The Cardiologist's Wife

Pimento Cheese, Not Your Grandma's Spread

Pimento cheese is one of those foods that has been so corrupted by the food industry that it has become synonymous with other crappy foods like Spam. I'm not even certain what store bought pimento cheese might contain, nor do I want to find out. It's a shame because pimento cheese can be a delightful treat, even if it does Read the full post…

Plum Good BBQ Sandwiches

In a few days it will officially be fall but the temperatures are still warm enough for me to continue swimming for a few more days. The breeze was a little cool but that didn't stop me from swimming several laps this morning and I felt great afterwards! Have you exercised lately? With fall's cooler temperatures and fewer insects, you Read the full post…

Shingles Vacine and Treatment

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with shingles so I felt I should discuss this nasty virus once again. If you ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for getting shingles and believe me, you don't want it. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters that scab over and may take 4 weeks or more to heal. The Read the full post…

Vegetarian Tacos are muy delicioso!

There are times when I think I could easily become a vegetarian, especially when I try a new dish that is as good as the vegetarian tacos I had at Local Lime restaurant in Little Rock and the tofu fried rice at Sai Tai here in Jonesboro. My husband and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary this past weekend by spending Read the full post…

Midyear Health Check

Summer is winding down , the year is more than half way over and our January resolutions are long forgotten. It's time for a health reality check. First of all, how is your health lately? If you have enjoyed good health, are you thankful? Take some time to appreciate how wonderful it feels to be healthy, for your family to Read the full post…

Vacation Lessons For A Healthier Life

I'm back from a lovely beach vacation and I wish I was still there with all my heart. Wouldn't it be nice if our every day life was as nice as a vacation? If we could relax, eat well, sleep and exercise just enough without having to worry about bills, work, illnesses and school, our lives would be perfect. But Read the full post…

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Today’s Lesson: Take Your Medicine As Prescribed

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on October 4, 2012 ][ In For new Mom's, Medical and Health Information ]

I started taking a new medicine Tuesday that was prescribed by a doctor. The pharmacist reviewed what the doctor told me about taking the medicine and I listened. But I still messed up. The medicine is to be taken once a day so I took the first dose Tuesday night with food. Then I took another dose Wednesday morning within 12 hours of the first dose. Fortunately, I just suffered an incredibly bad stomach ache for several hours but it could have been much worse.

Please be careful when taking any medicine whether over the counter or prescribed by a doctor. Make sure you understand how much to take, when and whether with food. If you have any questions or concerns such as side effects, ask the doctor or the pharmacist. Make notes if necessary. Never take anyone else’s prescription medicine. You may not have the same condition, it may be harmful when combined with other medicines you are taking or may not be the proper dose for your age and weight.

Take medicine as prescribed by your doctor so that it works properly. Don’t stop because you feel better, take the whole prescription as directed. If you don’t take all your antibiotic for example, the bacteria could become resistant and your infection could flare up again. On the flip side, don’t take extra medicine in order to speed the healing. You could make yourself sick like I did or worse, overdose. If you experience side effects or become sick, call the doctor or pharmacist so they can help you.

Keep a list of all medicines you take on a regular basis whether prescription or over the counter. Give the list to your doctor so he or she is aware of what you are taking and can prescribe any new medicines more effectively. Some medicines don’t mix well and you don’t want to take two drugs that do the same thing. It also helps to have all your prescriptions filled at one location so your pharmacist can catch any potential problems.

If you take many different medicines or become confused easily, use some system to help keep track of when to take which medicine. A chart that you can check off may work or try a pill organizer for each day. If you have elderly relatives or someone who needs help, make sure they take their medicines as prescribed by setting up a system for them. Always keep medicine locked up so that children can’t accidentally take any and keep the phone number for Poison Control handy (800-222-1222). My son once drank some children’s Tylenol that I thought was out of his reach. Fortunately there wasn’t much in the bottle and the wonderful people at Poison Control reassured me by telling me what to watch for and even calling back in a couple of hours to check on us. He was just fine but that was one time I did not feel like Mother of the Year. Young children may want to imitate you by taking medicine, or think the pills look like candy or even like the taste of flavored medicine.

Last, please dispose of any unused medicine in a safe manner. Local police departments periodically collect unused medicine as a public service. This keeps prescriptions drugs from being abused. If you don’t know what to do with unused medicine, ask your pharmacist or the police department, particularly if it is a narcotic. Be careful with medicine and don’t take it for granted. Used properly medications should be safe but they can be deadly if misused.