Medicines come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms, depending on what kind of ailment it treats or how it is taken. These medications are seen in our neighborhood drugstores, where it is conveniently available for the whole community. However, not all medication purchased in these stores are over the counter (OTC) drugs. Some medications may be harmful if taken without medical examination and approval of one's physician. Medications such as those are called prescription drugs and are made available to people only with a doctor's prescription.
It is fairly normal for some people to take more than one type of drug in a day. Usually, medicines are specifically intended to treat a certain health condition. Although some medications say that they can relieve more than just headaches (think flu, and pain reliever all in one), it is possible that this might not be as effective as other medicines directed at each symptom.
Taking more than one medication is not always considered dangerous to us, as long as it is in low dosages. Vitamins or similar supplements are mostly taken in conjunction with other medication. If one needs to treat ailments like flu, colds, fever, or headaches, it is possible to take a medication strictly for the purpose of relieving the said condition. But sometimes a person already has a prescribed drug regimen aside from taking over the counter medication. In this case, a person should know the drug interaction between his/her medications.
Drug interaction happens when the effect of a certain drug is changed when another medication is taken. This interaction can also happen with food, alcohol, and tobacco and can result in side effects, possible overdose, decrease in effectiveness of the medication, or a higher concentration of the drug in the blood. There are three major descriptions of medicines: the prescription drugs, nonprescription medicines, and supplements which include vitamins and herbal medicine. All these can interact within your body and can produce unwanted side effects that can harm one's health, causing permanent damage to your organs or at the very least seriously disrupting your body's natural processes.
In line with this, there are drug interaction tools that are used to provide information as to what specific medication has an adverse effect on another. Online health websites are using reference checks to see if your medications have improper effects, cause an overdose, or would not work well with another specified medication. By using these, one could prevent such events from happening. The results of the drug interaction checks would be an appropriate reference as to what medications should a person take for a day, or a reschedule of medications may also be considered. For further information, it is wise to consult your physician and ask about drug interactions, and how to prevent unwanted effects caused by multiple medicine intake.
