Beware of Double-Dosing

If one tablet helps a little, two should help a lot. For many people, that is the approach to taking over-the-counter (OTC) medications. After all, if you can get them without a prescription, they must be safe, right? Not necessarily. Taking medication - any medication - is serious business. Even OTC staples like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can cause serious side effects, if you're not careful.

Even if you faithfully follow package labels, you can run into trouble if you take more than one medication with the same ingredient. Many cold medicines and pain remedies include ingredients like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If you take one of these for a cold or headache while you're also taking acetaminophen or an NSAID for arthritis, you could suffer problems as serious as bleeding ulcers or even liver failure.

To be safe, always read the label of every OTC product you are taking to make sure you aren't doubling up on some ingredients. If you're still not sure, ask your pharmacist.

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