What to Do If You Accidentally Take Your Medication Twice

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If you accidentally take your medication twice, it's important to stay calm and quickly get guidance from medical professionals. Certain medications like diabetes, blood thinners, and opioids can be dangerous with an extra dose, so it's crucial to act fast and not 'wait and see'. For other medications, you may just need to monitor for symptoms at home. The best way to prevent this is to use a pill organizer and set a daily alarm.

Why it matters

Accidentally taking extra medication can be a common occurrence, but it can also be very dangerous depending on the type of drug. Knowing the proper steps to take can help ensure a person's safety and prevent any serious health complications.

The details

If you realize you've taken your medication twice, the first step is to write down the name, strength, and amount of the medication, as well as the times you took it. Then, you should immediately call Poison Control, your pharmacist, or your doctor's office to get guidance. They can advise whether you need to be seen or if you can just monitor for symptoms at home. Certain medications like diabetes drugs, blood thinners, and opioids require extra caution, as an extra dose can be very dangerous. For other medications, common symptoms to watch for include dizziness, confusion, nausea, irregular heartbeat, and excessive drowsiness.

• You take your morning pills and get distracted.
• Half an hour later, you can't remember if you already took them.
• You take the medication again, just to be safe.

What’s next

If you experience any concerning symptoms after taking an extra dose of medication, seek immediate medical attention.