When you buy over the counter medicine

low-key

14001, 60056, 224
Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Do you follow the prescribed dosage or are you like me and think thats just a suggestion
 


I follow the directions. But I rarely take OTC medicine. If I have a cold, I can be sick for a week without OTC drugs, or be less sick, but for three weeks with OTC medication.
 
Pain relievers I always up the dose. I've had doctors tell me to take extra OTC pain meds instead of prescribing something stronger. Other medications it depends on if I feel the minimum dose has helped. If not I usually take more. I imagine I'd have to take way more pills than I do before it would be a problem.
 


Depends on the medication. But in general it is just a suggestion.

With most OTC pain relievers I take more than the dosage but my doctor once told me to so I figured it was okay. With a bad headache/migrane I actually take 2 Advil & 1 Aleve at the same time because it is what seems to work the best for me.
 
I follow the minimum dose on the bottle, but up it only to the max advised if I have to. Before buying any OTC med, except when my doctor has prescribed it, I will always check with the pharmacist to make sure it is okay to take with other things I may be taking, including any herbals (ie: Cold FX). It's my life and I may want relief from my symptoms, but I don't want to make things worse, or damage my body.
 
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I grew up with a nurse mom and a cop dad. All drugs were locked up in a box and stored way up high, even vitamins. Doses were given out exactly as prescribed by the doctor or the bottle. I still follow those rules in my house.
 
Yikes. These two, in particular, really do need to have the dosing instructions followed. They can both cause serious and fatal issues if you take too much or mix with alcohol, for example.

Not that I do overdo it, I maybe take 4 Tylenol for a really bad headache. As far as fatal, for a pre existing condition maybe, but a nurse friend has told me you can’t od on Tylenol. You might permanently damage your liver or kidneys, but there’s not enough to do fatal harm. Not that I’m encouraging it by any means.
 
follow the directions AND-if it's something i know i will take seasonally (allergy or cold) or on a regular basis (aleve, advil, baby aspirin, vitamins...) i get my doctor to write a script so i don't have to pay sales tax on my non insurance covered meds (at almost 10% sales tax it adds up).
 
Follow the dose unless dealing with a migraine then may take one extra regular strength advil/tylenol. Always consult my mil pharmacist though...
 
Not that I do overdo it, I maybe take 4 Tylenol for a really bad headache. As far as fatal, for a pre existing condition maybe, but a nurse friend has told me you can’t od on Tylenol. You might permanently damage your liver or kidneys, but there’s not enough to do fatal harm. Not that I’m encouraging it by any means.

Your nurse friend is wrong. You can OD on Tylenol and it can kill you.

See https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/acetaminophen-intoxication-a-criticalcare-emergency

" If used in proper therapeutic doses, acetaminophen has an excellent safety profile; however, its major side effect is hepatotoxicity, which can occur after overdose or misuse. This is because acetaminophen is metabolized in the liver. In the United States, acetaminophen toxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure and the second most common cause of liver failure requiring transplantation.

...

The 2014 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System noted 50,396 single exposures to acetaminophen alone and 22,951 single exposures to acetaminophen in combination with other drugs. Acetaminophen exposure alone resulted in 65 deaths, and acetaminophen combinations resulted in 42 deaths. "

Or this: https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/acetaminophen-toxicity-what-pharmacists-need-to-know
 

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