QUESTION: I find that there is still medicine left over in the vial long after my symptoms have disappeared, probably because the doctor orders too many.
If I stopped taking medicine then, would it do me any harm? I don't like taking chances, but I don't want to take these pills if I don't have to any longer.
ANSWER: The safety and success of any treatment depends largely on how closely the patient follows the doctor's instructions.
If your doctor prescribes a particular amount of a drug, he does so for a reason. If you stop taking your medicine without your doctor's knowledge, the condition it was prescribed to treat may get worse.
Feeling better does not always mean that the disease is cured.
Taking too little of a drug can delay or even prevent the beneficial effect your doctor is trying to achieve, and it may even lead him to prescribe a second, stronger drug with more side effects, in the mistaken belief that the first drug wasn't effective.
This is a frequent happening when the patient doesn't tell the physician that he stopped taking his medicine. By the way, it is just as bad to take more of a drug than your doctor prescribes.
The idea that "if one pill is good, two is better" is not only false, it can be dangerous.
It takes a lot of study to keep up with the way medications work, and these indications form part of the doctor's thinking when prescribing medication in certain quantities.
Medicines work best when properly used, in the dosages and for the length of time that are prescribed. When you become a partner in your own medical care, and communicate with your physician, your medicines can do the job for you they were intended to do. Not taking your medicine exactly the way your doctor prescribed it is called "noncompliance." The most common reason for noncompliance is a misunderstanding or a lack of communication, so make sure you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do, and follow those instructions. Don't be afraid to ask questions or to tell your doctor that you don't understand what he has told you.
He wants to help you get well; that's why he became a doctor in the first place.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
