Section Two

Playing it Safe

Over-the-Counter Medication Safety

• Read warning sections on labels or look up the name of the medicine in the Physician’s Desk Reference for Nonprescription Drugs. If you are unsure about taking an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, check with your health care provider or pharmacist. Find out if it is safe to combine medicines (prescribed or OTC ones), to take alcohol with a medicine, or to take OTC herbs, such as kava kava and St. John’s Wort with medicines and/or alcohol.
• Before you take a medicine, check the expiration date. Discard ones that have expired.
• Know what medications you are allergic to. Check the labels on all OTC medicines to see if what you are allergic to is in them. Also, wear a medical alert tag to let others know about allergies to medications as well as medical conditions you have. Get a medical alert tag from a drugstore or from MedicAlert Foundation International, 800.344.3226, www.medicalert.org.
• Do not take OTC medicines on a regular basis unless your health care provider tells you to.
• Don’t take someone else’s prescribed medicines. Don’t take OTC medicines that you are not familiar with or are not in the original product package. Don’t give your prescribed medicine to others.
• Follow directions on the medicine’s label. Do not exceed the dose(s) specified. For example, if you take 2 acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) tablets for a headache, don’t take 2 more in 2 hours if the label instructs you to take 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours. Also, don’t take another pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) or a medicine with acetaminophen, such as Nyquil, at the same time or within the same 4 hours of taking acetaminophen. This is too much medicine.
• If you are under 19 years of age, do not take aspirin or any medicines that contain salicylates, such as Pepto Bismol, due to its link to Reye’s Syndrome. This is especially true when you have the flu or chicken pox.
• If you order prescriptions and OTC medications online, make sure that a registered pharmacist checks for drug interactions. Access www.nabp.netfor a location that the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has given a verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPDS) seal of approval.

Basic Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications

Medicines	Common Uses	Side Effects/Warnings/Interactions
Antacids (e.g., Tums, Rolaids, Mylanta).	Stomach upset. Heartburn.	Don’t use for more than 2 weeks without your doctor’s advice. Don’t use high-sodium ones if on a low-salt diet. Don’t use if you have chronic kidney failure.
Antidiarrheal medicine (e.g., Kaopectate, Imodium A-D, Pepto-Bismol).	Diarrhea.	Don’t give Pepto-Bismol to anyone under 19 years of age. It contains salicylates, which have been linked to Reye’s Syndrome. Also, Pepto-Bismol can cause black stools.
Antihistamines (e.g., Chlor-Trimeton, Benadryl).	Allergies. Cold symptom relief. Relieves itching.	May make you drowsy or agitated. Can cause dry mouth and/or problems with urinating. Don’t use with alcohol, when operating machines, or when driving. Don’t use if you have glaucoma or an enlarged prostate or problems passing urine.
Cough suppressant (e.g., Robitussin-DM or other with dextromethorphan).	Dry cough without mucus.	May make you drowsy. People with glaucoma or problems passing urine should avoid ones with diphenhydramine.
Decongestant (e.g., Sudafed, Dimetapp).	Stuffy and runny nose. Postnasal drip. Allergies. Fluid in the ears.	Don’t use if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, heart disease, a history of stroke, or an enlarged prostate.
Expectorant (e.g., Robitussin or others with guaifenesin).	Cough with mucus.	Don’t give with an antihistamine.
Laxatives (e.g., Ex-Lax, Correctol [stimulant types], Metamucil [bulk-forming type]).	Constipation.	Long-term use of stimulant-type can lead to dependence and to muscle weakness due to potassium loss.
Throat anestheic (e.g., Sucrets, Chloraseptic spray).	Minor sore throat.	Don’t give throat lozenges to children under age 5.
Toothache anesthetic (e.g., Anbesol)	Toothache. Teething.	Call doctor before giving to babies under 4 months old.
Pain Relievers
Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol, Anacin-3, Datril, Liquiprin, Panadol, Tempra.)	Gives pain relief. Lowers fever. Does not reduce swelling.	More gentle on stomach than other OTC pain relievers. Can result in liver problems in heavy alcohol users. Large doses or long-term use can cause liver or kidney damage.
Aspirin* (e.g., Bayer, Bufferin).	Gives pain relief. Lowers fever and swelling.	Can cause stomach upset (which is made worse by alcohol use). May cause stomach ulcers and bleeding. Avoid if you: Have an ulcer, have asthma, are under 19 years of age (due to its link to Reye’s Syndrome), and/or are having surgery within 2 weeks. High doses or prolonged use can cause ringing in the ears.
Ibuprofen* (e.g., Advil, Motrin, Adult and Children’s Advil). Ketoprofen* for adults (e.g., Actron, Orudis KT). Naproxen Sodium* for adults (e.g., Aleve).	gives pain relief. Lowers fever and swelling.	Can cause stomach upset and peptic ulcers. Take with milk or food. Can make you more sensitive to the effects of the sun. Don’t use if you are allergic to aspirin. Don’t use if you have a peptic ulcer, blood clotting problems, or kidney disease.
*These medicines are examples of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

{Note: Consult your health care provider about using herbal products and nutritional supplements. Harm can result from the product itself, taking too much of it, and/or combining it with other products, including OTC and prescription medicines. DO NOT take: Anabolic steroids; muscle building products, Green Hornet, Liquid Speed, Snuffadelic, or Adderrall (to pull an all nighter). These can cause major health problems.}

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