In our modern age, it seems there is a pill for everything. Unfortunately, many times these pills have side effects – and we don’t always save all of the fine print we get from the pharmacist.
Is your dry mouth related to the antibiotics, or a new symptom? Can you drink milk with your statin medication? Can you take your anti-inflammatory with your iron supplement?
What about herbal remedies and vitamins? You can purchase these over the counter, but the FDA doesn’t require them to be labeled the same way prescription medications are. It’s also possible that the ginger you are taking for gout will work against the ulcer medication you’re taking for heartburn.
Fortunately, any information you need is a simple mouse-click away. Most major pharmaceutical companies have websites full of information, and even interactive forms for reporting adverse reactions. Some sites have a good amount of human growth hormone information.
Be an informed consumer, and bookmark this list of links when you need to check out your supplements and medications!
RxList – A large database of prescription medications, it also includes a “pill identifier†button. Click on “Consumer” for information; “Advanced Consumer” will give you the actual chemical structure and other details directed towards professionals.
Vitamin Encyclopedia – This is a commercial site but has loads of information on all things vitamin, including recommended daily allowances, therapeutic doses, and symptoms of overdose. It’s easy to navigate by vitamin or mineral name. The only drawback is each vitamin page contains links to purchase related products at the bottom; be a savvy consumer and do plenty of research before purchasing vitamins and supplements!
Herbal Encyclopedia – Similar to the Vitamin Encyclopedia, and also includes lists of dangerous interactions.
Drugs.com – The most comprehensive and easy to use of all prescription sites. Also contains a drug interaction checker, news, pill identifier, and more.
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Excellent points made in your post. Another thing to keep in mind is how any supplements you are taking might interact with prescription medication.
Steve