Over-the-counter Drugs You Should Be Wary Of
Over-the-counter drugs are drugs that can be bought from pharmacy stores without a prescription from your doctor. It’s a common practice to take over-the-counter drugs to treat the common cold, flu, and different kinds of bodily pains, such as headaches, dental pains and body aches. It is essential to be informed about the risks of OTC drugs so that you know when to avoid them.
Some Common Over-the-counter Drugs
1) Aspirin:
A common myth followed by people is to place aspirin on the gum to reduce pain. A toothache should not be managed by placing aspirin as it’s acidic in nature which in turn might burn the gum. You will experience more pain by placing it directly on the tooth.
2) Acetaminophen (Tylenol):
This over-the-counter drug, commonly known to cause liver damage and toxicity, is generally used by many for pain relief.
Drug Addiction
Overusing some over-the-counter drugs can cause drug addiction. To achieve the same effect from the drug, the patient might increase their dosage, as the body develops tolerance over time.
Cough and cold medicines (DXM), and motion sickness pills are a few over-the-counter drugs that can cause addiction if they are abused over a period of time.
Over-the-counter Drugs to Avoid for underlying Systemic Diseases
1) High blood pressure:
Patients with high blood pressure must avoid pain relieving medicines such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen. Decongestants and cough suppressants can also increase your blood pressure.
2) Diabetes:
In diabetic patients, over-the-counter drugs used for the treatment of cold/flu can affect the glucose level. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) should be avoided as it can cause kidney problems. Recent studies have shown the drug tramadol can cause complications, such as low blood glucose levels, in diabetic patients.
3) Asthma:
For those suffering from asthma, aspirin and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which include drugs like ibuprofen (Advil) and Naproxen, should be avoided. They tend to trigger asthma.
4) Pregnancy:
The use of painkillers, NSAIDs, and aspirin is contraindicated in pregnancy as it can increase the chances of miscarriage and some studies associate the consumption of ibuprofen, diclofenac etc. (NSAIDs) with birth defects seen in infants.
Antibiotic Misuse
Have you ever heard about the term “antibiotic resistance” and wondered what it actually means?
Some antibiotics (medicines) that were commonly used for the treatment of certain infections don’t work as they used to before, primarily because of the overuse of antibiotics, which has enabled the microorganism to become resistant to those antibiotics.
Antibiotics should be used responsibly, and taken only when prescribed by health professionals. Antibiotic resistance has now become a worldwide concern.
Is it Safe to Use Over-the-counter Drugs?
You might have taken over-the-counter for many years to prevent cold, flu, pain, and allergies but it’s important to know that each and every drug has certain adverse effects, and food/drug-drug interactions.
You may be suffering from some underlying systemic problems which may be diagnosed or undiagnosed, making the use of OTC drugs unfavourable and hence, it’s recommended to be cautious with their use.
Better safe than sorry!
Dr Shagorika choudhury
