A healthy life is a good life. And this week, on WKNO’s Life Matters, Erica Walters with the Church Health Center offers tips and suggestions for managing your medications.
If you’ve been prescribed medicine by your physician: always take your medicine. Your doctor prescribed it for a reason. Medicine has a job to do, and it just might save your life.
Every week, I hear from patients who don’t take their blood pressure medicine or other medicine as prescribed. Sometimes they miss a dose. Sometimes they feel fine and decided not to take their medicine. This is not good practice. Again, your physician prescribed you medicine for a reason.
Let’s look at blood pressure medicine in particular. You can’t gauge your blood pressure number by a feeling. Neglecting to take your medicine puts you at risk for stroke or even death.
With that said, from time to time, you should have a conversation with your physician about the medicines you are taking. But never, ever stop taking them. At least, not until you’ve had the conversation.
Now, maybe you’re worried about side effects. You should still take the medicine as prescribed until you talk to your physician. You’ll be doing yourself and your loved ones a favor.
If you have a health question for Life Matters send an e-mail to health@wkno.org
