A physician, Dr Mayowa Kolade, has warned that indiscriminate taking of blood tonic can cause iron poisoning.
He also dismissed the myth that using antibiotics medication dries up blood when used, as such blood tonic should be used with it.
Kolade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ilorin that contrary to the belief, the abuse of antibiotics caused antibiotics resistance, which made it ineffective.
He said it was unnecessary for patients to self medicate themselves to use blood tonic alongside antibiotics.
The doctor said it was more worrisome that the practice was extended to children as too much of blood tonic could cause Iron poisoning in children.
”People should stop taking blood tonics with antibiotics especially for children, if not prescribed by a doctor.
”This is because antibiotics does not dry up blood as widely believed and if children are given unnecessary blood tonic, it exposes them to iron poisoning.
”Iron overdose has been the leading cause of poisoning deaths in children less than six years, so we need to be very careful,” Kolade warned.
”Antibiotics resistance causes more harm than you can think of like longer stay in the hospital, increased medical costs or even increase mortality.”
He urged Nigerians to also desist from the abuse of antibiotics as it causes antibiotics resistance which eventually makes same ineffective when used.
”It is high time we stopped the use of antibiotics without doctors prescription like some over the counter drugs.
”This is because if care is not taken, common infections or minor injuries may start killing people,” Kolade said.
