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The Impact of Quitting Medication

By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: November 10, 2011
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Joplin, MO- Patients may start taking medication with the best intentions - but sometimes stop the regimen without checking with their doctor. Dr Henry Petry said, "These medications are necessary for such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or too much cholesterol. If you stop taking the medication, you are becoming worse and may endanger yourself."

Sometimes, patients just decide to stop. Added Petry, "They think, 'I don't think I need that medication today, this week. I will just do without it for a while and see what happens. What happens is they end up someplace like the Emergency Department with a hypertensive crisis."

Or it could be concern about the cost. Petry advised contacting the manufacturer. "Ask them if you can get a discount."

But quitting a prescription without your doctor's consent can cause a host of problems. Petry said, "Symptoms that cause me fear that is going to interrupt my life and making me very sick and end up in the Emergency Department - that all could have been taken care of of compliance of your own medicine."

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