Over The Counter Drugs: How To Safely Choose The Right Medication

What Medication Can Cure Me?

1. Am I expecting a cure? Some medications relieve symptoms ? that is, they stop the itching, pain, redness, etc ? but do not actually get to the source of the illness. Some illnesses, like the common cold, can't be treated/cured, so looking for an OTC drug may be a waste of time; getting rest and drinking fluids may be a better way to spend your afternoon! Other things, like yeast infections, can be treated by over the counter medications; if the infection is making you uncomfortable as well as needing treatment, make sure that you pick a product that gives you both symptomatic relief and treatment.

Is It Safe For Your Child?

2. Is it for your child? If so make sure that you're getting a drug that can be given to children. Some drugs that help adults can be dangerous for children; others need to be given at a special dosage. Read the fine print on the box before buying for your child.

What About Interactions With Other Drugs?

3. What else am I taking? If you're on any other medications, whether over-the-counter or prescription, stop by the pharmacist's desk before heading to the check-out counter. She can check to make sure that the drugs you are taking don't change the effect of the drugs you are taking.

Wait... Shouldn't My Illness Be Over Already?

4. Should my illness have ended by now? If you think you have something that has a natural lifecycle - that is, something like a cold that should end on its own - but you don't feel better after that time is up, you may have misdiagnosed your illness. If you're having to take pain-reliever nonstop to keep functioning, your body is trying to tell you something and you should listen. What feels like a cold might be bronchitis; that achy foot may require orthotics, not aspirin.

Long Term Medication Use

5. Is it a chronic problem? If you're having to take over-the-counter medications over a long period of time to prevent symptoms, it is time for your health care practitioner to find out what the underlying cause is. Even something as simple as scaly skin may be a warning sign that you're developing diabetes. And some relatively harmless medications can have serious long-term consequences; for example, some over the counter pain medications can cause stomach bleeding if you take them for a long time. If you're taking an OTC medication constantly to reduce long-term discomfort, talk to your health care provider to make sure that a) you're not missing something important and b) that if it's a chronic problem, you're taking medication that your body can handle chronically.

Compare Ingredients

6. What's the active ingredient? If the same active ingredient is found in both the name brand and the generic, chances are they will have the same effect.

Pregnant Or Breast Feeding?

7. If you're pregnant or nursing, check with your physician before taking ANY medication, including OTC drugs and alternative products (such as herbal remedies). Some drugs can cross the placenta or through the milk glands, giving your fetus or baby a whopping dose of medication. While the medication might be fine for you, it may not be fine for your baby.

Watch Out For Alcohol

8. Does the medication contain alcohol? If it does, it's probably going to make you sleepy, it will probably make you feel dehydrated, and adding more alcohol on top of it can be dangerous.

Double-Doses: Be Careful!

9. Am I doubling up? If you're taking more than one over-the-counter medication, make sure that they don't have the same ingredients; if they do, you might be doubling the recommended dose of that medication and setting yourself up for unpleasant side effects. This is a particular problem when you take something that combats multiple symptoms of an illness (like "flu" medications that relieve pain, fever, stuffy nose, and sore throat) - often they contain multiple active ingredients, one of which may overlap with another medication (like a pain killer) that you're taking

Side Effects And Allergies

10. Check the label for side effects and symptoms of allergic reaction. If side effects include drowsiness and you drive a truck or care for several active toddlers, this medication might not be right for you. Similarly, if you start running a fever or develop a rash, having read the label ahead of time will help you know if you need to stop the medication and call a doctor to avert a full-blown allergic attack.

Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005

Ian Mason, owner of Shoppe.MD, your source for Online Prescription Medications, drug information and support forums.

Ian is a fat-to-fit student of health, weight loss, exercise, and several martial arts; maintaining several websites in an effort to help provide up-to-date and helpful information for other who share his interests in health of body and mind.

---

Does Heel Pain Mean that I Need to Stop Running?

Heel pain, medically termed plantar fasciitis, is a common and frustrating injury for many runners. It accounts for up to 10% of all running injuries and results from overstressing the band of tissue... Read More

Finally...Affordable Prescription Medication without Insurance.

If you are like many Americans, you are without health insurance. And the ranks of the uninsured are growing. According to the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), the number of uninsured was... Read More

Over Medication; Grandma is on Drugs

It is very interesting this hypochondriac attitude which permeates our society? The power of suggestion is alive and well? "Do not feel good today, take a drug?" Oh that made you feel a... Read More

Viagra Users - Overcome NAION Fear

NAION is the latest side effect linked to Viagra and other ED drugs. It is a condition which results from a painless swelling of the optic nerve that causes rapid reduction in vision.... Read More

Toenail Fungus: Tips For Treatment

The medical term for toenail fungus is "onychomycosis," pronounced on * EE * ko * my * ko * sis. Despite the commonly used term "fungal toenails", onychomycosis describes both fungus and yeast... Read More

Root Canal Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions

OverviewA diseased or injured nerve use to mean that you were likely to lose a tooth. This is no longer the case thanks to root canal therapy. The procedure can require up to... Read More

The Medical Community Changes Its Mind

How many of us have taken aspirin or a similar popular product found at the drug store when we had some type of discomfort? Of course, many of us have and why shouldn't... Read More

Robotic Future of Hospitals; Pandemic Prevention and Bio-Terrorist Attack

There is a huge concern in the medical industry that if a biological weapon were released that those sick might come to the hospitals in such large numbers that before you realized an... Read More

The Cox-2 Prescription Painkillers Are Back?

