If you were prescribed a medication....

[akita]

I tend to do both and then take it anyway because my GP knows more about the medications he has put my on more than i do.

[Steel Maiden]

I think I'm biased due to studying Pharmacology.

I was in A&E and a doctor told me to take ibuprofen despite the fact that I have von Willebrand's disease. I ignored him and took paracetamol.

Another time when I was on the psych ward, I was prescribed two antipsychotics (I've been on two for a while but different combination) that interacted to cause quite severe hypotension. I told the doctor myself to change the combination, or at least the dose/timings.

Doctors are, more often than not, careful in their prescribing. Occasionally though they make mistakes (but we all do, we're not robots).

I like extensively researching my meds because the patient information leaflet is too basic. But the only time I would go back to the doctor and ask for a change is when I notice a serious interaction or side-effect that I cannot tolerate.

I am addicted to knowledge and information.

[talaiporia]

I think Ibuprofen is one of the ones the forget a lot. My sister was told to take Ibuprofen once (for flu) but she asthma, so can't.

On the other hand, they're human and make mistakes. Reading the information book is a pretty good way to make sure that it's all okay.

[shadow-light]

it depends really... my current GP just throws medications at me without even explaining what they are for, but my last GP was great and would tell me exactly how the medications worked and we would have discussions about their interactions and things. So with last GP I would take what they gave me, but with current GP I find myself researching any new medications obsessively before I'll take them. I try to research how they work though rather than the side-effects, I worry that knowing the side-effects might create some sort of false psychological based version of the side-effects, so it's best not to know them and then if you are finding that you're having dry-mouth or headaches or whatever then you can check the leaflet to see if it's listed.

I just like to know what things do and how I guess...

[Steel Maiden]

I dislike it when doctors just throw meds at people without explaining them.

My psych and I often spend up to 15 minutes discussing the pharmacology behind my meds, and we always get carried away with D2 partial agonism and serotonin/glutamate pathways etc that we end up going beyond our allocated appointment time lol.

I don't tend to over-read the side-effects.

But ever since I found out I will be having an operation, I have been researching obsessively about general anaesthetics, how they work, the names of all of them, and their interaction with psych meds. I will obviously be asking the doctors etc multiple pharmacology questions before my surgery lol.

[Zand]

I trust my doctor and take all my meds they prescribe and never stop without their say-so. But I do research the meds and ask if I have questions.

[MaybeNotForever]

I don't get prescribed much these days, but I do look anything I'm prescribed up in the BNF, mostly out of curiosity.

Also when there was talk of putting me back on antipsychotics, I did extensive research on effects on neurotransmitters for different atypicals, as I have a serotonin sensitivity, so I'd need to stay away from anything that affects serotonin levels.
However it came to nothing in the end as the episode I was having passed without meds.

[PaleMoon]

If it comes to psych meds, I will simply refuse to take them. I have taken several different classes (SSRIs, dopamine receptor antagonists, etc.) in the past, and they have had no real therapeutic effect and severe side effects.

Any other med I will read about and discuss with my doctor. But I sometimes urge the patients I care for to ask their pharmacist as well for direct questions about dose, interactions, and the like. After all, they didn't go to that much school for nothing, and they're more available than their doctor.

[~invisible~girl~]

It depends a lot on the doctor (or rather the prescriber -- a lot of times it's nurse practitioners rather than doctors who prescribe things for me). Some I trust, some I don't. Often I happen to know about the medication anyway, so it's a non-issue, but when it I don't, I'll usually take their word for it only if I'm reasonably confident they know what they're talking about. Or I do know about the medications involved, but don't agree with what the doctor wants to prescribe, in which case I bring it up on the spot, but don't generally end up doing any research (particularly as I usually end up getting my way, as there's generally a good reason why I wanted what I wanted, and I'm able to justify to the prescriber why I should have that one instead). I've definitely had times though where I legitimately did know more about the meds in question than the prescriber (even to the extent that I knew what the active ingredient was, and she didn't... after I called her out on it -- it was actually the same thing I was already taking, just a different preparation, mainly just so they could patent it again -- she had to actually look it up to verify that I was right), and then I definitely trust my judgement more than theirs.

I do tend to research meds I'm prescribed just out of curiosity though, but it's usually after I've already started taking them.

[ferretmonster]

i take what i'm given tbh but i do usually have a quick looksee on the net just out of curiosity

[Ninja Orange]

I kind of do both. I take the mediation regardless usually (I wouldn't have been prescribed it if it wasn't necessary), but I do usually look it up anyway, because I like to know what I'm taking. Not because I don't trust the doctor, but just to know.

[Pi.R^2]

I'm one of the irritating patients who [for a variety of different reasons] tends to know about stuff before I'm prescribed it, and my most recent antidepressant I went in and asked for it specifically because a few people had suggested that I try it, and I agreed that it was a good idea. [side effect of mirtazipine= increased appetite]

[effervescence]

I research and often go to my GP and ask for what I want. And because she knows me well, she usually just gives it to me :p

However, soon I will have to change GP which will be sad and I will have to treat everything they suggest with suspicion and make my own decisions.

[Petrichor]

Up until a little while back I probably would have just started taking them, but also read the information packet. But reccently, I was given two medications, where it was strongly stated that I shouldn't take one, whilst on the other. Sorry, that probably made no sense. Anyway, I'm now a lot more wary about taking medications.