If a medication you’re taking makes you feel worse, you may be tempted to stop. But you shouldn’t do so without talking to your doctor since quitting cold turkey can be harmful. Here’s what you need to know.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Have you ever started taking a medication and found that it seemed to make you feel worse instead of better? What should you do about it? Can you just quit the med cold turkey?
First, don’t do anything until you talk to your doctor.
Keep in mind that some medicines require patience. You may experience side effects for a few days, or even a few weeks, before seeing any benefits.
If you and your doctor do decide it’s best to stop a drug, it’s often okay to do it right away. But not always
Here are some medications that you may need to taper off gradually.
Pain relief medications: Stopping them suddenly may cause a serious withdrawal reaction called delirium tremens, commonly known as the DT’s.
Going off sleeping pills too quickly could leave you with so-called “rebound insomnia.” It’ll be even harder to get to sleep than it was before you started taking the pills.
Steroids used to treat arthritis, asthma and other ailments – if you go off them too quickly, you may develop fatigue, body aches, lightheadedness or nausea.
If you you’re taking beta blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions, you’ll need to go off them slowly to avoid heart rhythm disturbances.
If you suddenly stop taking antidepressants you could experience dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and flu-like symptoms.
Stopping antibiotics abruptly isn’t usually dangerous, but you should take all the medicine prescribed, even if you’re feeling better. Stopping too soon could let the infection return, or lead to bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
As always, if you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.