Table of contents:
- Signs that you are taking too much medication
- 1. Difficulty following a medication schedule
- 2. New symptoms appear
- 3. Experiencing joint or muscle pain
- 4. Experiencing mental problems
- 5. Mistakenly taking medication
- Isn't there a danger in taking too many prescription drugs?
For those of you who are undergoing treatment by regularly taking medication, you should still control and monitor the amount of medicine you take. Because, instead of speeding up healing, taking too much medication can actually be bad for your health. Before knowing what the bad effects are, it's best to check for signs that might appear if you take too much medicine.
Signs that you are taking too much medication
1. Difficulty following a medication schedule
When there is too much medicine to take, it may be difficult for you to follow the rules and schedule for taking that medication. If this happens, you can be sure that you have entered a phase where the amount of medicine you are taking is too much.
For that, you should immediately talk to your doctor about which drugs should be consumed and which can still be postponed. It is important that your doctor knows all the types of drugs you are taking, whether they are over-the-counter or non-prescription drugs, prescription drugs, or herbal medicines.
The reason is, several types of drugs can cause drug interactions so that side effects will not rule out.
2. New symptoms appear
One of the easiest signs to notice when someone is taking too much medication is new symptoms that may not have been experienced before. This was further explained by dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe, an internal medicine specialist at NYU Langone Medical Center. According to him, consuming large amounts of drugs can lead to the risk of drug interactions.
If this happens, it can result in the appearance of a number of symptoms such as body weakness, decreased brain ability, indigestion, heart palpitations, and skin problems. However, this symptom depends on what type of drug is being taken at the same time and causes a reaction.
The best solution, try asking your doctor first before taking several drugs that are prescribed simultaneously.
3. Experiencing joint or muscle pain
Have you ever felt joint and muscle pain during your routine medication? If so, caution could be a sign that you are taking too much medication. Dr. Barbara Bergin, an orthopedic surgeon in Texas, explains that the possible impact of taking too much medication is pain.
Generally, the source of this pain comes from arthritis, sprained joints, or muscle aches. However, there are also other pains that are not a joint and muscle problem. According to dr. Barbara Bergin, drugs that can cause this, namely cholesterol-lowering drugs (statin drugs) and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
4. Experiencing mental problems
In fact, taking medication in excess of the limit not only affects your physical health, but can also lead to mental and emotional problems.
According to dr. David Greuner, of NYC Surgical Associates, a common side effect of over-the-counter prescription medications is mood swings, feeling tired, and even prolonged depression.
5. Mistakenly taking medication
If you have taken too much medicine, you may be taking the wrong type of medicine. Now, if this happens, Karin Josephson, a pharmacist at Westfields Hospital and Clinic in Wisconsin, advises you to have a special drug store that comes with a daily medication list.
The goal is to check what medicines you have to take every day, your daily medication schedule, the amount you have taken that day, as well as to prevent the interaction of several drugs that cannot be taken at the same time.
All medicines usually have instructions on when to take them so that it will make it easier for you to adjust your drug consumption to your daily routine activities. This can also prevent you from taking medications that have been taken before.
Isn't there a danger in taking too many prescription drugs?
When you experience some of the signs like the ones mentioned, don't take them lightly. The reason is, gradually it can cause health problems that will be very dangerous for the body. For example, problems arise in the liver, which plays a role in breaking down and converting chemicals in drugs so that they can be used by the body effectively.
Not only that, according to dr. Paul McLaren, a psychiatrist at Priory's New Wellbeing Center and medical director at Priory's Hospital, constipation (constipation), sleep apnea, sexual dysfunction, and fertility problems are some of the health problems that are often associated with taking too many prescription drugs.
In the end, the worry is if the prescription drugs start not reacting well in someone's body, or in other words your body might be resistant (immune) to these drugs.
