Why popping too many pills can do more harm than good

Far too many people pop too many pills daily in an attempt to stay healthy.

Some of the pills are prescription medications intended to treat specific conditions. But others are self-prescribed, or cleverly marketed pills claiming to boost health.

Whatever the case, the more pills you swallow daily, the more likely you aren’t doing yourself much good. The opposite could actually be the case; you may be slowly poisoning yourself with unnecessary medication.

Taking too many pills is described as polypharmacy. The qualifying quantity varies, but using five or more meds daily is the accepted standard.

Polypharmacy is more common in the elderly and those with chronic conditions who have to contend with multiple prescription medications. All this is compounded by health freaks, who are always on the lookout for pills they could be taking to stay super healthy.  

Even though formally prescribed polypharmacy can be appropriate, it is increasingly recognised that it is more often inappropriate. Problems can occur with adverse drug reactions and unwanted interactions of multiple drugs being taken. Pill burden occurs as well, defined as the associated efforts required to deal with multiple medications.

You must remember which one to take when, where and how to store them. Compliance becomes an issue as the number of meds you must take increases. Pill burden is associated with increased risk of hospitalisation, medication errors and overall health costs.

Self-prescribed and so-called health supplements can also become a burden. For starters, most healthy people, leading a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced healthy diet, do not require all those recommended supplements.

There is ample research data that shows either no benefits at all or potentially some harm. The more supplements you feel compelled to take, the more you should question the rationale. Self-prescribed polypharma is at best a self-imposed pill burden. 

You should take all measures to avoid polypharma. If taking loads of prescription meds, ask your doctor if some can be missed out altogether, or if others can be substituted as single pill combinations.

Doctors are ever being reminded to practice the art of deprescribing, which means limiting the number of prescription medications to the barest minimum. That mandates a crystal-clear clinical focus on what’s being treated and the ultimate goal of the treatment.

For those addicted to health supplements, the call is yours. The health benefits of all those unnecessary pills are at best an illusion. Go ahead and bear the pill burden of popping as many pills as you can every day. You may feel good, but you aren’t doing yourself a lot of good either.

Dr Murage is a consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist.