The Dos And Don'ts Of Taking Pain Medication

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Pain medication exists for a simple purpose: it should ease your suffering and help you enjoy some respite from your nagging pains. You'll see all kinds of pain medications on the market – some can be bought online or from your local drugstore, while others are only available on a prescription.

Despite being an inherently beneficial invention, pain medication comes with some downsides. The biggest issue is that some people don't understand how to take these pills. They should be approached with caution, or you risk doing more harm than good. On that topic, this post will talk you through the dos and don'ts of taking pain meds. You'll learn what to do and what not to do, ensuring you're as safe and healthy as possible!

Do follow the dosage instructions

This feels like an obvious point to begin with. You must follow the dosage instructions on your pain medication at all times. Don't be tempted to take more than the recommended dose. Some people don't think this is a big issue; what harm will taking one extra pill do?! This line of thought tends to come from people in severe pain who believe that more is better. If two pain meds are supposed to elicit results, then won't three make the pain go away faster or for longer?

Please don't do this.
Dosages exist for a reason – if you continuously take more than what's recommended, you can end up with overdose symptoms. Some overdoses are mild and may result in nausea and vomiting, while others are severe and can cause serious issues like difficulty bleeding, blood in your urine, and heart problems.

It's not worth the risk. If a drug isn't working and you're still in pain, then either be patient and take it more consistently or seek alternative treatment options from your doctor.

Don't forget to read the full label

Reading the dosage instructions is only one part of what's on the label when you receive pain medication. Don't neglect everything else on there – it may look like lots of information, but it's worth reading.

Pain meds will include vital info like:

• When should you take the medication during the day – should it be done before or during meals or at a specific time
• What are the potential side effects of this medication?
• Who shouldn't take this pain medication – is it suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, for example? Or, perhaps it's not suitable if you're taking other types of medication.
• What can't you do while on this medication? Some pain meds, like M523, elicit extreme drowsiness when you start taking them, which means it tells you to avoid driving or operating heavy machinery on the label.
• How should you store the medication? While most pain meds can be stored in a cool, dry place, some may need specialist storage to remain effective.

Imagine if you don't read a label and gain all of this information. Think about how dangerous that can be to your health and well-being. You'll miss vital info about how the medication works and what it means for your daily life. Don't forget to read the full label so you know more about your pain meds and what you should or shouldn't do with them.

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Do consult a medical professional before taking new pain medication

Everyone is affected by pain in one way or another. Barely anyone walks around 100% pain-free these days. Even young people are suffering from chronic pain as a result of poor posture from sitting at desks or staring at their phones all day. Different things will happen in your life to cause pain – and it sometimes appears out of nowhere.

As a consequence, you suddenly start looking for pain medication to ease your issue. It's a task you believe you're safe to do alone. After all, there are loads of pain medications available to buy online; surely, it's a case of picking one up, taking it, and hoping it works. While convenient, that's not the right way to approach the situation.

Instead, what you should do is consult a medical professional before taking any new pain medication. Why? Well, this is mainly necessary for two reasons:

1. A medical professional will help you find the right treatment for your pain. This could mean the pain meds you're looking at won't help in the slightest, so they'll prescribe something more tailored to your needs. Alternatively, it may mean you don't need pain medication at all. Perhaps your pain is best treated with physiotherapy – or, in extreme circumstances, emergency surgery. Doctors can run tests and assess your symptoms to ensure you get the right treatment rather than wasting money and potentially harming your body with pain medication.
2. Your doctor needs to record your new medication on your records. Doing so will help them see if it interacts with other medications you're on. This could indicate that you shouldn't take the specific type of medication you're looking at. But, it's useful in the future if you go to them for a different problem and they want to prescribe something to help. They will see your medical records and note you're taking a specific type of pain medication, which could influence the next medication they prescribe. In other words, it's all for safety's sake!

If you've already started taking some pain medication before seeing a doctor, then book an appointment ASAP. Letting them know of your new meds will be extremely helpful for the future.

Don't assume you need pain medication for everything

That's right! There will be circumstances where pain medication isn't the answer. That's why it's important to see a medical professional; you'll get a proper diagnosis for your pain. One very common example is someone suffering from constant neck pain. Your neck feels tense every day, and you're always in pain. You look for relief, so you immediately search online for the best pain medication. Before you know it, you're taking two pills a day for the foreseeable future.

In a situation like this, you're better off seeking alternative pain relief methods. Most neck pain can be treated with a bit of self-care and physiotherapy. The pain could stem from your neck being in too much of a forward head posture. This causes excess strain on your neck muscles and joints – and is common in the modern population, often referred to as “tech neck.”

Here, the long-term situation is improving your head posture. Doctors will prescribe physiotherapy and exercise to do at home to pull your head and neck back into alignment. Of course, this is just one example, but it can apply to many other types of pain. Muscular pain is particularly interesting as most treatments are better than pain meds anyway. A topical heat gel can do more to ease muscle pain than a few pills.

Pain medication is important and useful for lots of chronic pain conditions and different problems, but don't assume you need it for everything!

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Do keep track of how you're feeling

Keep an eye on how your body and mind respond to whatever pain medication you're taking. Look for signs of the medication working and your pain going away – but also be aware of any changes you experience. A lot of pain medications are used to treat multiple things. For example, some anti-depressants are used as pain meds. This means they'll impact the hormone levels in your blood and could alter the way your brain sends signals.

Making a note of how your medication makes you feel will help you see if you're experiencing side effects. It also helps you deduce if taking the medication is better or worse than not taking it. For instance, it may make the pain go away or feel less intense, but it leaves you feeling incredibly tired, dizzy, and down.

Don't suddenly stop taking your medication

There will be times when you decide the pain medication isn't for you. Perhaps you're not seeing any benefits or maybe you only took it as a helping hand while seeking alternative treatments at the same time. Either way, you want to stop taking it – but this shouldn't be done suddenly.

Pain medication contains all kinds of chemicals that are designed to inhibit pain in your body. It also does other things to your body, which alters the way your internal system reacts to things. If you suddenly stop taking the medication, you could experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The correct approach is to decrease the dosage over days or weeks slowly. Talk to your doctor about this before you do it, and they'll help you figure out a plan to discontinue this medication safely.

As you can see from this post, pain medication is highly complex, and there are certain ways to approach the topic. The most critical point to take away from this is to always speak with a medical professional before you take any type of pain medication. It is the safest way to ensure you take the right stuff and don't do any lasting damage to your body.