How to take medicines safely

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HealthWiki > A Book for Midwives > Medicines Pages > How to take medicines safely

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Take the full amount, for the right number of days.
• Do not take too much.
• Be careful when taking many medicines at the same time.
• Know and watch for side effects and problems the medicine can cause.
• Know as much as you can about the medicine you take.

Take the full amount

Many medicines, particularly antibiotics (see page 474), must be taken for a certain number of days to work, even if the person feels better before taking all of the medicine as instructed. This is because the medicine kills the weakest germs first and takes longer to kill the stronger germs. If some germs are not killed, the infection may come back.

And because these stronger germs are harder to kill, the drug may not work to fight the infection anymore — not for the woman who did not take the full amount of medicine or for others in the community who get the same infection. This is called drug resistance.

Maybe I should take more...

Never take more medicine than the amount advised.

Do not take too much

Some people think that taking more medicine will heal the body faster. This is not true and can be dangerous! If you take too much medicine at one time or take a medicine too often, it may cause serious harm.

Avoid taking more than 1 medicine at the same time

Some medicines can stop other medicines from working. Some medicines cause problems when they are taken with other medicines.

Avoid combination medicines (2 or more medicines in 1 tablet). They usually cost more, and you may be putting medicine in your body that you do not need. For example, some eye drops and eye ointments contain both antibiotics and steroids. The steroids can be harmful. Combination medicines can also cause more side effects. An exception to this are antiretroviral medicines for HIV, medicines for malaria, and a few others. These combinations are often more effective and easier to take.

Know and watch for signs of problems with a medicine

Side effects

Many medicines have side effects. These are unintended effects of the medicine that are annoying or uncomfortable. Common side effects are nausea, stomach aches, headaches, or sleepiness.

Side effects can sometimes be very severe — like damage to the organs inside the body. A medicine with these effects is usually only worth taking in emergencies. Sometimes you should only take a medicine for a short time and then stop to avoid being hurt by the side effects.

Whenever you give a medicine to a woman, tell her what side effects she might have. Then if she has these effects, she will not worry about them and will be more likely to keep taking the medicine for the needed number of days. Explain any signs that might show that she is allergic to the medicine.

Allergy

Some people are allergic to certain medicines. When a person is given that medicine, her body has a reaction. She may have a small, uncomfortable reaction or a very serious reaction that can endanger her life.

Do not give a medicine to someone who is allergic to that medicine. Also, do not give the person any medicines from the same family.

To prevent an allergic reaction from a medicine:

1. Before giving any medicine, ask the woman if she has had itching or other problems after taking that medicine or a similar medicine in the past. If she has had a reaction in the past, do not give that medicine or any medicine from the same family.
2. Stay with a woman for 30 minutes after giving an injection. During this time, watch for signs of allergic reaction.
3. Have medicines ready to treat allergic reaction.

Signs of allergic reaction:

• skin rash
• itching skin or eyes
• swelling of the lips or face
• wheezing

To treat allergic reaction
give 25 mg diphenhydramine		by mouth, 1 time
or
give 25 mg promethazine		by mouth, 1 time
You can give another 25 mg of either medicine in 6 hours if rash, itching, swelling, or wheezing has not stopped.

Signs of severe allergic reaction or allergic shock:

• pale skin
• cold, sweaty skin
• weak, rapid pulse or heartbeat
• difficulty breathing
• low blood pressure
• loss of consciousness

To treat allergic shock
Get medical help. On the way:
inject 0.5 ml of 1:1000 (1 mg/ml) epinephrine		in the muscle or under the skin (subcutaneous injection), 1 time only and
and
inject 50 mg diphenhydramine		in the muscle, 1 time only
and
inject 500 mg hydrocortisone		in the muscle, 1 time only

If the person's condition does not improve, give a second dose of epinephrine in 5 to 15 minutes, and a third dose in 5 to 15 minutes after that. Do not give more than 3 doses.

Taking too much medicine

Some common signs of taking too much of a medicine are:

• nausea
• vomiting
• pain in the stomach
• headache
• dizziness
• ringing in the ears
• fast breathing

These can also be side effects for some medicines. If you are not sure whether the woman has taken too much, use the descriptions of the drug on the following pages to check for its common side effects.

If a woman has any of these signs and they are not common side effects of the medicine she is taking, she should stop taking the medicine and get medical help.

Poisoning
Taking too much of a medicine might kill a person, especially a child. Keep medicines away from children. If you think a person may have poisoned herself from taking too much medicine, get medical help quickly. Also:

• Help her spit out any pills still in her mouth.
• Find the medicine bottle to show health workers.
• Give activated charcoal to absorb some medicines like aspirin and paracetamol before they cause poisoning.
• Activated charcoal will not work for iron (in iron tablets, multivitamins, or prenatal vitamins). Helping the person vomit may help, or having them drink lots of water.

Know as much as you can about the medicine

Many medicines must be taken at a certain time of day, with food, or on an empty stomach. Some medicines are not safe for certain people to take. For example, a woman with high blood pressure should not take ergometrine, which can make blood pressure even worse. Read about each drug on the following pages, as well as any information that comes with the drug, or talk with pharmacists or health workers to learn who can take the medicine safely — and how they should take it for it to be most effective.

This page was updated:18 Jul 2024