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You are convinced that OTC (over the counter) drugs are completely safe and can be taken in any amounts without consulting a doctor. Stop! It is not so at all. Even the most common drug, which can be bought at a pharmacy, if misused, can significantly affect the safety of the driver and thus other road users.
Very few patients read the leaflet of the drug boughtover the counter . Most, without thinking, immediately after taking the OTC drug, they get behind the wheel. The drug taken may affect both the motor coordination and the reflex reactionof the driver : the inflow of information, its processing by the brain, making decisions, performing activities. The effect of each individual substance on the body is an individual process, depending on age, sex, metabolism and the level of tolerance of a given component by the body.
Over-the-counter medications - herbal sedatives
In nervous and stressful situations, you reach for preparations containing extracts ofvalerian , lemon balm, passion flower and common hops. The active substances contained in them captured by the receptors of the nervous system. Let us take the example of valerian. Valerian iridoids inhibit the degradation of aminobutyric acid. As a result, its concentration increases - as a result, the neuronal transmission is delayed … The molecular basis of the activity of the remaining raw materials has not yet been thoroughly investigated. There is no doubt, however, that after taking herbal sedatives you should avoid driving - they cause a slower reaction, dullness and even drowsiness in the driver.
OTC drugs - cold and flu medications
In most of these drugs, the primary ingredient is pseudoephedrine. It works like adrenaline, causes psychomotor agitation, increases the heart rate, increases blood pressure, makes you unable to focus, your movements become fast, sudden and reckless. This makes it much more difficult to stay safe on the road.
Painkillers
Pseudoephedrine in many preparations is combined with painkillers (ibuprom, paracetamol), usually classified as completely safe. The reason is trivial. Only a few of us get acquainted withthe leaflet attached to the medicine, not to mention the fact that hardly anyone connects their operation with road safety. Side effects of ibuprom and acetaminophen include drowsiness, dizziness and general weakness.
Cough suppressants
Their main ingredient, codeine, is known as an effective antitussive agent. Did you know that this alkaloid is a derivative of morphine? It affects the cough center located in the central nervous system. Dizziness is common after ingestion, and increased doses cause excessive sedation and drowsiness. Codeine in combination with anti-ulcer preparations (also available without a prescription) enhances the depressive effect on the nervous system.
Drugs for diarrhea
The main ingredient in these drugs is loperamide, which acts in the gut wall on opioid receptors and increases the absorption of water and electrolytes by the intestinal cells. In a word: dehydrates. Its action is accompanied by a feeling of fatigue, headache and excessive sleepiness. These symptoms can last up to 24 hours, and loperamide is one of the long-acting substances.
Allergy medications
They cause drowsiness, dementia, fatigue, coordination disorders - these are sufficient arguments that disqualify them as drugs that are safe for drivers.