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Many of us take medications every day. For those with chronic conditions in particular, popping meds is just part of the daily routine. But what would happen if we suddenly stopped taking our medications? Stopping abruptly can have devastating consequences, not only in terms of withdrawal symptoms. We're talking potentially life-threatening scenarios.
In this gallery, we list the medications you should never stop taking abruptly, exactly why, and what can happen if you decide to go cold turkey.
People who suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure, might take regular medication to keep blood pressure stable. These may include diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, alpha blockers, and Alpha-2 receptor agonists.
These drugs are prescribed for a number of functions, such as controlling how fast your heart pumps blood and how much salt and water your body gets rid of, and, of course, lowering the pressure in your blood vessels.
Abruptly stopping these medications can seriously put your health at risk. Doing this can potentially lead to a higher risk of stroke and arterial damage, as well as kidney failure, renal problems, or even damage to the optic nerve.
People who take thyroid medication, particularly those with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) are at risk of triggering a “thyroid storm” if they stop the medication abruptly. Symptoms of this life-threatening condition include rapid heartbeat, fever, fainting, and even coma.
People who are diagnosed with depression may be prescribed medication that influences chemicals in the brain. Some people, however, feel tempted to drop the medication when they start to feel better. This is not a good idea.
Stopping these drugs suddenly can result in withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and stomach cramps. "Brain zaps" (electric shock sensation in the brain) are also often reported.
And, of course, there is the risk of all the mental health problems that led you to take antidepressants in the first place return. These may include mood swings, panic attacks, and depression.
Anticoagulants, better known as blood thinners, are taken to thin the blood and prevent clots. These are usually prescribed as a preventative measure for people who are at a higher risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
If you stop taking this medication, the risk of blood clots increases, and consequently the risk of stroke and/or heart attack.
Patients may also suffer from symptoms of withdrawal, including emotional disturbances, dizziness, fatigue, and even nerve damage. The flow of oxygen to the brain may also be compromised, which can lead to a number of health problems. For these reasons, blood thinners should be tapered off and not stopped abruptly.
Benzodiazepines are used in a number of circumstances, including seizures and anxiety disorders. These are popular, yet highly addictive, prescription drugs.
Going cold turkey with these can really mess up your body and mind. Withdrawal symptoms may include sleep disturbances, headaches, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, hand tremors, sweating, nausea, palpitations, muscular pain, and stiffness.
Withdrawal symptoms can also include seizures, hallucinations, and psychosis. Not only are these symptoms extremely serious, they can also last for a very long time.
Like benzodiazepines, gabapentin is also used to manage a number of conditions and symptoms, including epileptic seizures, nerve pain, restless leg syndrome, and neuralgia.
Withdrawal symptoms have been reported even when the drug is tapered under medical supervision. These may include headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and fever.
Things can get really ugly if you go cold turkey though, as in addition to the withdrawal symptoms previously mentioned, patients may also experience confusion, seizures, and irregular heart rate. In some cases, these symptoms can last for a week.
These are taken to reduce the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). Stopping these suddenly will lead to an increase of intraocular pressure, which can result in damage of the optic nerve and may even lead to blindness.
Corticosteroids, also known as steroids, are anti-inflammatory drugs. They’re synthetic versions of hormones our bodies naturally produce and are prescribed for a number of conditions, including asthma, allergies, and autoimmune diseases that cause pain and inflammation of joints, muscles, and tendons, etc.
Corticosteroids are synthetic versions of the hormone cortisol, which is naturally produced by our adrenal glands. When you take these medications, the body reduces its natural production of cortisol. If you stop suddenly, the body doesn’t have time to produce enough cortisol to level things up.
When this happens, you can experience a number of unpleasant symptoms, including mood swings, fatigue, joint pain, low blood pressure, and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Opioids are strong painkillers that are very addictive. These are usually prescribed to deal with chronic painful conditions.
Going cold turkey on such drugs is a painful and dangerous thing to do. People who do so experience severe withdrawal symptoms, including muscle pain, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea.
In addition to the physical withdrawal symptoms, stopping opioids abruptly will also affect your mental health. Mood swings, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, and depression are commonly reported.
Muscle relaxants block pain signals to the brain, allowing patients to manage their conditions and have a better quality of life. Like other drugs on this list, some people are tempted to drop the medication once they start feeling better. This is a big mistake.
Ceasing these abruptly can really mess up a number of mechanisms in the brain, leading to symptoms such as tremors, hallucinations, seizures, and psychosis.
Proton pump inhibitors are usually prescribed to people who suffer from gastric disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). They work by reducing the production of stomach acid.
If you suddenly stop taking these, then the reverse occurs—the stomach will overproduce acid. This is called rebound hyperacidity, or acid rebound. This can be very painful, causing a burning sensation in the throat and chest, as well as nausea and cough.
Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. While there usually aren’t any withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking these, not finishing a course of antibiotics may allow some bacteria to survive and the infection may get worse again.
See also: Can you reverse type 2 diabetes?
Why you shouldn't stop taking medication abruptly
From withdrawal symptoms to life-threatening consequences
HEALTH Medicines
Many of us take medications every day. For those with chronic conditions in particular, popping meds is just part of the daily routine. But what would happen if we suddenly stopped taking our medications? Stopping abruptly can have devastating consequences, not only in terms of withdrawal symptoms. We're talking potentially life-threatening scenarios.
In this gallery, we list the medications you should never stop taking abruptly, exactly why, and what can happen if you decide to go cold turkey.