Over The Counter Concerns |
Even if you rely on over-the-counter medications for pain and follow their dosing directions carefully, you can still be at risk of a potentially dangerous interaction or even an over dose, because many over-the-counter medications contain the same active ingredients.
For example, if you are taking an OTC nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) you could be at risk for an over dose if you also take a cold medicine, not knowing that it also contains an NSAID. The same goes for acetaminophen, which is a popular pain reliever on its own as well as common ingredient in many OTC products. NSAIDs and acetaminophen also are active ingredients in many prescription products, so combining a prescription and OTC product can have also have disastrous results. |