Over the Counter Drugs: Friend or Foe??

I am a member of BOOMboxNetwork.com and am sharing this post, on behalf of the American Gastroentrological Association (AGA). I received compensation for my participation. All experiences and opinions are 100% mine. The facts were provided by the AGA.

This past winter has been especially tough for me.  I never get sick I mean really never.  This past winter I was knocked on my behind more than once.  My first bout was Thanksgiving if you follow me in Instagram I posted a picture of me at Walmart shopping for cold medicine and checking out the Black Friday deals!  I purchased my meds and a few other things and headed home to bundle up and let the meds do their thing!  Today I want to share a very important message with you about Over the Counter Drugs: Friend or Foe?

So round two I was hit with the Flu in the middle of January, so off to buy more Over the Counter Meds!  Which have Acetaminophen in them! A very common ingredient.

Acetaminophen is the most commonly used over-the-counter medication, usually used to reduce fever and relieve minor aches and pains, like hose symptoms of colds and flu.   Acetaminophen is found in over 500 prescription and over-the-counter medications! From Tylenol® for pain, and a variety of cold and flu medications like Nyquil®, but it can also be found in prescription medications like Percocet® and Vicodin®.

Did you know your only supposed to take a maximum dose of 4,000 mg of Acetaminophen a day.   Sooooo if I take 2 doses of daytime cold meds and 2 doses of nite time cold meds that right there is a total of 2600 mg of Acetaminophen and then if I take another pain reliever I could be close to that max of 4000 mg.  Every year there are 26,000 hospitalizations and 458 deaths from acetaminophen-related overdoses.  Those are scary, all to real numbers that can be avoided.

Reading and following labels is vital to prevent these risks, AGA urges adults to read and follow their medicine labels and recognize when prescription or OTC products share the same active ingredients.  The AGA also encourages adults to talk with their doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or pharmacist to learn the right doses of medicine to take, what ingredients are included and whether alternative options are available.

Talking about chronic pain,  I have a torn meniscus in my right knee and take a daily prescription NSAID.   There are also risks to using NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). NSAIDs are commonly used to treat conditions where pain and inflammation are present. They are found in such over-the-counter medications as Advil®, Aleve®, and aspirin. In fact, NSAIDs are found in more that 550 prescription and over-the-counter medications! If  you are taking aspirin for muscle pain, then take an Advil® to relieve a headache, you could suffer GI issues from using too many NSAIDs.

It might be a bit more complicated to determine the maximum dose of an NSAID, because different NSAIDs have a variety of recommended doses. The wisest choice is to read labels and to take only one product at a time that contains NSAIDs. Taking too much can cause gastrointestinal issues including stomach bleeding and ulcers. It is estimated that every year 100,000 people are hospitalized and 16,500 die from NSAID overdose.

So Over the Counter drugs can be both friend and foe.  If taken in incorrect doses you can suffer permanent irreversible damage but take correctly they can alleviate unpleasant symptoms from common ailments.  I think the best advice is to read labels and know what your putting in your body.

The AGA is striving to increase awareness and educate individuals to be more active in their health care decisions. For more information check out the AGA website, Gut Check: Know Your Medications.