This past week, the FDA held a meeting in order to decide what should be done about Merck's Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra and Celebrex. The Food and Drug Administration originally intended to ban... Read More

Vioxx Personal Injury Lawsuits

Personal injury attorneys representing clients who have allegedly been harmed by the prescription drug Vioxx are congratulating themselves over a historic judgment rendered recently. On August 19, 2005, a judge awarded the family... Read More

Vioxx Side Effects : Are You Suffering?

Have you ever taken the drug Vioxx or celebrex? In September 2004 the drug manufacturer Merck decided to recall the product after long term data suggested a serious potential side effect.This drug and... Read More

Cetyl Myristoleate Seperating Fact From Fiction

I am a strong believer in Cetyl Myristoleate for the treatment of arthritis. For the last three years I have been researching and writing about Cetyl Myristoleate. I am constantly searching for new... Read More

Study Confirms IBS Improvement

Irritable bowel syndrome is a debilitating and distressing condition, which affects 10-20% of the population. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel function such as constipation, diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and... Read More

How Safe Do You Feel Going To Hospital To Be Cured

There has been a lot of concern in Australia over the performance of an overseas trained Doctor that had been made Director of Surgery in a regional city.Currently there is a Commission of... Read More

Residential Drug Treatment Centers

Chemical dependency recovery provides with positive changes in reactions and behaviors. Residential Treatment Centers can be accommodate those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, and more. Treating both men and women together,... Read More

What is Going On With Pharmacies in Canada

There is a large amount of talk lately in regard to Canadian pharmacies, and why not? pharmacies in Canada provide the same identical perscription drugs you would find at the local pharmacy, deliver... Read More

Common Drugs and Their Uses

The five drugs that are discussed in this article are Ibuprofen which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used for relief of Arthritis, Warfarin which is an anticoagulant drug commonly... Read More

Jet Lag Pills ? Panacea or Placebo Effect?

We live in an age that demands an instant cure for every conceivable ailment under the sun and so it's no surprise that jet lag has joined the band of conditions for which... Read More

Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthrtis: Science or Speculation

There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate (also known as CMO or CM) floating across the Internet. Mine is one of them. There have been a number of articles published... Read More

Adaptogens for Life - The Science Behind the Discovery of Adaptogens

Modern civilization has produced an unusually stressful environment to humans and animals, with extreme high demands on our physical and mental abilities. The last one hundred years have brought unique new challenges for... Read More

Over The Counter Pain Medication: How To Choose The Right Drugs

With the recent front-page news about the possible hazards of pain medications, you may be taking a look at your over-the-counter (or OTC) pain medications with a wary eye. While all drugs, including... Read More

Christopher Reeve To Have Promoted Basement Lab

Chrisopher Reeve has died. But his vision of a "Cure" has not. Mr. Reeve, who became a quadripilegic after a horse riding accident in 1995, was best known as advocate for stem cell... Read More

Discipline Medicine

Most writers suffer from a lack of discipline. The urge to procrastinate is strong as writing is agonizing work because it is done alone without support from colleagues, acquaintances, and friends unlike other... Read More

Lunesta Memory Problems

Lunesta may be the only sleeping pill that is FDA approved for long-term use, but it still has some of the same effects as other sleep aids. Ambien, Sonata and others have all... Read More

Lunesta Sleeping Pills: A Quick Guide To Lunesta

When was the last time you enjoyed a good night's sleep? I'm talking about feeling tired, heavy, and relaxed - the times when you might say "wow! I love air conditioning" and fall... Read More

Three Questions People Are Asking About Health Care in America

Q. Why is there so may uninsured people in America?A. There are over 44 million uninsured people in this country and over 75 million underinsured because of three main factors:1. Insurance rates continue... Read More

Risperdal Side Effects: Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome NMS

Risperdal is an atypical anti-psychotic drug that balances the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. It helps to stabilize patients with mental illness including the manic stages of bipolar disorder and... Read More

What You Should Know About Mixing Medications and Diet...

I had a call the other day from a potential client in a serious situation. He was young and had been diagnosed with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), suffering from extremely high blood pressure... Read More

An Introduction to Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common condition, but in some ways it is still a mystery. There are many different theories about what causes the syndrome, and different doctors will give... Read More