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Multiple Medication Dangers
October 20, 2009 |
They come in a variety of shapes and colors. Pills. They line store shelves and
are designed to help cure what ails you. But sometimes, pills and people just don’t
mix.
“Polypharmacy is a real problem. You have people that are on multiple medications
that may interact with one another,” says Dr. Sal Lacagnina, Medical Director for
Lee Physician Group.
Taking multiple pills at a time can actually lead to headaches, stomach problems,
even falls. “You may have someone that’s on a blood pressure pill and on a pill
for their heart, which slows their pulse rate down so that a person may be more susceptible to low blood pressure or low pulse rate at night which could be the
reason for their falling down,” explains Dr. Lacagnina. Even over-the-counter drugs
combined with prescription medications can make for a deadly combination.
Doctors are trying to alleviate any potential problems. “That’s actually one of
the benefits of the electronic medical records system we are using now. If I have
a patient that comes in and they are on 5 or 6 medications and I add a new medication,
when you write the prescription in the electronic world, it does a drug-to-drug
interaction which tells you right away whether you are going to have a problem which
is a great safeguard for patients,” he adds.
You can also do your part by keeping your doctor informed of all the medications
you are taking, especially those over the counter.
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