Pain Medication Side Effects
Every day, millions of people take prescription and over the counter pain medications. Every drug has side effects. Some side effects are common, others are more serious and can even be life threatening.
Most side effects are related to drug dosage. Doctors prescribe pain medications at the dose they believe will offer the greatest benefit at the least risk. Doubling or tripling the dose wont spell relief. With some pain medications, if you take additional doses, it makes the first dose not work so well. And with others, you end up in the emergency room.
People respond differently to medications depending on a variety of factors including age, overall health, gender, ethnicity, and the levels of severity of the illness or disease the patient is fighting. The effects of pain medication are different for different people. Also, the tolerance of pain varies greatly from one person to another.For this reason, one medication will not be right for everyone with the same injury. For example, some people are quite happy with an over the counter pain medication for ailments while others will need a more powerful prescription pain reliever. The right pain medication depends on the person experiencing the pain, not on the condition that is causing the pain.
People often take over the counter pain medications without reading the label. That means they often don’t know which drugs they’re taking. That’s never a good idea. It’s very common today for people to share prescription medications with friends, relatives, and co-workers. Not a smart idea. For stronger pain relief, prescription pain medications known as narcotics are available. These medications are used to treat chronic pain. A major concern with the prescribing of narcotics is to ensure that they are used to treat pain and not abused for the euphoric effect that some people get when they take them. These pain medications can produce drowsiness, cause constipation and depending upon the amount taken, depress breathing. Taking a large single dose can cause severe respiratory depression or death. The inclusion of high amounts of acetaminophen with all these medications is a somewhat ironic attempt by pharmaceutical companies to prevent abuse, since overdosing can result in the destruction of the liver.
Before taking any pain medication, it’s important to know the side effects. Think about what other medicines, herbal remedies, and supplements you are taking. Some of these may interact with pain medications or increase the risk of side effects.You should give your doctor a complete list of all drugs, herbs, and supplements you take, before taking any pain medication. When buying over the counter medications, don’t hesitate to use the help of your pharmacist, showing a list of everything you’re taking. Pain medications, when used correctly are actually little drug-delivery machines.
People respond differently to medications depending on a variety of factors including age, overall health, gender, ethnicity, and the levels of severity of the illness or disease the patient is fighting. The effects of pain medication are different for different people. Also, the tolerance of pain varies greatly from one person to another.For this reason, one medication will not be right for everyone with the same injury. For example, some people are quite happy with an over the counter pain medication for ailments while others will need a more powerful prescription pain reliever. The right pain medication depends on the person experiencing the pain, not on the condition that is causing the pain.
People often take over the counter pain medications without reading the label. That means they often don’t know which drugs they’re taking. That’s never a good idea. It’s very common today for people to share prescription medications with friends, relatives, and co-workers. Not a smart idea. For stronger pain relief, prescription pain medications known as narcotics are available. These medications are used to treat chronic pain. A major concern with the prescribing of narcotics is to ensure that they are used to treat pain and not abused for the euphoric effect that some people get when they take them. These pain medications can produce drowsiness, cause constipation and depending upon the amount taken, depress breathing. Taking a large single dose can cause severe respiratory depression or death. The inclusion of high amounts of acetaminophen with all these medications is a somewhat ironic attempt by pharmaceutical companies to prevent abuse, since overdosing can result in the destruction of the liver.
Before taking any pain medication, it’s important to know the side effects. Think about what other medicines, herbal remedies, and supplements you are taking. Some of these may interact with pain medications or increase the risk of side effects.You should give your doctor a complete list of all drugs, herbs, and supplements you take, before taking any pain medication. When buying over the counter medications, don’t hesitate to use the help of your pharmacist, showing a list of everything you’re taking. Pain medications, when used correctly are actually little drug-delivery machines.
