Forget to take your medicine? Don't double dose, experts warn

Many pregnant women who are taking medication to protect their pregnancy, supplement iron and calcium, or regulate their bodies, as well as mothers who need long-term medication, often experience memory confusion due to busy schedules and irregular routines, and are unsure whether they have taken a dose of their pregnancy medication or supplement. In such cases, should they "just take another dose"?

Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital Deputy Chief Pharmacist Fu Jing reminded that blindly re-dosing may increase the burden on the body and threaten life and health.

If you forget to take your medicine, should you take it or skip it? "First, remember the golden rule that applies to most medication scenarios: prioritize referring to the drug's instructions. If you discover the missed dose early, take it; if you discover it late, skip it. Do not arbitrarily double the dose," Fu Jing introduced. The interval and dosage of medications are designed with rigorous pharmacology to match the body's metabolic rhythm. Arbitrarily increasing the dose or taking medication repeatedly are major taboos in medication use.

If the missed dose time is relatively short, not exceeding half of the medication interval, generally, you can immediately take the normal single dose. For example, for medications taken once a day with a 24-hour interval, if you just missed it by a few hours, you can take it immediately after discovering it, and continue to take it at the original time as usual, which will not affect the overall efficacy.

If you discover it has exceeded half of the interval, you can directly discard this dose and wait for the next normal dose. "Because there is still an effective drug concentration in the body at this time, which is enough to maintain the basic therapeutic effect. Temporary re-dosing will not only be of little benefit but will also cause drug accumulation and increase the body's metabolic pressure," Fu Jing said.

If the instructions have corresponding measures for missed doses, prioritize following those measures. If there are no relevant instructions, combine the above principles for judgment, or consult a physician or pharmacist, and refrain from blindly taking medication based on experience.

If it is impossible to determine whether a dose has been missed, you can monitor the therapeutic indicators to decide whether to re-dose. Fu Jing stated that for patients taking short-acting antihypertensive drugs like nifedipine tablets, blood pressure should be measured promptly, and the decision to re-dose should be based on blood pressure. If re-dosing, the next dose should be appropriately postponed.

"Patients choosing long-acting antihypertensive drugs (such as nifedipine sustained-release tablets) do not need to worry too much. Generally, the effect of long-acting antihypertensive drugs lasts for a longer time. An occasional interruption will not have a significant impact. Patients can closely monitor their blood pressure and determine whether to take medication for補救 based on the actual situation."

Fu Jing reminded that the most important taboo is "taking double the dose next time." Many people feel that they need to make up for the missed dose, so they take two doses at once, which is absolutely not allowed. Especially for commonly used iron supplements, pregnancy protection medications, hormone drugs, and vitamin preparations in obstetrics and gynecology, doubling the dose can easily cause discomfort, such as gastrointestinal irritation, dizziness, and metabolic disorders.

For sensitive drugs such as antihypertensives, hypoglycemics, and anticoagulants, arbitrarily increasing the dose can cause dangerous situations such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, severe hypoglycemia, and abnormal bleeding, and may even endanger life.

To prevent missed medication, you can establish a regular routine, take medication at fixed times such as upon waking, after meals, or before sleep, to form a physical memory; or use mobile phone alarms or memos for timed reminders; you can also use a pill organizer in advance to separate daily doses and see at a glance whether the medication has been taken.

Correspondent Shi Yue Yangtze Evening News/Zi Niu News Reporter Xu Qianqian

Source: Yangtze Evening News