3 minute read
Dr Sally Cockburn
Dr Sa y Cockburn, GP GIVES HER UNIQUE VIEW ON ALL MATTERS MEDICAL
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING MAY BE BAD FOR YOU Have you been reluctant or embarrassed to tell your GP that you are also taking treatments from other practitioners? Maybe you thought it wasn’t relevant to mention that you’re also taking multiple over-the-counter supplements and you haven’t been game to discuss these with your pharmacist?
Are you sure there are no interactions or risks with all the stuff you are taking?
Can you put hand on heart and say that you have really read the instructions on your prescription medications, or the labels on the nonprescription supplements, to be sure you’re following recommended dosage limits and not risking interactions?
Modern healthcare is all about teamwork with you at the centre. But if the system is to operate safely and produce the best outcomes for you, there needs to be open discussion and trust within the team. Keeping information from your treating practitioners can potentially lead to serious health problems for you. If you don’t disclose to your team what you are taking, they won’t be able to advise on interactions or multiplication of potentially toxic ingredients.
It is important a trusted health practitioner (I, not surprisingly, suggest your GP) has an overview of who is treating you, for what, and, in particular, what treatments you are taking.
You may not consider over-the-counter vitamins and supplements to be ‘medications’ because you reckon they’re just more of what you get in food. But more may not always be a good or safe thing.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates vitamins and supplements, too. Labelling must disclose ingredients and recommended daily dosage. Sometimes special health warnings are also required.
Dosage limits and warning labels are put in place to keep us safe. But the recommendations don’t take into account that you might be taking multiple forms of an ingredient that could be MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK ✽ Read labels on all your meds and supplements. ✽ Write a list of everything you take and ask questions of your team. ✽ Be open with your healthcare professionals.
toxic in high doses. Moreover, if you don’t read the label or discuss it with your pharmacist or doctor, you might not know what the risks may be.
A recent example of this occurred when the TGA revised labelling requirements for over-the-counter products containing certain forms of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) in response to reported sideeff ect concerns. The TGA has mandated that by next March, labelling refl ects a lower maximum recommended daily dose, especially in children, and a warning about possible symptoms of toxicity continue to be displayed. The TGA will continue to monitor this.
Vitamin B6 is important for your health. It is involved in a variety of bodily functions and essential in your diet.
It has long been known that defi ciency can cause serious nerve problems (sensory neuropathy) and if your diet is inadequate, supplements may be recommended. It has also been noted that taking too much B6 over long periods may result in symptoms that are weirdly similar to defi ciency. Now that’s confusing! Take note, but don’t be alarmed. B6 is safe when taken properly as directed. Indeed, it is also commonly used successfully in short-term treatment of nausea in pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome. But beware if self medicating.
Some people may say, ‘But B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, so surely you just pee out what you don’t need’.
According to recent studies, some B6 formulations may accumulate in the body, especially when taken in high doses for a long time. Moreover, some people are unknowingly taking several supplements that contain B6, unaware it is even an ingredient.
