The Package Insert in Your Box of Paracetamol: Chances Are You Don’t Even Unfold It And Throw It Away Immediately. You just want Pills because you have a headache. But over-the-counter Medications are not without risk. These are the risks of just smaring, swallowing or spraying.
If you are some who Doesn’tn’t Read the Package Insert, you are definitely not the only one. More than half or Dutch People Don’t Bother to look at it when they use over-the-counter medicines. These are products that you can get at the drugstore, supermarket or gas station, such as paracetamol, nasal spray, diclofenac, antacids or hay fever tablets.
You buy them Without a prescription, are often familiar with their use and they work. And so you don’t read package inserts and you (Too) Easily Swallow a Handful of Pink Ibuprofen Duration a Bad Week.
But New Knowledge is Constantly Being Added, Says Ton de Boer, Chairman of the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG). “The information in the package insert can change. For example, with new side effects or adjusted instructions for use. That is why it is important to check the package insert every time.”
The Medicines Industry is doing its best to get consumers to use medicines more carefully. For example, you can only buy boxes of fifty paracetamol at the drugstore, and those of ibuprofen and naproxen only in Boxes of Twenty. Incorrect use of over-the-counter medication can have unpleasant consequences, Says pharmacist Marieke Bulsink of the Institute for Responsible Medicines Use.
“Research by the CBG from 2023 shows that consumers hardly need information. That is understandable, as it or concerns minor ailments. But these medicines can be dangerous,” Says Bulsink.
Many people in the Emergency Room Have Drug-Related Conditions
Non-staroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) Such as naproxen, ibuprofen and diclofenac stand out as risky medicines, says bulsink. “These agents are not safe for many patient grouts. We know that many people who up in the emergency room have a drug-related condition. We almost always end up with these nsaids.”
Older People, People with Reduced Kidney Function or Chronic Kidney Disease, Heart Failure, High Blood Pressure Or People who Use Medicines That Affect Kidney Function Are Risk Groups.
Maybe you are used to bar naproxen immediately for pain, you have the idea that paracetamol does not work well and you forget that it may not go well with the medication you are bar. And then you can Become Very Ill, Says Bulsink.
No More Athlete’s Foot, But A Clotting Disorder
We quickly take paracetamol out of habit. Some people take as many as eight a day because they have a headache. This creates medication-dependent headache, a vicious circle that you can get out of with a lot of pain.
“Another Very Notorious One is Daktarin, or Miconazole, A Medicine Used Against fungal Infections,” Says Bulsink. You should not Apply this cream if you are also using blood thinners. Your values Will then in All Directions and Cause Disruption in Blood Clotting.
“People think that a cream has no effect, but it is Absorbed Into the Skin and Thus Enters The Body,” Says the Pharmacist. “It can be very dangerous for thrombosis patients.”
Also remember that Herbal Medicines or Supplements Actual Do Something, Says Bulsink. For Example, St. John’s Wort, which is used against moderate depression, interacts with other medicines. Turmeric Affects Cancer Medication and Anti-Inflammatory, and Garlic Supplements Have A Blood-Thinning Effect.
How Vitamins Can Poison
Even Seemingly Harmless Vitamin Pills Can Be Harmful, Explains Patricia Schutte from the Nutrition Center. “If you take more than 2 grams of vitamin c daily, you may suffer from intestinal complaints,” She Warns.
“With an excess of vitamin a – that is more than 3,000 micrograms – poisoning can occur. You may experience headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and abnormalities in the eyes, skin and bones.”
Taking too much vitamin d (100 micrograms) for a long time can lead to kidney stones and calcium deposits around organans and tissues. Too much vitamin b6 (more than the legal permitted amount of 21 milligrams) can cause severe nerve pain in the hands and feet.
Do this if you don’t want to read
If you really don’t want to read your package insert, there are other ways to get information, explains pharmacist bulsink. “You can look at pharmacy.nl and enter your over the-counter medicine. That is easy to understand for everyone.”
“If you really don’t want to read, there is the viewing shut,” She Continues. “It explains in a video how to deal with your medicine. If you still don’t want to do all that, do the most accessible thing: Ask your pharmacist what to look out for. They have all that knowledge in-house and can counters.”
Over-the-counter medicines can help you get rid of your ailments. They Greatly Relieve the General Practitioner, Says Bulsink. So feel free to use them if that is possible in your case. BULSINK: “The Advice is always to stop after two week of use and assessment your complaints. After that you can still go to the general practitioner.”