Mixing Medications
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: October 15, 2010
There are some patients who don't take any prescriptions but others have to keep track of a long list. Dr. Henry Petry said, "I have a couple of patients barely 65 who are taking 20 medications."
And that can potentially cause health problems if those drugs interact. Even over the counter medications need to be monitored. Added Petry, "We have to look at all the different things that can happen when you put one, two, or three drugs together treating the same condition."
Petry says that could be anti-depressants ... or multiple drugs to treat high blood pressure. And the warning signs might not be obvious, at first. "Could be such things as a mild headache, muscle cramps, muscle aches, abdominal cramping, a minor symptom that people won't hardly think are anything at all. The most extreme - other than like liver failure with Tylenol - could be a problem that could cause the death of a patient."
Petry says it's a good idea to know your drug's possible side effects and to watch for any changes in your health.
