Ten Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Taking Prescription Medicines

What if you miss a dose? Are there foods that should be avoided? These are key questions to ask your doctor before you start taking your medicine. Writes about it The Healthy.

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Prescription drugs work best when you take them as directed. While the instructions that come with your medicine are helpful and necessary, they may not answer all your questions. Therefore, it is important to conduct your own examination. Here are some questions to ask your doctor and pharmacist before taking your prescription medications.

Do I need to avoid certain foods while taking medication?

There are some interactions between foods and drugs. For example, milk may interfere with some antibiotics; Bananas and other foods high in potassium should be avoided if you are taking medications for high blood pressure or diuretics to retain excess fluid. "Eating foods high in potassium may increase your risk of irregular or rapid heartbeat because they increase the amount of potassium in your body," says Jeremy Allen, MD, medical director of American Family Care in Birmingham, Alabama. Other known interactions include grapefruit juice with statins and vitamin K or cranberry overload with blood thinners such as warfarin.

Can I drink a glass of wine while taking medication?

Drinking alcohol will increase the side effects of certain medications. For example, you may feel drowsy if you drink wine and take allergy medications. Tyramine is a component found in many alcoholic beverages as a result of the fermentation process. It may cause a sudden, unsafe increase in blood pressure if you are taking antibiotics, antipsychotics, antifungals, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). “With some antibiotics and antifungals, drinking alcohol can cause nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, hot flashes and headaches,” explains Dr. Allen.

If you vomit, should you take another dose or wait?

"If you vomit within 15 minutes of taking the medication, you should definitely take another dose because it probably hasn't been digested yet," recommends Dr. Allen.

If more than an hour or two has passed, your medicines have probably already passed into the stomach, so you need to wait until it's time to take your next dose. However, you should call your doctor if you are unsure, because the risk of missing a dose may outweigh the risk of having additional medications in your blood.

How long does it take to feel the effect?

Feeling better may take longer than you expect, depending on your condition and medication. Some drugs go directly from your digestive system into your bloodstream, while others must first pass through your liver.

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“The medication usually enters your bloodstream within eight hours of taking it, but in some cases it reaches peak levels in your blood within 30 minutes,” explains Dr. Allen.

If you are taking temporary medications, they are designed to dissolve slowly and provide a steady level of medication throughout the day. You should feel the effects of the medication within the first six to eight hours, but it may take longer to make a significant difference.

Can the tablets be crushed to make them easier to swallow?

Not only do children hate swallowing pills, but for some adults, this procedure is a complete torture. In most cases, you can crush the tablet and mix it with applesauce or pudding, but Dr. Allen says this approach can lead to an overdose of the drug due to the huge instant dose or cause irritation of the stomach lining.

Is it necessary to take a full course of medication?

According to Mark E. Leavy, MD, a primary care specialist, it depends on how quickly the problem goes away. You may want to stop taking the pills if they are not the only thing that controls your pain. However, if you are taking antibiotics to treat an infection, stay the course.

“Residual bacteria may persist despite the onslaught of antibiotics, and they will multiply if medications are stopped too early,” warns Dr. Leavey.

Will dietary supplements and herbs conflict with medicines?

Healing herbs and nutritional supplements have been used for hundreds of years to prevent and fight disease, but these same all-natural products can be dangerous when mixed with prescription drugs.

“Some vitamins and herbs can interact with certain medications, which could change how the medication works or cause dangerous side effects,” noted Jamie Chan, executive director of pharmacy quality and drug safety at Kaiser Permanente.

It is important that you tell your doctor and pharmacist everything you are taking. They will have the opportunity to test interactions and avoid conflicting supplements, herbs or vitamins with medications.

Should I take probiotics if antibiotics are prescribed?

If you've ever had unpleasant side effects from antibiotics, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or a fungal infection, then you know how hard it is to be sick and have these symptoms. Kent Holtorf, MD, medical director of Holtorf Medical Group, encourages his patients to take probiotics.

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“Higher doses of probiotics are required when taking antibiotics because the composition of the bacteria in the gut is a competition. When antibiotics kill some of the good bacteria, other bad bacteria can appear, Dr. Holtorf explains. “It’s best to leave as much time as possible between taking the probiotic and taking the antibiotic.”

To take twice a day is to take every 12 hours or in the morning and before bedtime?

According to Dr. Leavey, breakfast and dinner are common practice even in hospitals.

“It probably never hurts to be more accurate, but using less accurate ones twice a day instead of every 12 hours may result in incorrect dosing of some medications,” he noted.

If the drugs leave the bloodstream completely, this may change your treatment. Of course, this is a general rule, so it's best to ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Will a generic be as effective as a well-known brand?

Being sick and paying outrageous prescription prices is a double whammy. But it's worth wondering whether cheaper generics will be as effective as a reliable brand? According to Chan, the FDA requires that generic drugs work the same as brand-name drugs. Dr. Leavy agrees.

"There may be differences in how the tablets or capsules are made, and this can lead to individual variations, but there won't be any major problems," Leavy said. Your doctor will definitely advise you which generic drug to choose.

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