Contents:
- Medical Video: How does your body process medicine? - Céline Valéry
- The cause after taking medication makes you sick
- 1. Recipe for new drugs
- 2. Take other medications
- 3. Age factor
- 4. Dietary foods
- 5. Take two drugs with the same side effects
- 6. You also take supplements or herbal medicines
Medical Video: How does your body process medicine? - Céline Valéry
Have you ever experienced a situation where you had taken medication but felt that the drug did not work in your body? In fact, over time the drug actually makes you sick and doesn't feel well. If so, maybe you do a number of things that unwittingly make drugs that should treat you instead become not working in your body.
The cause after taking medication makes you sick
This condition might happen. Not many people know that the drugs you take can make you even more sick. That is why, to ensure that the medicines you consume work safely and effectively, you must know what factors can affect the efficacy of the drug. Here are some things that cause the drug you are taking to make you sick:
1. Recipe for new drugs
Side effects from drugs can indeed occur at any time. However, the possibility will be even greater when you try a new drug or change the dose of the drug you previously consumed. That is why, before taking medicine, you must first ask about the side effects caused to the doctor or pharmacist. Because, drugs such as antibiotics that cause nausea caused are not serious and can still be handled.
Some other drugs will also have side effects that may last a long time. For example, blood pressure medications that can cause you to cough. In fact, some serious side effects also sometimes appear like the presence of blood in the urine or stool, shortness of breath, blurred vision, or severe headaches. If this happens, immediately consult a doctor.
2. Take other medications
Even though over-the-counter drugs on the market do not require a doctor's prescription, they can still cause side effects. Not only that, this type of drug is also very possible to interact if you take over-the-counter drugs along with prescription drugs.
The most commonly used free drugs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin can cause side effects especially in the elderly. If you use thyroid medication, you need to avoid certain cold medicines. Because the content of pseudoephedrine and decongestants makes you sleepy and will interfere with the performance of thyroid drugs. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using prescription drugs to ensure safety.
3. Age factor
Aging is one of the factors that plays an important role in changing the effectiveness of drugs to treat you. Because, aging has been associated with a decrease in the various functions of your internal organs such as the kidneys, which can cause the process of removing the drug from the body for too long so that the exposure of the drug to the body becomes longer. That is why, certain high-risk drugs are not recommended to be prescribed to people over 65 years of age.
4. Dietary foods
Drinking a glass of red grapefruit juice or enjoying a bowl of vegetable salad does sound healthy and harmless. But some healthy foods that you might consume on a diet can cause serious interactions with certain drugs. For example, if you drink a glass of grapefruit juice then after taking statin medicine - one type of drug to reduce cholesterol in the blood, the effect can weaken the muscles and cause kidney damage. Not only that, if you eat green vegetables that are rich in vitamin K such as cabbage can interfere with the performance of warfarin drugs in preventing blood clots.
5. Take two drugs with the same side effects
Side effects from drugs can sometimes be additive. This means consuming two or more drugs with the same side effects will increase you experience these side effects twice or even make the symptoms worse. For example, you take more than one sedative such as opioids, muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs, antihistamines, or sleeping pills. The effects caused instead of making you more calm, it will make you experience fatigue twice.
Well, this is actually not safe for you to drive and do other activities. In essence, changing the dosage of a drug without a prescription will actually make you more likely to experience side effects.
6. You also take supplements or herbal medicines
According to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine, it is known that more than 42 percent of adults do not tell their doctors if they actually take complementary drugs such as supplements and herbal medicines. The reason is because they are afraid they will not agree with their doctor. Unlike prescription drugs, herbal medicines are not regulated by the BPOM (Drug and Food Inspection Agency) and not through extensive testing to prove that the drug is safe and effective before being sold to the public.
Vitamins, supplements, and herbal medicines all have side effects and can interact with other drugs. that's why, never forget to consult a doctor first before taking certain drugs.
