Why I Now Double-Check Every Medication Dose Myself
I want to talk about something that isn’t glamorous or emotional in the way a lot of my writing is, but it might genuinely protect you: check your medication dosages. Not just trust that they’re right — actually check them, against the manufacturer’s own information, every time.
I’m not a doctor. I’m not telling you to second-guess your treatment plan or stop taking anything. I’m telling you what happened to me, because it scared me, and because it was preventable.
A Stomachache That Wouldn’t Quit
I was given a dosage of a medication that was outside the safe range. I didn’t know that at the time — I just knew my stomach hurt, badly, and it kept hurting in a way that didn’t make sense. The medication has a half-life, so the amount in my system kept building and cycling through, and I couldn’t figure out why I felt as sick as I did. It got bad enough that it landed me in the hospital.
The Doctors Who Didn’t Catch It
Here’s the part that still gets me: I had doctors sitting right next to me, and none of them caught it. It wasn’t until my husband — who has an engineering background, not a medical one — looked at the numbers that the problem became clear. He’s not the one with letters after his name for this. He just checked the math against what the dosage was supposed to be, and it didn’t add up.
Why I Verify Every Dose Now
Since then, I don’t just take a prescribed dose on faith. I ask my doctor to show me the data sheet that comes directly from the medication’s own manufacturer — the actual safe range, in writing, not just a verbal reassurance. I want to see the proof, not just hear “you’re fine.”
Doctors are human. They’re managing a lot of patients and a lot of medications, and mistakes happen even with good intentions. That doesn’t mean you should be afraid of your treatment — it means you’re allowed to be an active participant in it. Ask questions. Ask for the paperwork. Bring someone with you who will look at the numbers with a clear head, because when you’re not feeling well, that’s hard to do for yourself.
If you’re navigating medication for bipolar disorder and you’re not sure where to start with questions like these, NAMI (https://www.nami.org) has resources, and I’ve also put together some thoughts on getting help at /bipolar-help/. But mostly what I want you to take from this is simple: it’s okay to ask for proof. It might be the thing that keeps you out of the hospital.