Below, we list some common mistakes that many people make when they need to take medicine for some treatment. See what they are and stop doing it today, because your health is at stake.
See also: 9 things your doctor wants you to know before your appointment
5 common mistakes when taking medication
1 – Taking a higher dose than recommended: you must understand that changing the prescribed dosage does not mean that you will have a more effective effect. In fact, you may be suffering from a number of harmful side effects;
2 – Not following the medication schedule: this is a very common mistake. You must follow the schedule for taking the drug exactly, since your body’s metabolism has rules that make the substances work continuously;
3 – Make continuous use alone: self-medication can cause serious damage to health over time;
4 – Divide pills in half: you should never take half a pill of a medicine to have a lesser effect;
5 – Stop reading the flyer: always read the package leaflet of medicines before taking them, this avoids a series of unexpected events.
Bonus: Don’t mix medicine with food
Some moments in life require medical attention for the treatment and control of certain diseases. For this, you need to use several medicines. What no patient wants is for the medicine not to have the desired effect. It is therefore worth checking out some interactions between foods and medicines that can nullify the effect of a prescription.
Never mix these remedies with the following foods:
– Digoxin: the food-drug interaction in the case of digoxin raises some caveats. This substance is used to treat heart failure and heart problems. Foods with a lot of fiber, even if healthy, can decrease the effect of digoxin. Some examples are: brown rice, wheat bran, oats, carrots and broccoli.
– Anti allergic: fruits such as oranges have the power to nullify the effect of some anti-allergic drugs. It also increases the risk of developing gastritis, ulcers, nausea and heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia).
– antidepressants: Antidepressants usually do not react well together with tyramine. This substance is found in foods such as beef, poultry, fruits, and fermented or aged products. Taking antidepressants with tyramine can cause high blood pressure, tiredness, blurred vision, dizziness, agitation, and headaches.
– Anticoagulants: blood thinners do not cope well with the presence of vitamin K. Therefore, avoid consuming broccoli, spinach and kale. All of them are foods that go in the opposite direction to blood thinners.
– antibiotics: finally, antibiotics represent a strong restriction on the consumption of alcoholic beverages. If you are being treated with this type of medicine, avoid consuming alcohol.
Discover the foods that can help
Vitamin K does not combine with blood thinners, but it is a nutrient that enhances other types of foods. In addition, foods that have probiotics are also indicated. So eat more:
- Broccoli;
- Spinach;
- Parsley;
- Mustard;
- Banana;
- Chicory;
- Cereals;
- Breads.
