ALWAYS DO YOUR HOMEWORK...
never assume the pharmacist or the doctor have done it for you!!
Anytime I am given a new RX I do two things.
- I read two or three Internet postings about the medication.
- I ask the pharmacist specifically to check for interaction. The pharmacy I use maintains a database that not only holds the meds I take, but also the medical conditions I have (which are too many anyway...LOL). So, not only can he check med-to-med interaction, but the can check med-effect-on-condition.
For example, I was prescribed Reglan over the summer. I never filled the script because I did my personal homework. I discovered that, "Reglan may cause symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease, such as slow movements, rigidity, tremor, or a mask-like facial appearance."
No way was I taking that pill
heck I already have those symptoms...don't want to make them worse!!
Then a couple of weeks later I saw my MD neuro and mentioned that I had been suspect for gastroperisis, for which Reglan is the gold standard. I barely got the sentence out when she said, "Don't let the prescribe Relgan. It will make your PD symptoms worse." (Turned out I had bile reflux from my small intestine.)