Navigating Your Medications: Five Questions To Ask Your Pharmacist Or Doctor

4. Do these natural medications or vitamins have side effects or can interact with the medications ordered by my doctor?
You might think that natural medications, also called Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), are free of interactions and side effects because they are “natural.” This is not the case. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if the natural medicines, supplements or vitamins you take are safe in combination with your prescription medicine and whether there are side effects. (Nearly half of those who take CAM, according to a national study, do not discuss it with their conventional medical providers.) Ginkgo biloba, for instance, may lower blood sugar and blood pressure, and may place an individual at risk for bleeding. It must, therefore, be stopped before planned surgery.

5. Can I stop this medication on my own?
If you are having uncomfortable side effects, speak to your doctor immediately. Even if you are feeling better, you should never stop a medication without consulting with your physician. It’s important to adhere to the prescribed course of antibiotics, for example, to ensure that all the bacteria has been killed and won’t return (and become drug-resistant). And if side effects like nausea or sleeplessness are keeping you from taking the prescribed treatment, talk to your doctor about alternatives that may be easier for you to tolerate.