects diminish quickly, as the body gets used to it and adjusts to the ingredients. However, since this medication can lead to serious conditions, such as hypoglycemia and an increase of lactic acid in the bloodstream, it is better to address this problem to your health care professional.
Side effects induced by over the counter medication
One of the most severe problems with the over the counter medication is self-diagnosis. Therefore, if you are taking medication for a disease that you do not have, not only will you experience unpleasant side effects, but you will also cause your actual condition to aggravate. In addition, there is always the risk of purchasing medication that treat a symptom and not the disease itself, which can lead to complications.
Most people consider that since the vast majority of OTC products are natural, there is no way you can have side effects. However, the truth is that even natural medication has side effects and the most common adverse reactions are allergies. Besides allergies, the over the counter medication will usually include the common list of bad reactions that you can get from prescription drugs, such as dizziness, nausea, cramps, tiredness and so on.
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