Follow these basic guidelines when taking medication:

• Add or change one medicine at a time
  
  
• Start with lower doses and increase slowly
  
  
• Start taking a new medication when you don't have to do anything potentially dangerous such as driving a car
  
  
• Assume any new symptom is from a recently started medication, stop the medication and call your prescribing doctor
  
  
• Know the more common side effects of the medications (for example, sedation, fatigue, constipation, nausea, rash, swelling, anxiety, insomnia) 
  
  
• Keep a medication list with you.  Know the names and what they are for
  
  
• Create a pain regimen with choices from the following categories:  acetaminophen, nsaid, la opioid, breakthrough opioid, antidepressant, antineuropathic, muscle relaxant, antifatigue and anti-constipation
  
  
•  Buy a pill box and fill it at the beginning of the day with just your daily pill needs
  
  
• Keep all of your medications in a safe place with any future prescriptions