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It is important not to cease or alter your medication without the advice of a doctor. However, this does not mean you cannot be proactive in your recovery when it comes to medication. It is important to advocate for yourself or your loved one if you are concerned or unclear about a particular medication or have unanswered questions.

Seeking a second opinion

It’s your right as a patient to seek advice and be in control of what happens to your body. If you feel rushed in discussions with your doctor, are not confident in your treatment or wish to consider other options, a second opinion is worth considering. Getting a second opinion can be useful because it means there’s a fresh set of eyes looking at your health. Some people worry that their doctor will be upset if they obtain a second opinion or that their future relationship will be negatively impacted. However, your doctor is more likely to welcome the chance to have another mind working on your health challenges, especially since each GP often has a unique set of experiences and skills.

Knowing your medications

Researching medications yourself is a good way to better understand what you are taking. Being informed about your medications means you can ask questions of your doctor and feel more empowered about medication management. Knowing the side effects of your medications can be beneficial if you start to experience new symptoms. It’s also important to know the correct dosage, the time, and the manner in which you should take your medication. For example, medicines may need to be taken with food, on an empty stomach, crushed, or whole with a large glass of water. Certain foods or activities may also need to be avoided. These instructions and precautions are often printed on the medication label. If you’re unsure, speak with your GP and/or pharmacist.

Talk to your pharmacist

Feeling more empowered may involve speaking to your pharmacist. Pharmacists have a wealth of knowledge on medications, their side effects and their interactions. If you are worried about the medication you have been prescribed or would like some more information on it, the pharmacist can be a great first port of call.

Difficulty managing your medication

If you’re having difficulties remembering when to take what medication or the dosage there are aids and devices available that can help. Speak to your pharmacist or GP about a dosette box or a blister/Webster pack to make managing your medication easier. There are a range of apps now available for your smart phone or tablet device that allow you to set alerts to remind you to take your medication, track when you are due for a refill or a new script. These apps can be very useful to keep track of your medication list to show the doctors if you go into hospital.

Having a medication review

If you are feeling really unwell and are concerned that it may be related to your medication, you should see a doctor and ask for a review. Follow your instincts if things do not feel right and ask for a medication review.

For information on medications after stroke check out our fact sheet.

NPS Medicine Line (1300 633 424) provides information on how a medicine works, how to take medicines, side effects, interactions with other medicines, storage of medicines and how to obtain consumer medicine information (CMI) for prescription medicines.

We would love to hear how you are proactive in managing your medication.

If you would like to discuss managing your medication or would like further information on any of the resources mentioned above, please contact us on StrokeLine- 1800 787 653, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

Being a Stroke survivor of nearly 28 years, I have rarely had my medications reviewed and always trusted my long term GP. Earlier this year I became unwell and a number visits to Hosp & GP without any diagnoses. My GP went away for 6 weeks and I started to see a young trainee GP who was interested in my medical history she started to review my medications and found that 1 was far to high and others where interacting wrongly and causing me to be very unwell, within 72 hrs of lowering the dose and trying another 2 medications I have never felt so good, my regular GP now has become aware that I know my body and feelings better than her and takes what say more seriously not to say she never did, but I felt she wasn't listening properly, they can get to comfortable with you.

So what I would like to say is be aware of your body, and get a second opinion if you feel your not being heard properly GP's & Specialists don't mind if you do this. I now believe Medications should be review on a more regular basis like 18mths.

Another view I have is never just take supplements without knowing the interaction they may have on your daily medications this can cause feelings of being unwell.

Over the years I have learnt to read, research, ask your Pharmacist they are world of knowledge and I have 2 Pharmacists that know my medications, ie heat rubs etc, and question things I buy and tell me if they are going to interfere with what I take. I used Heat Rub as example cos I used one it reacted to my blood thinning med's, made me unwell, it was a common everyday one you can buy in the supermarket.

Also a lot foods can be bad for some Stroke medications ie Kale Vit K, so please read, research or get someone to it for you.

Lastly never be afraid to ask questions to GP,Specialist, Pharmacist about your Medications, get that second opinion, read, research, it's for your own welfare so you can have a less stressed life.

Hope this helps someone Di

Absolutely Di, fabulous advice all round. We are so pleased you had your medications reviewed and it has been a good outcome for you, and that your GP has also learned from the experience. Your additional point on supplements and diet is great. Warfarin in particular has a number of foods that interact due to the high Vit K. There is a good booklet available called Eating Well with warfarin. Knowing your medications, any potential interactions or side effects is key. Thank you so much for your valuable contribution to this topic. I'm sure many will find it extremely useful.

Regards,

Simone (StrokeLine Project Officer)

Hi All,

Karen has posted about an app her local pharmacy offers to manage her medications. Here is her post: Pharmacy apps

Diana

Hi all,

There are a number of apps on the market now. Chemist Warehouse have recently released their own. Med Advisor and Medicine List are two others. It seems different pharmacies are using different apps to help their customers better manage their medication. You can read another conversation about medication management here.

We recommend speaking to your pharmacist and your GP to find out what is the best medication management plan for you and whether an app is suitable.

If you wish to discuss medication management please call us on StrokeLine on 1800 787 653.

Simone (StrokeLine)