[2021-02-16] Medication
Yesterday, I discovered that I had misread the instructions on my new medication to treat ovarian cancer and was taking only half the prescribed dose.
In fairness to me, the instructions weren't especially clear: "Take 2 tablets (300mg) by mouth twice a day."
What stood out for me on the bottle was the reference to 300 mg. Knowing that each tablet was 150 mg and that I had to take the medication 2 times per day, I initially interpreted the directions as follows: Take 2 tablets—1 in the morning and 1 in the evening—for a total of 300 mg per day. It was an easy mistake to make.
It would have been clearer had it said Take 2 tablets in the morning and 2 tablets in the evening for a total of 600 mg. Buried in a 28"x14" instruction sheet (I kid you not) that was folded and glued to the side of the medication bottle was the information that the recommended adult daily dose is 600 mg, though it also said that reduced total daily doses could be 500 mg, 400 mg, 300 mg and 200 mg.
When I verified the instructions with the pharmacy, the person I spoke to confirmed my prescription (4 150-mg tablets per day) and agreed that the instructions could have been much clearer.
So 3½ days into the new medication, I'm finally on the proper dose.
As part of my ongoing service to the public, I share this story to illustrate just how easy it is to misread a medication label. My takeaway is that if you're not sure, ask.
I'm not too worried about the delay in getting to the proper dose, as I had a window of between 4 and 8 weeks after my last chemotherapy treatment to start the drug, which I began just before hitting 4 weeks.
What I do worry about are the side effects. They felt manageable while on the half dose, but I do wonder how I will feel as the effects of my taking the full dose kick in.
I did experience a little more nausea and fatigue today than I did in the past few days, so I made it a pyjama day.
I mentioned to my mom that it sucks to think that I might be nauseated for a month, but then I remembered that I was sick for several months when pregnant with my son. In both cases, it's a small price to pay for life.
