There are many different types of medicine that you can certainly take at the same time. Someone who is being treated for cancer may also be given medication to help with nausea, for instance.
But it is important for doctors and medical professionals to know how these medications are going to react with one another. In many cases, doubling up the dose can be problematic because you’re taking more of the specific substance than you realize.
The problem with acetaminophen
A simple example of this is if you’re taking painkillers that contain acetaminophen. These are very common and can be given out over the counter.
However, if you combine the total number of prescription and over-the-counter medications that use acetaminophen, there are more than 600 of them. People can suffer serious liver damage if they take too much acetaminophen at one time. This is why there are very specific dosage recommendations on the back of over-the-counter medication packages.
But what if your doctor simply makes a mistake and doesn’t realize the two medications you’ve been prescribed contain the same ingredient? You may take the pills without a second thought, assuming that they can do nothing but help you, when you’re really giving yourself a double dose of acetaminophen that could have long-lasting ramifications.
In a situation like that, it would be very understandable for you to feel like your doctor’s negligence was at fault. You trusted them to give you the proper types of medication and the proper doses, and they failed to do so. It may be time for you to start looking into your legal options.
