It is known that any drug, be it prescribed or not can have potential side effects. Doctors often mix different medications to get the best therapeutic effects of their combination.
In many cases medications can have adding effects on each other or increasing each others effects. This is the synergistic effect that many doctors are looking for when they prescribe a combination of medications. However, the side effects of medications can combine as well. Some medications may have side effects that adds to other side effects from other medications, or they may increase each other’s side effects.
One of the major side effects of many medications is the suppressing effects on respiration. Pain medications and sleep medication are often taken together and their accidental or intentional increased doses can become a deadly combination.
Marijuana is being widely used for medicinal purposes in patients with pain who have failed to improve by other medications. Most of these patients are on a combination of other medications as well. Marijuana can have cognitive side effects such as slowing down the reaction times or creating hallucinations or paranoid ideas. A patient who could perfectly drive or safely work at their work place, by mixing their current medications with Marijuana my become impaired driver or unsafe at work. It is very critical to try the effects and side effects first for a while to be clear about their risks before engaging in activities like work or driving.