Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 32) feeling great DRUG INTERACTIONS Drug interactions: What you can do to be safe DID YOU KNOW? Some chemicals found in grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with different types of medications and lead to serious health problems. Be careful — some drugs should not be taken together. When you take multiple medications, you need to be careful. Sometimes drugs can be harmful when they interact with each other or with food, caffeine or alcohol. By Angelike M. Gaunt harmful to people who have certain medical conditions. It’s also important to tell your doctor if you know that you’re allergic to certain chemicals that may be present in drugs. You can take some steps to get the most out of your medications and reduce the risk of drug interactions. Here’s what you can do to be safe: ● Listen carefully to your doctor’s instructions. Do exactly what he M edicines help us fight disease and treat many medical problems. But if you take different types of medication, you need to be cautious. When some drugs interact, they may become dangerous or ineffective, or cause potential problems to your health. Drug interactions with food, alcohol, caffeine or certain medical conditions may also be harmful. The effects of each drug may increase or decrease when medications are combined. Sometimes, drug-to-drug interactions may cause serious side effects, which may vary from mild to fatal. Prescription drugs may interact with each other and with nonprescription drugs. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may also interact with each other. Some types of food may slow drug absorption, increase or reduce a drug’s effectiveness, or cause unexpected side effects. However, some medicines may be easier to tolerate if taken with food. Check the medication label to see if you can take your medicine with food or if it should be taken on an empty stomach. Alcohol and caffeine may also affect how drugs work. For example, mixing alcohol with beta blockers, a type of medicine used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems, may lower your blood pressure excessively. Alcohol may also increase drowsiness if consumed with certain medications, making it dangerous to drive or operate machinery. Combining large amounts of caffeine with bronchodilators — used to treat asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema — may not be safe because this type of medicine and caffeine both stimulate the central nervous system. or she says. ● Be sure to tell your doctor about all the different medications you take, including over-the-counter drugs. Tell your doctor how often you take your medication and what dose you are taking. ● Also tell your doctor about different dietary or herbal supple- ments you take. Supplements may interfere with certain medication components, reducing the drug’s effectiveness or causing side effects. ● Every time your doctor prescribes a new drug, ask about possible interactions with any foods or beverages. ● Ask your pharmacist for the package insert of your prescrip- tion medications. Inserts include useful information about drug interactions. ● Read over-the-counter medication labels thoroughly. Labels contain essential information about directions, doses, warnings and drug interactions. Angelike M. Gaunt is an associate editor with the American Academy of Family Physicians, headquartered in Leawood, Kan. What you need to tell your doctor When you go to your doctor, take a list of all your medications with you. Include any OTC medicines, supplements, herbal products or vitamins you take on this list. Also, if you have an existing medical condition, be sure to let your doctor know. Some drugs may be 32 familydoctor 2007 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION American Academy of Family Physicians http://familydoctor.org/121.xml U.S. Food and Drug Administration National Consumers League http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fdinter.html MayoClinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DrugHerbindex http://familydoctor.org/121.xml http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fdinter.html http://www.MayoClinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DrugHerbindex
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