Women need other medicines than men

• 2013

1. Avoid misdosing
2. Male role model
3. Allergy preparations
4. Medicines for the heart
5. Pain pills
6. sedative

Avoid misdosing

Are men and women treated equally? Well, not always with the doctor . For the organisms of men and women often react very differently to medication . Because of their usually smaller body size and muscle mass, their higher body fat percentage and a differently functioning metabolism, women usually have to dose medicines differently.

Male role model

Doctors are mainly guided by male symptoms. In addition, many preparations are only tested on male subjects. The consequences of this can be seen in the "Pharmaceutical Report 2012" by Barmer GEK. "Women do not tolerate all medications as well as men, " it says and: "They are often overdosed" (Karen Nieber, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Leipzig). Some remedies even have different effects: for example, aspirin prevents men from having a heart attack - but not women. And women should also pay attention to these medicines :

Allergy preparations

Their effect is shorter in women, because their metabolism eliminates these preparations faster. And: The active ingredient terfenadine (used among other things in allergic skin diseases and hay fever) can cause heart arrhythmia in women more often than in men. It should therefore be dosed as low as possible or replaced with other medications .

Medicines for the heart

Hypertensive agents (ACE inhibitors) often have side effects such as irritating cough, tiredness, dizziness and headache . For women, the so-called AT1 antagonists are better than antihypertensives because they have fewer side effects. Beta blockers, in turn, are broken down more slowly by the female liver. Therefore, they are more intense and should be administered at a lower dose.

Pain pills

Substances like acetylsalicylic acid (eg ASA, aspirin) and opiates are more effective in women. They are enough for a lower dose. In contrast, ibuprofen and paracetamol inhibit pain in female patients less well. The anti-baby pill additionally reduces the effect, so that a higher dose may be necessary here.

sedative

The effects of psychotropic drugs are usually stronger and longer in women. After all, active ingredients such as diazepam (eg in Valium) can accumulate in adipose tissue - and women basically have more than men. The substances then restrict the ability to react more quickly and make you tired faster. For patients, half to three quarters of the men's dose is often enough.

But: Never dose your medicines at your own discretion. If you have doubts about the right medication, always talk to your doctor!