5 Common Medications That Should Not Be Consumed Without Prescription

People are attempting to self-medicate when they are diagnosed with any condition, thanks to the tremendous amount of knowledge available online. Taking medications without consulting  a doctor or a pharmaceutical professional, can be dangerous to your health. Some medications may interfere with one another or with one's health, resulting in a severe allergic response or a life-threatening condition. The ideal practice you can adopt is to stick to your medication, which means taking the proper dose, at the right time, in the right amount, and under the guidance of a healthcare professional to avoid any adverse reactions or situations.

The following is a list of five medications that you should carefully avoid unless you have received medical advice:

1) Hydrocodone- It is an opioid pain reliever and is used for moderate to severe pain. If you take too much of this prescription or take it for longer time-period than recommended, your breathing may become slowed or stopped. Misuse of this medication can result in addiction, overdose, or death. Regularly taking hydrocodone might also become habit forming. As a result, it is better to use this prescription after seeking medical advice and reviewing one's medical history, as it may pose a long-term health risk.

2) Sleeping Pills - Sleeping pills like sedatives or hypnotics are normally prescribed to people who are suffering from sleeping disorders or insomnia. They are safe to use and work best if you have to use them for a short period of time and due to lifestyle changes. But sleeping pills can be addictive and can result in daytime drowsiness and nausea, dry mouth, headache and other withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking these medicines.

3) Zocor- Zocor belongs to that class of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors or statins. This medicine is active in the ingredient ‘Simvastatin’, which helps in reducing cholesterol triglycerides in the blood. People suffering from diabetes, liver & kidney diseases should not take this medicine without medical consultation. These medicines can also cause complications in pregnancy as this drug can harm the baby in the fetus and therefore pregnant women are advised to not take this drug.

4) Steroids - There are mainly two types of man-made steroids, they are corticosteroids and anabolics. Steroids are used as performance enhancing drugs that will increase your muscle mass and decrease your fat, as well as causing many other undesirable effects. Steroids are mainly used by weightlifters and bodybuilders to improve their physical performance and bulk up their bodies.

The side effects depend on the dose and the duration of use. Short-term usage can cause weight gain, puffy face, nausea, mood swings and insomnia. Long-term use can cause life threatening effects such as heart attack, stroke, liver damage and even severe hormonal disbalance.

5) Metformin - This drug is used as the first-line medication for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes, particularly in people who are overweight. It helps in lowering the risk of developing macular degeneration that leads to vision loss of diabetic patients and helps in maintaining blood sugar levels.

The intake of this medicine can cause severe muscle pain, irregular heartbeat and nausea. The most common side effect of this medication is lactic acidosis, which occurs due to metformin in the body.

The incidence of poisonings and deaths caused by drug misuse and inappropriate medicine has risen dramatically. As a result, it's best to keep to your prescription and take the medication given by your doctor.

You can call our expert staff of pharmacists to better understand your prescription, including the dosage quantity and duration, and to get the proper medicine decision.