What to do if…
you start a new medicine and feel faint, unusually restless, or severely sweaty

What to do now

1. Get into a safer position immediately.

   • If you feel faint, lie flat and raise your legs on a cushion or chair if you can.
   • If breathing feels difficult, sit upright instead.
   • Loosen tight clothing, keep the room cool, and ask someone to stay nearby.

2. Check for emergency signs. Call 999 now if you have any of these:

   • trouble breathing, wheezing, tight throat, or trouble swallowing
   • swelling of your lips, mouth, tongue, throat, face, hands, or feet
   • a widespread raised itchy rash, especially with faintness or breathing symptoms
   • collapse, fainting and not quickly recovering, severe confusion, drowsiness, or blue, grey, or very pale lips or skin
   • severe chest pain, a pounding or irregular heartbeat with faintness, a seizure, or new one-sided weakness

3. If you have an adrenaline auto-injector and you think this could be anaphylaxis, use it and call 999. Say “anaphylaxis” when you call. Lie down with your legs raised unless breathing is difficult. If symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, and you have a second auto-injector, use it as instructed on the device.

4. If you are stable but still faint, unusually restless, severely sweaty, shaky, confused, or getting worse, get urgent advice now.

   • In England, use 111 online if you are aged 5 or over, or call 111 if it is for a child under 5 or you cannot use the online service.
   • In Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, use your local urgent-care route or call 111 where that service is available.
   • Tell them the medicine name, strength, dose, when you took it, whether it was your first dose or a dose increase, and what symptoms started.

5. Mention possible interaction clues clearly. Tell 111, the pharmacist, or the clinician about all prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, herbal products, supplements, and recreational drugs you have taken. If the new medicine is an antidepressant, migraine medicine, opioid painkiller, or was taken with St John’s wort or another antidepressant, say so clearly because restlessness, sweating, shaking, diarrhoea, confusion, or muscle twitching can need urgent assessment.

6. Contact the prescriber, GP surgery, the service that supplied the medicine, or a pharmacist the same day. Ask: “Should I take my next dose?” and “Could this be a serious side effect, allergy, or interaction with my other medicines?” Keep the medicine packaging and patient leaflet with you.

7. If you have diabetes or are prone to low blood sugar, check your glucose if you can do so safely. Treat low glucose as you have been advised, and still seek urgent advice if symptoms continue, feel unusual, or you are unsure.

8. Write down a quick symptom timeline. Note the time you took the medicine, the dose, when symptoms started, and whether they are improving, returning, or getting worse. This can help 111, pharmacists, and clinicians decide faster.