Showing posts with label dangerous herbal remedies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dangerous herbal remedies. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Dangerous Food and Drug Combinations - Be Careful!


When we are prescribed medications, it is rare for doctors to tell us which foods to avoid while we are taking those drugs, and most of us do not take the time to look up that information on our own. While these facts may be found in the information sheet that the pharmacy provides with your medication, how many people read through all those pages of fine print?  Unfortunately, what we don't know can hurt us.  In fact, some combinations can be extremely dangerous.  Even if the combination doesn't kill you, it could render your medication less effective, make it too strong, or cause you to have unnecessary discomfort and side effects while taking it.  

As a result, I was particularly interested in an article I found on WebMD called "Don't Mix Your Meds with These Foods."  If you want even more specific information about the foods to avoid with certain medications, you may want to get this book and keep it on your shelf as a resource:  "Don't Eat This If Your're Taking That."  (Ad) If you take prescription medications and are worried about potential food and drug interactions, this book contains some important information which could save your life.

Below are some basic combinations everyone should know before taking medications.  In addition, if you are starting a new drug for the first time, ask both your doctor and your pharmacist if there is anything you need to know while taking it.  You should not only ask about food interactions, but also if there could be interactions with other medications you are taking.  Also ask if the drug could make you dizzy or drowsy, and whether you should avoid driving a car or using equipment while taking it.  If it does make you drowsy, ask if you could take the medication before going to bed, instead of in the morning.

Common Foods to Avoid While Taking Certain Medications

Grapefruit - Eating grapefruit or drinking its juice can affect over 50 drugs, according to WebMD!  It can make your statin (such as Lipitor) too strong, and it can cause your allergy medication (such as Allegra) to be less effective. 

Milk - The calcium, magnesium and casein in milk can cause antibiotics to be less effective.  Whenever you are taking an antibiotic, you should use an alternative beverage, such as one made from oats, soy, or almonds, on your breakfast cereal, until you have finished the course of antibiotics.

Licorice - Many people do not realize that this popular black candy, which is also sometimes used as a herbal remedy for indigestion, contains a chemical called glycyrrhizin which can weaken the effect of some drugs.  One of those drugs is cyclosporine, which is an antirejection drug for people who have had transplants. Eating licorice could cause you to reject your transplant, thus endangering your life!

Chocolate - This delicious treat is often recommended to people as a "healthy dessert."  However, it is not right for everyone.  The stimulant in it can counteract sleeping medications such as Ambien. It can also boost the power of stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin, which are given to people with ADHD, resulting in a dose which is much too strong.  In addition, if you take an MAO inhibitor to treat depression, chocolate can cause your blood pressure to become dangerously high.  

Iron Supplements - If you take an iron supplement, or a multi-vitamin which contains iron, and you also take Synthroid, a thyroid hormone, at the same time, you need to discuss this interaction with your doctor.  Iron supplements can cause your Synthroid to be less effective.  If you must take both, take them at different times.  Since it is usually recommended that you take your Synthroid immediately upon rising in the morning, it is best to take the iron supplement, or the multi-vitamin, later in the day.

Alcohol - Be extremely careful if you drink while on certain meds.  Alcoholic beverages, including a glass of wine or a beer, can cause some blood pressure, heart and other medications to be less effective. On the other hand, alcohol can cause other medications to be too powerful. Drinking and taking prescription medications can be a lethal combination.

Coffee - While the vast majority of the U.S. population drinks coffee daily, and it may have some health benefits, there are also dangers when combined with certain drugs.  For example, it can weaken antipsychotic drugs such as lithium and clozapine.  On the other hand, it can boost other drugs and cause more side effects.  These drugs include aspirin, epinephrine (for serious allergic reactions) and albuterol (found in inhalers for people with breathing problems).  Coffee can also make it harder for your body to take in and use iron.   

Antihistamines - If you have allergies or catch a cold and take an antihistamine temporarily, talk to your doctor before using the antihistamine in combination with a blood pressure medication.  Antihistamines can reduce the effectiveness of your blood pressure meds, and raise your heart rate.

Anti-Epileptic Drugs - If you have occasional epileptic seizures, you may be taking an AED. However, they can make your birth control pills less effective, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. They may also make some other drugs stronger, resulting in serious side effects.  

Vitamin K - Vitamin K is found in a many dark green, healthy foods, including broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, parsley and spinach.  However, if you are also taking the drug warfarin to prevent blood clots, having too much Vitamin K can make a blood thinner like warfarin less effective, resulting in a deadly blood clot. If you eat these foods, you need to eat approximately the same amount each day, so the warfarin levels in your blood do not fluctuate. 

