Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain (39 page)

No matter what the medication, it won’t do you any good if you don’t take it. Nearly half of all medicines are not taken as prescribed. There are many reasons why people don’t take their prescribed medication: forgetfulness, lack of clear instructions, complicated dosing schedules, bothersome side effects, cost, and so on. Whatever the reason, if you are having trouble taking your medications as prescribed, discuss this with your health care provider. Often simple adjustments can make it easier. For example, if you are taking many different medications, sometimes one or more can be eliminated. If you take one medication three times a day and another four times a day, your provider may be able to simplify the regimen. He or she may even prescribe medications that you need to take only once or twice a day. Understanding more about your medications, including how they can help you, may help motivate you to take them regularly.

If you are having trouble taking your medications, ask yourself the following questions and discuss your answers with your provider or pharmacist:

• Do you tend to be forgetful?
  

• Are you confused about the instructions for how and when to use the medications?
  

• Is the schedule for taking your medications too complicated?
  

• Do your medications have bothersome side effects?
  

• Is your medicine too expensive?
  

• Do you feel that your condition is not serious or bothersome enough to need regular medications? (With some diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or early diabetes, you may not have any symptoms.)
  

• Do you feel that the medication is unlikely to help?
  

• Are you denying that you have a condition that needs medication?
  

• Have you had a bad experience with the prescribed medicine or another medication?
  

• Do you know someone who had a bad experience with the medication, and are you afraid that something similar will happen with you?
  

• Are you afraid of becoming addicted to the medication?
  

• Are you embarrassed about taking the medication, view it as a sign of weakness or failure, or fear you’ll be judged negatively if people know about it?
  

• What are some of the benefits you might get if you take the medication as prescribed?
  

You may take nonprescription or over-thecounter (OTC) medications or herbs. In every two-week period, nearly 70 percent of people will take a nonprescription drug. Many OTC drugs are highly effective and may even be recommended by your health care provider. But if you self-medicate, you should know what you are taking, why you are taking it, how it works, and how to use the medication wisely.

More than 200,000 nonprescription drug products are offered for sale to the American public, representing about 500 active ingredients. In Canada, there are more than 15,000 nonprescription drug products available and 40,000 natural health products.

Nearly 75 percent of the public receives its education on OTC drugs solely from TV, radio, newspaper, and magazine advertising. The main message of drug advertising is that for every symptom, every ache and pain, and every problem, there is a pharmaceutical solution. While many OTC products are effective, many are simply a waste of your money. They may also keep you from using better ways to manage your condition.

If you are taking prescribed medications or using OTC medications or herbs, here are some helpful suggestions:

• If you are pregnant or nursing, have a chronic disease, or are already taking multiple medications, consult your doctor or nurse practitioner before self-medicating.
  Your provider will know if the OTC remedy will interfere or interact badly with your condition or prescription medications.
  

• Always read labels and follow directions carefully.
  Reading the label, including a review of the individual ingredients, may prevent you from taking medications that have caused problems for you in the past. It may also prevent double dosing on medications that you may already be taking. For example, aspirin and acetaminophen (Tylenol
  ^®
  ) are popular medications for pain, but they are also ingredients in over-the-counter products such as cold remedies. If you don’t understand the information on the label, ask a pharmacist before buying it.
  

• Do not exceed the recommended dosage or length of treatment.
  Only do so if you have discussed the change with your doctor or nurse practitioner.
  

• Use caution if you are taking other medications.
  Over-the-counter and prescription drugs can interact, either canceling or exaggerating the effects of the medications. If you have questions about drug interactions, ask your provider or pharmacist before mixing medicines.
  

• Try to select medications with a single active ingredient rather than combination (“all-in-one”) products.
  When using a product with multiple ingredients, you are likely to be treating symptoms you don’t even have. Why risk the side effects of medications you don’t need? Single-ingredient products also allow you to adjust the dosage of each medication separately for optimal symptom relief with minimal side effects.
  

• When choosing medications, learn the ingredient names and try to buy generic products.
  Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name product, usually at a lower cost.
  

• Never take a drug from an unlabeled container or a container whose label you cannot read.
  Keep your medications in their original labeled containers, or transfer them to a labeled medication organizer or pill dispenser. Do not mix different medications in the same container.
  

• Do not take medications that were prescribed for someone else.
  Even if you have similar symptoms, this is never a safe practice.
  

• Drink at least a half glass of liquid with your pills.
  After swallowing, remain standing or sitting upright for a short while. This can prevent the pills from getting stuck in your throat.
  

• Store your medications where children or young adults cannot find them.
  Poisoning from unsecured medications is a common problem among young children. Teens and young adults sometimes steal prescription drugs from relatives or the relatives of friends for recreational use. Despite its name, the bathroom medicine cabinet is not usually an appropriate place to store medications. A kitchen cabinet or toolbox with a lock is a safer option.
  

Medications can help or harm. What often makes the difference is the care you exercise and the partnership you develop with your doctor.

To learn more about the topics discussed in this chapter, we suggest that you explore the following resources:

Castleman, Michael.
The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More Than 125 of Nature’s Most Potent Herbal Remedies
, 3rd ed. New York: Rodale, 2010.

Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon.
Best Choices from the People’s Pharmacy
. New York: NAL, 2008.

Griffith, H. Winter, and Stephen W. Moore.
Complete Guide to Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs, 2014
. New York: Perigee Books, 2013.

Physicians’ Desk Reference.
The PDR Pocket Guide to Prescription Drugs
, 10th ed. Montvale, N.J.: PDR Network, 2012.

Raman-Wilms, Lalitha.
Practical Guide to Drugs in Canada: Understanding Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Treatments for Everyday Ailments and Diseases
, 1st ed. Toronto: Dorling Kindersley, 2011.

Shane-McWhorter, Laura.
The American Diabetes Association Guide to Herbs and Nutritional Supplements
. Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association, 2009.

Silverman, Harold M.
The Pill Book
, 15th ed. New York: Bantam Books, 2012.