Have you ever been worried about the side effects that your new treatment may cause?

Establishing guidelines and managing new medication can raise doubts and uncertainty for patients. Feeling this way is completely normal. However, we must keep in mind that it is something that will improve our health and quality of life.

It is important to inform yourself about the process and how it will affect our body. In this blog we propose some tips that will help you better understand this situation.

What to do when we receive a new treatment?

The first thing we should keep in mind when receiving a new treatment is to understand what worries us the most. Do you feel it will affect your routine? Do you think the format is not the most appropriate?

Presenting these doubts to the health professional will help us regain control of our well-being, and know what processes our body is going through.

We propose a list of 8 questions that may be useful to you.

Essential questions before organizing medication.

1. What is the medication for?

After the diagnosis of an illness, our doctor will prescribe a series of drugs. We know what its purpose is, to address the pathology in the most effective way, but we do not know how it will do it.

Make sure you understand these points before leaving the consultation:

  • How long will the treatment last?
  • What will the recovery process be like?
  • How will this drug work?

2. Are these new pills compatible with my daily intakes?

Our doctor must know in advance what medication we are taking. This includes dietary supplements or herbal products, as well as the hours and days you consume them.

We recommend that you make a complete list, both of what has been prescribed to you, as well as the pills and other formats with which you self-medicate (an example could be ibuprofen if you use it regularly, or creams for muscle pain). This way you can avoid harmful drug interactions.

3. What side effects can I expect?

Medications can cause different reactions depending on sex, age, or previous clinical history, for example. Whatever the adverse reaction, we must know it in advance so as not to confuse it with other symptoms of illness.

On the other hand, knowing what to expect from the treatment will help us detect if our body can assimilate the daily doses, or if we should make a change to the established plan.

4. How much does the medication cost? Will Social Security cover it?

pharmaceutical poverty It is an increasingly present issue in Spanish homes. If you have doubts about the costs that the new treatment may entail, we recommend that you explain your situation and find out about more affordable alternatives.

5. How often should the medication be taken?

It is important to adapt your schedules to the needs of the treatment. Take note of these points when you receive the prescription:

    • How often should it be taken?
    • On an empty stomach, or after eating?
    • How many times a day should it be done?
    • For how many days/weeks?

6. Where to store the medication?

Where you store your medication can cause it to deteriorate or become less effective. Heat, light and humidity can alter the effectiveness of the medication.

Some drugs should remain at room temperature, while others require lower temperatures, so it is recommended to store them in the refrigerator.

7. What happens if I miss a dose?

At IMA we fight against carelessness and strengthentherapeutic adherence to avoid these errors. However, when we do not use medication organization systems such as SPDit is possible to get confused.

Sometimes missing a dose is harmless, while other times it can have serious consequences. Therefore, it is important to know in advance how to act if such a situation arises.

8. Are there non-pharmacological alternatives?

Medications are not the only tool to strengthen our health. An alternative may be exercise and diet changes, or seeing a physiotherapist.

An example of this would be to include foods whose components help the digestive tract, or are rich in calcium.

This decision should always be supported by the judgment of the healthcare professional, and should not interfere with other medications we are taking.

Access treatment easily and simply.

THERE IS It can also help you ease the burden of organizing new medication through your plans. Discover the SPD service, where a pharmacist will organize your medication, and you will receive it already prepared at your doorstep.

Disclaimer: At IMA we offer advice and information about our products. Consult with an expert before making any decision that may affect your health.