Hey Guys! This is Bryan.
For this week's blog post, I want to talk about something different. As a nursing student, I am currently taking N330 Pharmacology, the study of medicines. In that class, I learned about all kinds of different medicines and their effects on human body. I realized that many people are taking medicines without knowing enough about it. Especially for international students, we are not familiar with the commonly used medicines, and we don't know what to use when we really get sick. Therefore, I will introduce to you some of the commonly used medicines that you can get easily in Walgreen or Target. I understand this is a lot of information, and you will not read it all today. But please come back to it if you are sick or decide to take one of the medicines.
And please remember you can always consult with the school's Health Center!
What are OTC medicines
o
OTC medicines stands for OVER-THE-COUNTER
medicines. It means you don’t need a prescription to buy these medicines at the
pharmacy. These meds are OTC (over-the-counter) because they have milder side
effects (unwanted body reaction to drug) and less contraindications. Yet,
people who take them are still under the risk of overdosing, developing side
effects, and having drug to drug interactions if used with other medicines or
recreational drugs. Hence, you should always look at the instruction book
before taking a new medicine.
o
Drug to drug interactions: Though OTC drugs have
less lethal side effects (unwanted body reaction to drug), taking multiple
drugs at the same time will increase the risk of having side effects. Unless
prescribed by a healthcare provider, you should only take one med at a
time. Alcohols and recreational drugs should be stopped when taking OTC meds.
o Common Precautions: Many of the medicines require liver and kidney
to excrete out of your body, and some of them interfere with your blood vessels
or heart to change your blood pressure. Thus, before you take these medicines, you
should consult health care professionals if you have been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetics, liver or renal disease.
o
Overdose: overdose happens when you take too
much of one med. Follow the dosing instructions when taking
meds, and call 911 if severe symptoms happen.
o
Pregnancy Warning: most of the drugs have
unknown or bad reaction to baby. If you are pregnant, plan to be pregnant, or
breast feeding, please consult with healthcare professionals before taking any
of the OTC meds.
Allergy
o
Pseudoephedrine: nasal decongestants; relief running nose and helps your
breath easier)
§
Common drug name: Sudafed 12 Hour
§
Picture:
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How many to take: 1 caplet as needed for every 12 hour (120 mg/12
hr)
·
Warning: Please check with the
instruction book before
use
§
What you should know about it:
·
Do not use with Antidepressant.
·
STOP and ASK: if nervousness, too slow
or fast heart rate, breathing difficulties, hallucination (seeing things that are
not there), or seizure as these symptoms indicate drug overdose.
o
Diphenhydramine: Antihistamine, decrease allergy
symptoms, including sneezing, running nose, itchy etc.
§
Common drug name: Benadryl
§
Other usage: cold, insomnia (Hard time falling
asleep), motion sickness
§
Picture:
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How many to take: 1-2 tablets as needed for every 4-6 hours
·
Warning: Please check with the
instruction book before
use
§
What you should know about it:
·
Do not drink alcohol or taking recreational
drugs while taking this med.
·
It makes you feel sleepy; avoid driving or other
activities requiring alertness after taking this med.
·
Should not be used routinely for sleeping aid.
·
Do not use with antidepressant.
Common Cold
o
Acetaminophen + Dextromethorphan + Phenylephrine
§ Common drug name: Comtrex Day and Night (Any of the "Day and Night")
§
Picture:
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How many to take: 2 caplets as needed every 4 hours
·
No more than 10 caplets every 24 hours
·
Warning: Please check with the
instruction book before
use
§
What you should know about it:
·
This medicine will not “treat” your cold, but
only decrease the symptoms to allow better rests and recovery. So please ensure
proper diet, enough sleep, and avoid heavy workloads while taking this med.
·
Day pill and night pill have different function.
Night pill will make you feel sleepy and have more effects to help you fall
asleep. Day pill have fewer effects, but cause less sleepiness to help you get
through the day. Do not drive if taking night pill; recommended not to drive if
taking day pill.
·
Do not drink alcohol or taking recreational
drugs while taking this med.
·
Do not use with Antidepressant.
·
STOP and ASK: if original symptoms
(cough, nasal congestion) gets worse for more than a week; if fever gets worse
for more than 3 days; if nervousness, dizziness, or sleepless.
o
Diphenhydramine
§
Benadryl: since allergy and cold have similar
symptoms (running nose, sneezing…), Benadryl can also be used for common cold.
The side effect of drowsiness (ability to make you feel sleepy) can help you better fall asleep if you take it 30
mins before going to bed.
Fever:
o
Acetaminophen
§
Common drug name: Tylenol
§
Other usage: pain relief
§
Picture:
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How many to take: 2 tablets as needed for every 4-6 hours
·
No more than 10 tablets every 24 hours
·
Warning: Please check with the
instruction book before
use
§
What you should know about it:
·
Do not drink alcohol or taking recreational
drugs while taking this med.
·
Tylenol comes in many different forms. Note that "extra strength", "nighttime", "rapid release" indicates different effects and different dosing requirement. Please check with the instruction book!
·
Do not use with NSAIDs, like Aspirin and Ibuprofen
·
STOP and ASK: if you still have fever
after three days of use; if you have skin rash (red and itchy patch of skin),
headache, redness, or swelling; if your symptom gets worth and new symptom
(like nausea, stomach pain, dark urine) develops.
As my instructor Dr. Robinson has always said: "Like your mama taught you, don't put anything in your mouth if you don't know what it is!" You should really understand these medicines well before putting them into your mouth.
Lastly, remember that the best way of recovery is always healthy lifestyle!
(I will continue this topic with my next blog post about pain relief, insomnia, and diarrhea)
