4 things to avoid when taking over-the-counter pain relievers

The negative effects of using non-prescription painkillers include drowsiness, dizziness, liver, kidney, and stomach damage, or even the risk of drug dependence. To protect your health, patients need to understand what to avoid when using non-prescription painkillers, according to the health website Medical News Today (UK).

Things to avoid when taking over-the-counter pain relievers include:

Taking medicine with alcohol

One thing patients should avoid is drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen. Specifically, drinking alcohol while taking aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen will increase the risk of ulcers, stomach bleeding, gastritis or at the very least, cause prolonged digestive problems.

Meanwhile, taking paracetamol with alcohol can lead to serious liver damage. This condition, if prolonged, can lead to liver disease and even be life-threatening.

Store medications in the bathroom cabinet

Many families install a medicine cabinet in the bathroom. This cabinet can hold shaving cream, band-aids, and toothpaste, but medications should not be stored there. Because the environment in the bathroom is hot and humid. These storage conditions cause tablets and capsules to easily deteriorate, making the medicine ineffective.

Using NSAIDs for High Blood Pressure

Some over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen can raise blood pressure, so people with high blood pressure who take these medications may inadvertently make their condition worse.

Ibuprofen and naproxen are two pain relievers that belong to a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They raise blood pressure by causing the body to retain more water, constricting blood vessels, and reducing the effectiveness of some high blood pressure medications.

Failure to recognize overdose symptoms

Paracetamol is an ingredient in many over-the-counter pain relievers. Therefore, it is very easy for patients to overdose when arbitrarily combining many drugs together. Signs of paracetamol overdose include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, yellow eyes, and yellow skin, according to Medical News Today.