DEAR DOCTOR,

My husband has a bad habit of buying over-the-counter medication every time he doesn’t feel well. I’ve tried to talk him into going to see a doctor before self-medicating but he doesn’t seem bothered. What are the effects of this? I worry that he may suffer health complications eventually. 

 BELLA

DEAR BELLA,

Self-medication or taking medicines over-the-counter without consulting a doctor is a very common trend. People think that since they know names of painkillers, common antibiotics, antacid, anti-allergy drugs, they can buy and treat their ailments by themselves. At times, they may not know the name of medicine needed but consult the pharmacist and buy it directly. Going to a healthcare facility, consulting a medic, taking a prescription after suitable tests is considered cumbersome and a waste of time by them.

However, by doing so, they put their health at risk. 

All medicines have adverse effects, which are known well to the medic prescribing them. Like use of non-steroidal painkillers, for example, ibuprofen can cause burning pain in the chest and stomach, repeated use can lead to peptic ulcer disease, kidney damage and even hypertension. Common anti-cold medications can cause high blood pressure. Risk is higher with frequency of use and particularly if taken in high dose.

Antibiotics, and for that matter any medicine, can cause allergic reactions, which manifests as skin rashes, dizziness and can be fatal as well. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics where not needed (like if taken for running nose or dry cough, which can be due to allergy or viral infections) or taken in inadequate doses contributes to antibiotic resistance. Resistance to existing antibiotics is a grave concern world over as more and more microbes are getting resistant to antibiotics used, resulting in more severe forms of infections which are difficult to treat. Drug interaction is another issue which most people are unaware of while buying and using drugs by themselves. Many drugs interact with one another or with food substances taken. This either reduces the efficacy of one drug or causes toxicity. For example, painkillers interact with antihypertensive medication nifedipine, thus reducing its efficacy Doxycycline has interaction with milk products and its effect is reduced if taken with milk.

Many drugs are toxic to the liver and kidney. In presence of any slight affection of the liver or kidney, as in presence of hepatitis, such drugs should be avoided or taken in a low dose to avoid such complications. It is advisable to consult a doctor in case of any ailment, get investigations done to find the underlying cause and then take proper medication in adequate doses and for appropriate duration.

Dr. Rachna Pande is a specialist internal medicine