Don’t self-medicate. The first thing I want to highlight is that over-the-counter medications are not free to consume.
It is true that they can be bought without a prescription, but that does not mean that they can be used without caution. If you use one of these medications for a few days and do not get improvement, consult a doctor.
It is also advisable to ask a pharmacist for guidance.
What medications to avoid if you have not had a medical consultation? First of all, the antibiotics. It often happens that a person uses an antibiotic and then, faced with a similar condition, decides to repeat it on their own. This is a mistake. Most pharyngitis, for example, is caused by viruses and not bacteria, so antibiotics are not effective.
Furthermore, this improper use has consequences: It can cause digestive complications and generate bacterial resistance, making future treatments difficult.
Secondly, the corticosteroids. Many people keep corticosteroids prescribed by an orthopedic surgeon, for example, and use them on their own later. Although they are powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reliefcan also produce significant adverse effects.
Among them, decreased immunity, increased blood pressure and elevated blood sugar levels, which is especially dangerous for people with prediabetes or insulin resistance.
Third, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), paracetamol, or diclofenac. They are commonly used and can be useful, but if they do not provide relief in a few days, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
These medications can cause heartburn, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcersdigestive bleeding, increased blood pressure and kidney complications.
Also to be mentioned are the anxiolytics and sleep medicationsr, particularly benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam, diazepam, clorazepam and clonazepam. Although they are effective when prescribed by a doctor, self-medicating with these types of drugs can cause dependency, decreased cognitive abilities, and drowsiness during the day.
It is important to remember that the only medication without adverse effects is one that is not taken without professional indication.
I hope you find this information useful.
* Dr. Daniel López Rosetti is a doctor (MN 62540) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). President of the Stress Section of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). He is the author of books such as: “Emotion and feelings” (Ed. Planeta, 2017), “Balance. How we think, how we feel, how we decide. User manual” (Ed. Planeta, 2019), “Recipes to live better and longer” (Ed. Planeta, 2025), inter alia.
