wrong tablets: I have just taken my... - British Heart Fou...

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wrong tablets

Poorlizzie profile image
28 Replies

I have just taken my husbands tablets by mistake. I should have taken Entresto, Bisoprolol, and edixaban. Instead I have taken 5mg Amlodipine, 20mg atorvastatin and tamsulosin hydrochloride. Doctors closed holiday weekend as is Blood Failure clinic. What should I do?

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Poorlizzie profile image
Poorlizzie
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28 Replies

call a pharmacist they may be able to help / advise. 👍

Poorlizzie profile image
Poorlizzie in reply to

Thanks for your advice. Been monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure seem to be ok. Phoned 111 but after an hour gave up. Left a message with my pharmacist think she is probably on holiday too. Have taken the anticoagulant tablet and if the readings are still ok at 12.00 will take the Bisoprolol and half the Entresto dose. Leave the dapagliflozin. Then have a quiet day. What a muppet? Will buy a different coloured pill box tomorrow.

Stayloose profile image
Stayloose in reply to Poorlizzie

So easily done. Don't be too hard on yourself.🙃

in reply to Poorlizzie

Hope you have an uneventful but restful day. Yes a very brightly coloured box will help ❤️

Noodlesalad profile image
Noodlesalad in reply to Poorlizzie

111 never been any good for me. I rang them in February this year with what turned out to be after attending A+E 24 hours later a serious and rare eye problem . I'm still waiting for the return call from a doctor at 111.Need I say more.

Luckily I didn't lose the sight in my eye.

Lowerfield_no_more profile image
Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Noodlesalad

The 111 service is indeed rubbish as my experiences have proved. I avoid recommending that people use it wherever possible,

Tigger_2 profile image
Tigger_2 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more

Yes, it is bad.

They need to concentrate on what's going on and why you had reason to call them, not on what you had for breakfast or what colour your eyes are.

I called them when I woke up with a heart rate of over 200 BPM. I was shaking and found it hard enough to press the right phone buttons.

I could not believe the length and the repetition of the questioning.

In the end I told the call handler that I was terminating the call and did. A few minutes later, I was called by a more senior person who listened instead of talking and raised the call to category 2. Shortly afterwards, the ambulance arrived and I was blue lighted to A&E

Swim2fitness profile image
Swim2fitness in reply to Lowerfield_no_more

I have been very fortunate then when I called 111 about taking tablets ie double dosed by accident. They talked me through it all, then found a dr/practitioner to call me back and quiz me again to see if anything had changed.

Poorlizzie profile image
Poorlizzie in reply to Swim2fitness

I never got to talk to anyone. An automated voice stated I might have to wait 45 minutes as it was a public holiday and they were busy after I selected the correct number in their menu. I hour later I gave up and texted you lovely people instead.

RufusScamp profile image
RufusScamp

Can you get different shaped boxes? We have a round one and a long one. I am sure one dose won't be too bad. Can you contact your GP surgery?

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star

As some will raise their eyebrows about the effect of Tamuloosin (friend takes it for enlarged prostate - the most common reason for perscriptio) it is also prescribed for kidney stones in both sexes so there is no risk to hormonal balance!

Poorlizzie profile image
Poorlizzie in reply to MichaelJH

Did not even think about that was just worried about fluid build up . Thanks for the reassurance. If you do something silly make sure it is not a bank holiday weekend !

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply to Poorlizzie

Is this one of the local Scottish ones. Was caught out by this on the nineties as they are very local but can't remember if this was in Dumfries or Aberdeen?

Thanksnhs profile image
Thanksnhs in reply to MichaelJH

Hi it was the Glasgow September weekend everything was closed, doctor's, school's pharmacy, a lot on Friday as well as Monday. Char

PaddyRedVan profile image
PaddyRedVan

The tamsulosin is to try and reduce the size of your prostate, which you dobt have. It takes montgs to have any effect. The statin shouldnt be an issue. The amlodipine shouldnt be either. Dont be worried but check with the pharmacist.

Poorlizzie profile image
Poorlizzie in reply to PaddyRedVan

Thanks for your comments. I was a bit worried about my BP as it is very low. It did plummet but eventually went back up.

Lowerfield_no_more profile image
Lowerfield_no_more in reply to PaddyRedVan

Tamsulosin is prescribed for BPH to help relax the pelvic area muscles surrounding the bladder and prostate which then allows you to pee better. It does not shrink the prostate.

Bigscar profile image
Bigscar

My wife and I both have a large amount of daily tablets to take but we have them in two separate cupboards well away from each other. No chance we could take each others.How close were yours?

JennyRx profile image
JennyRx

there shouldn’t be any issues with a one off dose of these meds. (I’m a pharmacist)

Carercmb profile image
Carercmb

These mistakes happen and it makes you rethink regarding both your medications. We keep ours in separate places and as suggested different containers. One dose of what you took shouldn’t effect you except maybe in a rare case your BP .

You did all the right things but if you were worried at any time and you can’t reach 111 the GP surgery are encouraging you to go to A&E which they did me yesterday and I felt a fraud but A&E gave sound advice and were pleased I could go home 😀

Alison_L profile image
Alison_L

I’m pleased to hear you had no I’ll effects other than a drop in BP. ‘Im indoors and I keep our meds in completely different places xx

Sim22 profile image
Sim22

Hi poorlizzie,As a one off you should be fine , you've taken flowmax which you husband takes to help with urinary issues.

Your BP may drop a little, why not pop into a pharmacy and ask though by now things should be back to normal.

Just relax

Simon

Bramley01 profile image
Bramley01

Always contact my pharmacist for queries regarding meds

Poorlizzie profile image
Poorlizzie

Thank you for taking time and giving me valuable suggestions. I am feeling absolutely fine this morning. I will not leave my pills on the coffee table again. Trouble with putting them in cupboards is if they are not in plain sight I forget to take them!Do not worry I got a fright will not happen again.

cimarosa profile image
cimarosa

Sympathy; it's easily done! Hope you are okay. Apart from different coloured pill boxes, why not keep your partner's and your tablets in completely different locations? God bless.

Mentdent profile image
Mentdent

Just make sure you take your own tablets. One dose of any of your husband’s tablets won’t do you any harm at all.

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop

OMG Hope you are ok. I'd have panicked. There should always be a late night or emergency chemist open in your area. Otherwise does your hospital have an Urgent care centre? Like one step down from A&E? 111 is utterly useless. I tried calling them with a bad bout of arrhythmia and gave up before they ever answered but they had traced me call and an actual doctor rang me back. I was amazed. By then though I'd called an ambulance although that took 5 hours.

RailRover profile image
RailRover

Pleased to hear that there were no adverse effects. Your experience with multiple pills reminded me of a conversation between myself and my missus over the weekend. When we were first together, 45 years ago, the only pills we took on holiday with us were her contraceptive pills. Nowadays we need to pack an additional bag when going away for all the damned medication. I sometimes think we have pills chasing the effects of other pills.

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