Pain Killers are in everyone’s cabinets. They have warning labels, safety caps and dosage instructions that we all should follow. But how many times do we say ‘just take three or four, it won’t hurt me and the pain will go away faster.’ In reality, it can hurt you and the pain won’t go away faster.
Overdosing on these medications is easier than we think. Especially when we are in a lot of pain from an injury or illness, like I am, or we have chronic pain that we deal with everyday. So there are some must do’s we all need to adhere to when using these meds in our home.
a) Read and follow labels – seems simple, I know. But until recently, I can not tell you the last time I read and OTC medication label. I just take two and when the pain comes back, take two more. Or three. This simple step can save me from potentially devastating side effects. So, today I read the label.
b) Take one product at a time. – Guilty, Guilty, Guilty. I have been known to take one pain killer and then when it was not working fast enough, take another one for good measure. Well, this is a no no. These medications often include the exact same ingredients as the one I just took. So taking two pain killers, a cough medication and other meds at the same time can prove to overload my system with the same meds and really hurt me!
c) Talk to a professional about dosage and medication mixtures – So many of us talk to our doctor’s about prescribed meds but we leave out the two pain killers a day we take every morning. But adding in your OTC meds and asking about mixing them together – even if you don’t have a prescription – is important. Preventing an overdose is the best step to take to begin with by being honest with professionals.
Check out the Gut Check Website for more information about how taking the same ingredients – even in different brands and medications – can be really harmful to you. As adults, we think we know about OTC meds and the truth is, we need to watch our dosage as much as we watch our children’s and the people we love!
How do you make sure you understand the medications you are putting in your body? Watch this video below to get more information and tips!
Gosh we cannot be reminded enough that often we don’t know what we are taking and when we don’t feel well, the temptation to stop the pain is huge. Thanks for the reminder.
You are so very welcome!!
I totally understand how you feel. Busy moms don’t have time to be sick and taking OTC meds helps us keep going when we really should be in bed resting!
Yep!!! I can’t remember the last day I stayed in bed all day!!
This is such important information. As someone who has suffered from headaches for years, I understand how easy it is to fall into the trap of taking more and more medication. Thanks for the warning.
Yea!! Headache sufferers can do easily overdo it. Thank you got taking the fine to read and comment !!