6 Things To Ask Yourself If You Take A Medication Every Day

When I deciphered the study, I explained to her that taking this medication once in a while was likely fine—but taking it daily was another matter.

No matter what you're taking, when it's synthesized, it's not something your body recognizes as its own. And the longer your body is exposed to a foreign substance that has some toxic properties, the more stress it puts on your systems, which is why it's ideal to use medications for short periods and in low doses.

It's also possible that you're taking medications that you don't really need. Remember that (when it comes to inflammation, for example) you have the choice to adopt an anti-inflammatory lifestyle (through meditation, healthy eating, better sleep, improved mindset or mood, and so forth). You also have the choice to try some more natural remedies for inflammation like turmeric that do not have a big side-effect profile like NSAIDS or other pharmaceutical drugs.

Although it doesn't always feel like it, you have more power than you realize in controlling your town health destiny. So take a look at your medications—always talking to your doctor before making any changes—and ask yourself these six questions:

Examples may be headaches, fatigue, dizziness, stomach problems (including heart burn or constipation), dry eyes, itchy skin, sleepiness, insomnia, numbness, achy muscles, palpitations, or shortness of breath. You may be suffering from one of these side effects without realizing one of your mediations is to blame!

Lifestyle changes almost always involve changing your diet and moving your body. They can also include building a meditation practice, doing some stress management, improving your mindset and mood, improving your sleep, and spending time in nature. Oftentimes I find that lifestyle changes make enough of a difference that I can assist my patients in weening off their medications.

You may want to look at whether or not you still need a particular medication and try to better understand what it's actually doing for you. The more knowledge you have about what you're putting in your body, the better, so consider having a discussion with your doctor about it.

Many medications can deplete your body of the resources you need. It's a good idea to have your vitamin and mineral levels checked, including vitamins D, B12, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, and calcium. You can take supplements along with your diet when necessary if you are low or even low normal (confer with your doctor to make sure there are no interactions), and definitely consider taking a probiotic or adding foods to your diet that will improve the healthy bacteria in your gut.

Ask yourself: If made some changes would I still need to take this medicine so frequently? An example of such a medication would be a painkiller or sleep aid. These types of medications can often be replaced with more natural remedies or lifestyle changes.

Once again, these usually include drugs that you don't need to take for lifesaving reasons, but you take them to give you more comfort from pain or unease. Examples include sleep aids, anti-inflammatories or painkillers, anxiety medication, or heartburn pills. If this is the care, you'll want to look at other, more holistic options to treat yourself so that you can overcome your ailments and not be dependent on anything to feel well.