Posted on August 10, 2023

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR MEDICINE IS WORKING?

Category:Wellness

Have you taken medicine in the last month? You’re not alone!

Whereas certain medications may appear to work instantly, they often do not provide a lifelong relief. That’s why regular follow-up visits to your doctor are so important. By tracking how your symptoms change over time, you can determine whether or not a particular drug is working correctly. For example; if you’re experiencing positive changes in mood, physical pain, sleep, motivation, and symptoms, that’s an outstanding sign that you’ve found a medication that works for you. Secondly, for some medicines, such as allergy medicines, it’s easy to see that your medicine is working, because your allergy symptoms improve. But some medicines are used for conditions where you don’t notice the symptoms improve, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs. Therefore, you can only tell they are working with a blood test.

Some medicines start working on the first day. These include medicines that treat high blood pressure, or medicines for pain and fever, like paracetamol. Some medicines can take longer to start working. For example, it might take a month for Alendronic acid (makes your bones stronger and less likely to break) to exert its effects. Medications are the main course of treatment for both acute and chronic diseases and pharmacists are medication specialists. This makes them the best at helping you about your medication routine. It’s better always to find out as much as you can about your medicine before you start taking it. Things to ask your pharmacist may include;

• What the medicine is for.
• How to take it correctly so that it has the right effect.
• How long it takes for the medicine to make a difference.
• How to know if it is working.

Can I take more than one medicine at a time?

You may take more than one medicine to treat a single condition. You may also take different medicines to manage comorbidities. For example, you may take a blood thinner to prevent your blood from forming clots and a beta-blocker to control your blood pressure. Older adults often have more than one health condition. So they are more likely to take several medicines.

Your medications are supposed to help you. But if you take more than one medication, there is a likelihood of having more than one harmful drug interactions. Although Drug interactions can be intimidating for anyone who regularly takes prescription medications, you can learn how to manage and prevent them. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist who will give you advice on; spacing the time of your doses. E.g taking each drug 2 hours before or 4 hours after the other drug.