Pop Pills at your own Peril

By Sarah Scrafford


It’s not just stupid, it’s plain dangerous – this practice of popping pills without consulting a qualified physician. The drug may be available without a prescription or left over from a previous prescription and labeled safe by the FDA, but that’s certainly no reason to take it without medical supervision. If the fact that 8 percent of patients admitted to hospitals were there because of complications from self-medication is not enough to convince you to avoid OTC medication like the plague, read on:

· That common cold may be the harbinger of worse ailments and that nagging fever may be much more than a simple viral infection. Suppressing the symptoms with OTC drugs only makes you overlook the underlying disease, and this could lead to serious consequences.
· Medicines available OTC come with side effects that lead to other medical complications
· When one OTC drug is taken in combination with another (or more), they may either cancel or enhance each other’s effect.
· Most people do not read the labels properly when dosing themselves with OTC medicines and get the dosage and frequency wrong more often than not. The National Consumer League reports that of the 175 million Americans who take OTC drugs, 44 percent exceed the recommended dosage.
· Even if they do read the dosage correctly, they may take more than one dose in order to reduce symptoms and get relief more quickly, an action that is not advisable as it may lead to unforeseen consequences.
· Some medicines, when taken with alcohol or other stimulants, cause adverse reactions
· OTC drugs may contain chemicals that cause rashes or hives in people allergic to them.
· OTC drugs negate the effects of prescribed drugs for serious ailments like hypertension and lead to other complications.
· Painkillers prescribed for one kind of pain may not be suitable or apt in treating and curing another. Taking pain medication without a prescription is not advisable as most painkillers are filled with strong chemicals.


Kidney failure, blindness, rashes, allergic reactions, stroke, kidney and liver damage, stomach bleeding and ulcers are just a few of the complications that arise from irresponsible use of OTC drugs. So instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet every time you feel a headache coming on or a cold creeping in, try alternative, natural remedies to relieve yourself. A hot bowl of soup, a warm bath, a brisk walk in the park, or even an hour of sleep or relaxation will do you a world of good. Exercising is an excellent way to get your body to release natural pain killers like dopamine. Remember, drugs are life-saving only if they are used judiciously; if not, they can turn the tables on you and turn killers.




Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of RN. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.