The short answer is not on your own, and not suddenly. For a medicine bought over the counter, stopping is usually straightforward. For a prescribed medicine, stopping can be more dangerous than the side effect you are trying to escape, and for some medicines that is true even after a short course.
The exception is an emergency. If you have signs of a severe reaction, get emergency help immediately and let the clinical team decide about the medicine.
Common side effects and what they may feel like
Common examples linked to should I stop taking medicine if I have side effects
The effects that most often prompt people to stop are nausea, drowsiness, headache, dizziness, digestive upset, sexual side effects, weight change and disturbed sleep. Many of these ease over the first weeks. Some can be reduced by a change in timing, taking a dose with food, or a different dose, all of which need a professional to arrange but none of which require you to stop first.
There is usually an option between carrying on as you are and stopping altogether. That middle ground is the reason to ask rather than decide alone.
How to describe frequency without overclaiming
Be specific about how much the effect is actually costing you. Saying a medicine makes you too drowsy to drive safely, or that nausea means you skip doses twice a week, gives a prescriber something concrete. Saying you do not feel right does not.
Serious side effects and red flags
Red-flag symptoms
Get emergency help immediately, rather than deciding anything about the medicine yourself:
- Difficulty breathing, wheeze, or a tightening throat
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
- Chest pain, fainting or collapse
- Seizure, or sudden confusion or unresponsiveness
- A rash that blisters or peels, or sores in the mouth or eyes with fever
- Vomiting blood, or black tarry stools
- Thoughts of harming yourself
When to contact a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency service
Contact a prescriber the same day if you have already stopped a prescribed medicine and feel unwell, or if you stopped one from the list below. Withdrawal effects can appear within a day or two and are treatable, but they need to be recognised as withdrawal rather than mistaken for something else.
Risk factors, interactions and who should be cautious
People who may need extra caution
Some medicine groups should not be stopped abruptly without advice, because stopping itself causes harm. These include, among others:
- Epilepsy medicines. Stopping can trigger seizures. See epilepsy medication side effects.
- Heart and blood pressure medicines. Some cause a rebound rise in blood pressure or heart rate. See beta blockers.
- Corticosteroids such as prednisone. After more than a short course the body needs a gradual reduction. See prednisone side effects.
- Antidepressants. Stopping suddenly can cause discontinuation symptoms. See stopping antidepressants.
- Benzodiazepines and sleeping tablets. Withdrawal can be severe after regular use. See benzodiazepine withdrawal.
- Antibiotics. A different case: the risk of stopping early is an inadequately treated infection. Complete the course unless told otherwise.
This list is not exhaustive. Treat any prescribed medicine as one to ask about rather than assume is safe to stop. See stopping chronic medication and stopping mental health medication.
Medicine and supplement interactions to check
The combinations most often missed are the ones people do not think of as medicines: supplements, herbal products, and anything bought over the counter. Tell a pharmacist about all of them, not only what was prescribed.
- Supplements and prescription medicines, including St John’s Wort, which affects how many medicines are broken down
- Supplements with blood thinners, where bleeding risk adds up
- Over-the-counter medicines alongside chronic medication
- Two products that both contain paracetamol, a common accidental overdose
- Alcohol with chronic medication
What to do if you think this is a side effect
Common effects
Keep taking it, write down the pattern, and get an appointment or speak to a pharmacist. Ask three questions: is this expected, is there a way to reduce it, and what are the alternatives if it does not settle.
Serious effects
Get help at the level the symptom calls for. In an emergency the decision about the medicine is made by whoever treats you, which is the safest place for it to be made.
When to speak to a doctor or pharmacist
Red-flag symptoms
Any of the emergency symptoms above, or new withdrawal symptoms after stopping something on your own.
When to contact a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency service
If you cannot get an appointment quickly and the effect is intolerable, a pharmacist can advise whether it is safe to wait. That is a better step than stopping while you wait.
Related side-effect guides
Common effects
- Medication side effects hub
- Serious medication side effects
- What to do if a medicine causes side effects
- Side effect symptoms index
- Report a side effect in South Africa
Serious effects
See when to see a doctor for the urgency thresholds.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical diagnosis, prescription, or professional advice. Always read the patient information leaflet and consult a qualified doctor or pharmacist regarding any medicine or health concern.