1. If one pill is good, two must be better. When relief after one pill does not immediately kick in, some patients take a second or even a third pill, putting them at risk for harmful side effects.
2. Mixing with over-the-counter drugs. Taking an over-the-counter drug with a pain pill may create an overdose.
3. Drinking while taking pain drugs. Pain medications and alcohol generally enhance each other's effect.
4. Drugged driving. Pain medications can make many people drowsy, so patients should not be driving.
5. Sharing prescription medications. Sharing prescription pain medications with friends, relatives or co-workers is not a good idea because pain pills are not interchangeable.
6. Not asking the pharmacist. When pain patients can't understand drug labels, they should ask the pharmacist.
7. Hoarding dead drugs. Pills start breaking down soon after their expiration date, especially when they are kept in a moist environment like a bathroom medicine cabinet. Also, drugs stored in medicine cabinets can be taken by others.
8. Cutting unscored pills. Pills without scoring should not be cut at all. For example, you can cut away the coating, exposing the bitter taste of the medicine.
Read the WebMD report on patients' mistakes taking pain pills.
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