Your Home Health Centre

There are thousands of different prescription medications used to treat hundreds of different medical conditions. Your doctor and your pharmacist are your best sources of

information about your prescription medications. Good books are available that contain information about many different prescription drugs.

Guidelines for taking every kind of prescription medication could fill several books. Common types covered here include antibiotics, minor tranquilizers, and sleeping pills.

Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria. They are effective against bacteria only and have no effect on viruses. Therefore, antibiotics will not cure the common cold, flu, or any other viral illness. Unless you have a bacterial infection, it's best to avoid the possible adverse effects of antibiotics, which may include:

• Side effects , including allergic reactions . Common side effects of antibiotics include nausea, diarrhea, and increased sensitivity to sunlight. Most side effects are mild, but some, especially allergic reactions, can be severe. An allergic reaction can be life-threatening. If you have any unexpected reaction to an antibiotic, tell your health professional before another antibiotic is prescribed.

• Secondary infections . Antibiotics kill most of the bacteria in your body that are sensitive to them, including the bacteria that help your body. Antibiotics can destroy the bacterial balance in your body, leading to stomach upset, diarrhea, vaginal infections, or other problems.

• Bacterial resistance . When antibiotics are used too often, bacteria change so that the antibiotics are no longer effective against them. This makes bacterial infections more difficult to treat.

When you and your health professional have decided that an antibiotic is necessary, carefully follow the instructions for taking the prescription.

• Take the whole dose for as many days as prescribed, unless you have unexpected side effects (in which case, call your health professional). Antibiotics kill off many bacteria quite quickly, so you may feel better in a few days. However, if you stop taking the antibiotic too soon, the weaker bacteria will have been eliminated, but the stronger ones may survive and flourish.

• Be sure you understand any special instructions about taking the medication. The instructions should be printed on the label, but double-check with your doctor and pharmacist.

• Store antibiotics in a dry, cool place. Check carefully to see if they need refrigeration.

• Never give an antibiotic prescribed for one person to someone else.

• Do not save leftover antibiotics, and do not take an antibiotic prescribed for another illness without a health professional's approval.

Minor tranquilizers (such as Valium, Librium, Xanax, Tranxene, and Ativan) and sleeping pills (such as Dalmane, Halcion, Restoril, and Ambien) are widely prescribed. However, these drugs can cause problems, including memory loss, addiction, and injuries from falls caused by drug-induced unsteadiness.

Minor tranquilizers can be effective for short periods of time. However, long-term use is often of limited value and introduces the risk of addiction and mental impairment.

Sleeping pills may help for a few days or a few weeks, but using them for more than 1 month generally causes more sleep problems than it solves. For other approaches, See Sleep Problems.

If you have been taking minor tranquilizers or sleeping pills for a while, talk with your doctor about reevaluating your need for the medication or reducing your dosage. If you have experienced any unsteadiness, dizziness, or memory loss, tell your doctor.

Top of Page