Ginseng - This popular tea can be dangerous when combined with warfarin, heparin, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and similar medications.  In the wrong combinations, it can lower the effect of warfarin, or it can cause internal bleeding when combined with the other medications on the list, even common over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, Advil, or Aleve.  If you take MOA inhibitors, ginseng can also cause you to get headaches or have sleep problems, hyperactivity and feel nervous.  

St. John's Wort - This is an herbal medication which some people believe may help with depression, although it has not been proven. What it can do, however, is cause your liver to release enzymes which can weaken medications like lovastatin, Viagra, and digoxin, which is used to treat some heart conditions.  

Ginkgo Biloba - This is another unproven herbal treatment for high blood pressure, dementia, tinnitus, and other problems. While it may not help those conditions, it has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of drugs which control seizures, such as Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Depakene, Depakote and Stavzor.  

Follow the Instructions of Your Doctor and Pharmacist

Whatever medications you are on, talk to your doctor and pharmacist about how to take them, when to take them, and what other medications, vitamins, herbal treatments, and foods to avoid.  Some combinations can be dangerous.  Be sure to take your medications as prescribed, and try not to skip doses.  Medications work best when patients follow instructions carefully. 

If you have any questions, be sure to read "Don't Eat This If You Are Taking That."  It covers many more potentially dangerous combinations than could be listed in this article.  If you take many medications, this book is an important resource to keep at home. It could save your life. (Ad)

Finally, it is also important that you are honest with your doctor and pharmacist about anything else you may be taking, including the use of medical marijuana or herbal remedies.  While many are harmless, they may become more dangerous when combined with certain medications.

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Take care of yourself, stay healthy, and enjoy the remaining years you have left.  You can find gifts for retirees and others at my Etsy Store, DeborahDianGifts.  Check it out here:   
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Dangerous Medications, Vitamins and Herbal Remedies

Virtually everyone in the United States uses either prescription medications, vitamins, or herbal remedies.  In the right doses and combinations, most of them are safe.  However, your prescriptions and supplements can turn against you.  In extreme circumstances, they can cause you to develop new health problems or dangerous drug interactions.

According to an article in the August/September 2016 AARP Magazine, you should periodically have a "Checkup for Your Medicine Cabinet."  You should repeat it annually to make sure the pills you are taking are helping you, not making your health problems worse.

Examine Your Prescription Medications

Check Expiration Dates:  While you do not want to keep any drug after its expiration date, according to the article, you want to be particularly careful about insulin, inhalers, oral nitroglycerin, EpiPens, anti-convulsants, warfarin, digoxin and thyroid medication.  If the drug is in its original packaging, the expiration date should be stamped on the side or bottom.  Otherwise, you may have to ask your pharmacist or follow their recommended "discard by" date.

Avoid Allergy and Sleeping Pills:  There appears to be a link between the long-term use of allergy or sleeping medications and problems with decision-making and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.  Even common over-the-counter products such as Benadryl and Nytol can cause problems. Find alternative, drug-free ways of dealing with your allergies or insomnia.

Do Not Overdo the Vitamins

Millions of Americans take vitamins.  However, excessive amounts of certain vitamins can cause health issues, rather than eliminate them.  Below are four vitamins that the article particularly recommended people limit:

Vitamin B6 - Over 100 mg. a day can cause temporary nerve damage.

Vitamin A - Over 10,000 IUs a day can cause vomiting, headaches, dizziness and blurry vision.

Vitamin D - Over 10,000 IUs a day can cause poor appetite, frequent urination and kidney problems.

Vitamin C - High doses (which were not specified in the article) can double a man's risk of kidney stones.

Watch for Interactions between Herbal Remedies and Certain Drugs

In an effort to avoid taking too many prescription drugs, Americans often resort to herbal remedies.  However, these preparations can be dangerous, especially when combined with medications that have been prescribed to you.  Make sure your doctor knows what herbal remedies you use.  Below are some that are particularly worrisome:

St. John's wort - It can interfere with your statins and high blood pressure medications.

Ginkgo and ginseng - These herbs can interact with blood-thinning medications, which could dangerously increase your bleeding risk.

Kava - Even when it is not combined with other medications, this herb can cause liver damage.

Bottom Line:  Any time you add a new medication or supplement to your usual routine, discuss it with your doctor to make sure it will not conflict with something else you are already taking.  Regardless of whether or not you have been taking the same drugs and supplements for a long time, check with your doctor if any new symptoms develop.  Sometimes it can take a long time for the toxicity to build up in your body.

If you are interested in learning more about retirement planning, common health problems as you age, where to retire, Social Security, Medicare and more, use the tabs or pull-down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

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