I have this tendency of being extra cautious when taking in any kind of medication especially if it's new to me. I'm just so afraid of the possible side effects a specific drug would cause me if I take it. I wonder if any of you also take the time to research first on the possible adverse reactions of a drug or substance before taking it. If you learn of the negative effects, do you still continue taking the drug or you try finding an alternative with lesser side effects?
Yes I always research medication. I feel that it is important to know what you are putting in your body and what it could do to you. Don't just take the doctor's word for it.
I used to just believe what I was told when it came to prescription drugs and medication you can buy over the counter but after hearing and reading about incidents that have happened I'm now a lot more wary. I think now its always best to double check anything that your taking, even if it's just cold and flu remedies.
Doctors and nurses make mistakes, and those mistakes can often cost human lives. It's as important for you to know your own allergies and to educate yourself as to your (and your families') medical history as it is for your doctor to. Personally, if an OTC drug could potentially have adverse side-effects on me, I try to find a safer alternative to it. I believe it highly imperative to know the effects of what we put into our bodies.
I might even be overly cautious. I've known people who had severe problems from bad drug interactions. I also believe it is what killed one of my relatives many years ago, although it was never proven. To be safe, I really try not to take anything unless I really just have to. I mean, yeah, I'll take an Excedrin for a headache, but as far as prescriptions go, I'll avoid them if possible. I'll look for less potent options and home remedies as well (but you have to make sure those don't interact badly or have adverse side effects either).
I seem to be way too cautious. I have been close to people who have been ruined by pills to the point where I don't even want to take Advil sometimes. I am overly worried.
I completely agree with the first paragraph. That is the state of mind I have had towards prescription drugs for a very long period of time.
Basing on your replies, I can see that people are more aware of drug interactions and side effects these days. Gone are the days when people just take in any kind of medication prescribed to them. More so on OTC drugs because we take them at our own risk without anyone to blame but ourselves if adverse effects occur.
I'm a chronic googler these days -- I usually always look up a prescribed medication to check for any side effects, interactions with other medications and so forth. It stems back from when I was pregnant, I guess...I wanted to make sure that anything at all I was prescribed was definitely safe, even if the doctors gave it the all clear. I think always better to err on the side of caution.
I think finding out what the side effects are or what bad could go wrong is not necessarily the way to prevent people or make them cautious. I know that it's an issue of faith because when they go to certain drugs or whatever they're addicted to, they don't have so much faith of the consequences and they might really struggle to see what is to come. Once they actually struggle the consequences they will struggle much worse because that's when the real misery and regret beings, it's very difficult. Being cautious from the beginning and avoiding risks is the best you can do, and if you're a struggler, please know there is hope.
I think people can also be a little too cautious aswell. How many times have people just had a quick look on Google to see what their symptoms might be and end up fearing they have something a lot more serious than what they actually have?
Hmm.. I am not too cautious because almost every pill has so many side effects that it can really scare you. And sometimes the sole thought of the side effect might contribute to it manifesting... Something like negative placebo effect, I guess. So, being cautious is never bad, just don't get too worked up over what MIGHT happen.
I am also cautious in taking those new medicines or over the counter drugs. I will usually go or buy those that are well known already and proven safe. As much as possible, I just do not take any medicines not yet tried.
Oh, this does sound like me to a degree...I check so much on google that it ends up being one of those scenarios where you look up symptoms and think you have a brain tumor when it's a headache. I feel like the internet and the freely available information we have can be both a blessing and a curse. Also there's a lot of sources out there that aren't necessarily scientific or reputable so I guess we all need to bear that in mind too!
I am extra cautious. I always read the labels and if there's something that seems off or weird, I look it up. It's the same with beauty products and materials on clothing and whatnot.
I think you're right. In terms of looking on Google to check what symptoms might be, often brings fear and they actually believe it, whether mental illness or physical and they end up having more symptoms that are created by the brain, it's very dangerous. A person without OCD, might look online check symptoms when he's actually a perfectionist and believe he has OCD without proper diagnosis, what happens to him after is he starts acting like he has OCD, it's very very dangerous.
I think that can happen to a number of people to be honest. I know even I myself have had a quick look for one thing but ended up thinking I had something else so I know it's easily done.
Being cautious doesn't make people insane or paranoid. Blindly accepting that anything that's prescribed must be good for you doesn't mean your saner than anyone else, just more compliant.
I'm as cautious as can be when it comes to taking drugs. I've heard of people who've accidentally taken prescription drugs and drinking wine at the same time. They ended up in the hospital - some even died - all because they didn't know that this could be fatal. When taking prescription drugs, it's ideal to leave a gap of two to three hours before drinking coffee, soda or juice. There are drugs who don't work well with these liquids other than water.