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Health Watch
Over The Counter Medications ( Otc) - 1
any people come to the pharmacy confused about which Over The Counter Medications (OTC)M
they should use for their ailments. Thus I want to give an insight about some major groups of
these medications. In this edition I am focusing on Vitamins and Analgesics (pain medicines). Many of us
may wonder whether or not vitamin supplements are necessary in our daily lives since our Indian diet
consists of rich vegetables and fruits! Actually health authorities recommend that you eat 5-9 servings of
fruits and vegetables every day. These foods should provide you with ample amounts of fiber, plus many
important antioxidant nutrients and minerals. In my opinion, unless you have a balanced diet, exercise
regularly and limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine, a daily multivitamin supplement is required in every
individual to maintain our health. Since our diet cannot keep with the daily-recommended nutrients, we are
much better off taking a multivitamin. Vitamin supplements with antioxidants have been proven to provide
some protection against heart diseases, cancer, cataracts and other conditions associated with aging. Thus
supplements could offer you with an extra safeguard that could prove absolutely vital to your health and
longevity. However, one should not think that this is a ”magic pill" replaces eating a healthy diet or
reverses years of intemperate living. Nothing can substitute for life long healthy habits - not even
antioxidant supplements. In view of the increasing evidence that supports the health benefits of antioxidants
and vitamins, I recommend a Multivitamin tablet with antioxidants especially Vitamin-C and Vitamin-E to
be taken on a daily basis.
As we all know, there are a wide variety of analgesic or pain medications available over the counter, but
choosing just one out of hundreds, may be difficult. Although pain medication is available to everyone, it
doesn’t mean that they are necessarily safe. These analgesics are safe only if taken in the recommended
doses and if there are no existing contraindications. When taking any pain medication, one must follow the
exact dosing directions on the label. If pain is not relieved with the recommended dosages, do not overdose
on the medication - consult your doctor. Many of the medications available as prescription pain medicines
are the ones available as over the counter but in a very low strength. Thus the problems we encounter with
prescription drugs can occur with OTC’s. Pain medications can be divided into 3 categories - aspirin
containing drugs, NSAID’s ( Non Steroid anti inflammatory drugs) and non aspirin like drugs. Non-aspirin
like drugs like acetaminophen (brand Tylenol) if taken on the commended doses, could be used for fever
and pain. These are especially used for children. However, in overdose the main problem with this
medication is liver damage. Aspirin containing drugs is used for fever, pain and as an anti-inflammatory.
Children should not be given aspirin. Aspirin should be taken on a full stomach to safeguard against
stomach ulcers. Aspirins are also used in adults who have heart disease. However, with an overdose we
can run into stomach ulcers and kidney problems. NSAID type drugs (Advil, Orudis, and Aleve) are quite
similar to aspirin. They are used for similar purposes and likewise must be taken with food to prevent
stomach ulcers. Both aspirin and NSAID’s can Interfere with high blood pressure, therefore these people
should be cautious when using these medications. There is another section of these OTC medications
(cough and cold remedies), which I will discuss in a future edition of NANAL.
( Meena Arunachalam, Flushing, NY)
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