How to Lessen Side Effects
- 1). Take any medication with food or water if necessary. Some medications may irritate the stomach lining. By making sure that you have a full stomach, you can help decrease this possibility. Eating or drinking in advance also can help control side effects by allowing the stomach time to fill.
- 2). Follow all instructions as closely as possible. For example, if you are undergoing radiation treatments in an effort to treat an underlying cancer, wear any protective clothing properly. Make sure that you arrive to the center on time in order to reduce the possibility of medical mix-ups and accidental radiation overdoses.
- 3). Take the right dose of the medication. Examine the medication carefully when you receive it. Many pharmacies will indicate exactly what the medication should look like. For example Nexxium--used to treat heartburn--is described as a small purple pill. The pillbox or jar often also will have the medication dosage on the side. Make sure this is the correctly prescribed dosage. Too much medication can increase its side effects, but too little medication may not relieve symptoms of an illness.
- 4). Take medications at the right time. If the prescription must be taken twice a day, make sure you do so. Set up two specific times in the day to take the medications. Right after you wake up and before you eat dinner can be ideal times to take prescriptions.
- 5). Check the list of medications you are taking very carefully. Sometimes medications may interact with each other in unexpected ways. Ask your pharmacist, as well as your doctor to look closely at the list of medications you are taking. There may alternatives you could take instead that have reduced risks of interactions.
- 6). Contact your doctor if symptoms persist. Sometimes there may be an initial period where side effects are common. However, this is followed by a period where side effects start to lessen. If unpleasant side effects still persist call your physician. A doctor should know about your side effects. It may indicate that the drug or surgery has not worked. It also may indicate the need for a decreased dosage which still may be an equally effective treatment.
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