Take your medication exactly as prescribed

Make sure you’re fully informed about your medication, says Dr Lee.

‘Start by reading the patient information leaflet in the box.

‘Don’t be too alarmed when you read the list of side effects. All medicines can have side effects. And though drug companies are required to list any adverse events from clinical trials, these are often rare, and may or may not have been due to the drug. Sometimes a side effect may just be coincidental and nothing to do with the medication.

‘The only way to know how you’ll react is to take the medication and see how it affects you. Even then, side effects are common when you first start any medicine, but may well settle as your body adjusts.

‘If you’re concerned about side effects, you should report them to your doctor, and also use the Yellow Card Scheme, which helps drug companies to keep up to date with medical reactions.’