Dear Red Hot Mamas- July 2017

Dear Red Hot Mamas,

As we get older, some of us are challenged by unwanted health conditions that our clinicians need to treat with medicines.  If you are taking more than one medication, it’s important for you to talk to your clinician about drug interactions and how these medications react to one another to avoid unwanted reactions.  For instance, alcohol and many medicines don’t mix well.   And, even certain foods or non-alcoholic drinks may interact with medicines we commonly take.

To help prevent problems with medicines, it’s important to know about the medicine you take and how it might make you feel as you may have to make changes in your diets or routines in taking those medications.

If you are one of us who regularly take medicines, it’s essential to stay in touch with your clinician asking such questions as to whether your clinician feels the medicine is working, whether you absolutely need to take it, and even if there are things you can do on your own like diet and exercise, to cut back on some of the medications you are taking.

Your diet and exercise programs may make a big difference in the way your medications work, so you need to discuss this important aspect with your clinician.

Your pharmacist may be of big help to you, too.  If you buy your medication from one store, pharmacists keep track of the medications you take on their computer.  The pharmacist can be a good source for you to discuss your medications and should give you verbal and written information about your medications and special instructions in how to take it.

And, in closing, medicines play a vital part in treating an illness.  However, you need to learn about all of the medicines you take.  And certainly, talk to your clinician about any unexpected symptoms or changes in the way you feel if you are taking medications to avoid possible problems.

Good Health to You All,

Karen Giblin