Medicines can hurt you too

By Heather

During cold and flu season, many of us are taking extra pills and potions to get through the day.

Last weekend, my youngest son was taking a pink potion for his ear infections while my older son was taking cough syrup every twelve hours and my husband was taking ibuprofen every six hours to manage pain and fever. That’s a lot to keep track of.

Candy or Medicine?

If you are taking more than one medicine, there are a few smart tips to remember:

1. Read labels carefully to prevent over- or even under-dosing. ‘Nuf said.
2. Write down the time and dosage you or your kid took the medicine. If you are especially drowsy, taking more than one medicine, or on a care-giving team, writing down doses becomes critical.
3. Keep medicines closed and out of reach. Most medicines are child-locked but not all of them are. Some look virtually identical to candy.
4. Contact poison control [1-800-222-1222] if anyone ever takes too much medicine so that you can respond properly.

Stay safe and healthy out there. In the meantime, I’m doing my best to get all the guys in my house healthy and avoid catching what they have.