Prevent Drug Interactions with these 9 Useful Tips

Prescription medications are an important part of managing many health conditions, but they can also pose risks if not taken properly. A critical concern with medication is the possibility of drug interactions, which happens when a medication interacts with another substance in a way that can be harmful to your health. This is a common issue amongst older adults who take 4-5 prescription drugs per day. Drug interactions can lead to side effects or make medications less effective, putting your health at risk. It is important to be aware of potential drug interactions and take steps to avoid them. 

In this blog, we shall explore the types, symptoms and some common examples of drug interactions. Most importantly, we will also discuss and educate about the useful tips that can be followed to avoid undesirable drug interactions.  

Symptoms of Drug Interactions

Not all drug interactions are a cause of concern. However, sometimes drug interactions may cause minor side effects or in some cases, serious complications. These drug interactions can cause several physiological changes in your body that may lead you to experience the following: 

• Drowsiness 
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Dizziness 
• Abnormal heart rate 
• Excessive bleeding 
• Muscle aches or pains 
• Depression 
• Skin rash 
• Anxiety 
• Ineffective Medication 

Whenever you start taking a new medicine, or quit a previous medication routine, always watch out for these symptoms. If you feel that you may have a drug interaction, immediately consult your pharmacist and physician for the next course of action. 

Types of Drug Interactions

Whether it’s a prescription drug or an over-the-counter medication, any drug is generally safe to use unless it reacts with a chemical within the body to produce an undesirable reaction. Based on what the drug combines with, drug interactions can be classified into three main types: 

• Drug-Drug Interactions: A drug-drug interaction happens when two or more drugs are administered to a patient. During a drug-drug interaction, the action of one or both the drugs may increase, decrease and nullify altogether.  

• Drug-Food/Beverage Interactions: What we eat, and drink also causes drug interactions when they release nutrients in our body that can combine unfavorably with drugs. These are drug-food and drug-beverage interactions. In such cases, the drug may not work as effectively as it should, or the drug impacts the way the body utilizes that food.  

• Drug-Disease Interactions: When you use a drug during treatment, but it reacts with another medical condition your body has, it results in a drug-disease interaction. This is why pharmacists and physicians always ask you to declare a list of all your medications and pre-existing health conditions to prevent unwanted drug interactions. A drug-disease interaction can render the medication ineffective due to limited or impaired action. 

Common Examples of Drug Interactions

You may be surprised to know that your daily life may have several instances of drug interactions that you may not be aware of. To ensure your medications work effectively, you must be aware of these common drug interactions:  

• In general, you should not consume alcohol during medication as it causes drowsiness. When using controlled medicines such as depressants and opiates, it aggravates the effect of sedation caused by these medications and can result in dizziness, loss of consciousness, memory loss and even a life-threatening drop in blood pressure.  

• As odd as it might seem, it may be possibly unsafe to eat Vitamin-K rich foods while taking blood thinners such as warfarin. When you eat foods like kale, broccoli, beef liver, and mustard greens frequently, the levels of Vitamin-K in your blood may increase, resulting in increased blood clotting and reducing the effectiveness of drugs like warfarin.  

• Some of us are frequently affected by seasonal allergies that cause colds and flu. We may be prescribed antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) by the physician for relief. But if a patient with acute angle-closure glaucoma has this medication which is also anticholinergic in nature, it can dilate the pupil, prevent fluid drainage and rapidly increase eye pressure, which is dangerous for glaucoma patients.  

• Whenever we acquire an infection, we believe antibiotics are the solution. However, antibiotics such as erythromycin and clarithromycin are unsafe to use by patients, especially older adults, who use Statins (medications that lower blood cholesterol). A combination of these two types of drugs can result in kidney injury and mortality. 

Strategies to Avoid Drug Interactions

Now that we know the various challenges that are associated with using drugs, and the common types of drug interactions, let us empower our health by navigating these useful ways to avoid drug interactions: 

Understand Your Health and Medications

When introducing a new medication in your daily routine, understand its name and function clearly. Confusion may arise when drug names sound similar. To avoid such a scenario, label all medications with their use. For example, when taking ‘Atenolol’, label it as ‘for high blood pressure’ to avoid confusing it with ‘Allopurinol’ which is used to treat uric acid kidney stones. Local pharmacy stores like Stadium Pharmacy also offer Pill Packs service perfect for older adults or those who forget their medications. Pill packs contain multiple medications labeled with their dosage, frequency, and time.  

Use Multiple Drug Interaction Checker 

There are several free tools online that can be used to check multiple drug interactions. If a potential drug interaction is found, the tool will share details for your awareness. You can try WebMd’s Drug Interaction Checker or MedScape Drug Interaction Checker tool for free. Consult your physician or experienced pharmacists to discuss a potential drug interaction. They can guide you by suggesting alternative medication or adjusting your dosage, depending on your needs. 

Manage your meds with dedicated pharmacy

Choose a reliable local pharmacy such as Stadium Pharmacy to keep all your prescriptions at one place. Periodically review your medications with us to be aware of possible drug interactions. Always inform your pharmacist and doctor when you begin taking a new drug or discontinue a previously used drug. When you buy OTCs from a store, inform your pharmacist to add those to your medication list. This will help them to study possible drug interactions and plan the best course of medication to suit your health conditions and needs.  

Be Cautious of Food and Beverage:

Pay attention to your doctor’s and pharmacists’ advice when starting a new medication. Strictly follow their dietary recommendations as foods may interfere with the efficacy of your drug and cause a possible drug-food interaction. In general, avoid alcohol as it tends to increase drowsiness and increases the risk of falls. You can also refer to this useful Drug-Food Interactions Chart by MSD that lists out common drugs and their interactions with foods and beverages that are used daily.  

Be Transparent About your Health:

Keep all your doctors informed about your multiple health conditions. This can help them write a suitable prescription that would function optimally and treat your conditions without causing unwanted drug interactions. E.g., if you have hypertension and visit an ENT for a respiratory illness, inform them about it as oral decongestants like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) can increase your blood pressure, making them unsafe for use.  

Review Medications Periodically:

Maintain a list of medications used by you and update it as and when a new drug is added to your medication regimen, or an existing drug is discontinued. Your medication list should also include OTCs, herbal or other supplements that you might be using. Set periodic reviews of your medications list with your physician and pharmacist to help them foresee possible drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-disease interactions.

Don’t Use Someone Else’s Medications:

Medications are prescribed based on an individual’s height, weight, age and health condition. A medication prescribed for someone else may not be effective for your health needs. In worse cases, taking medications that are not specifically prescribed for you can cause severe side-effects or serious health issues.  

Follow the Prescribed Dosage:

Don’t skip reading the detailed leaflet included with a pack of any medication. This has relevant information such as molecular composition, dosage, possible side effects, and general guidelines. When you choose a local pharmacy such as Stadium Pharmacy, you can avail of our Patient Consultation service while buying a drug to understand its correct manner of usage to ensure the overall efficiency of the drug.  

Be Wary of Popular Supplements:

Some dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs are not approved by the FDA. In such cases, the doctors and pharmacists become unaware of the formulations used in these supplements. These supplements may pose serious health hazards and risks. Unless prescribed by a professional physician and pharmacist, it is best to steer clear of such dietary supplements. 

Conclusion

Drugs can be a boon or a bane, depending upon the way you consume them. It is essential to follow the tips above to ensure your health is not compromised.  For many people, drugs are an important aspect of their lives as they are critical to managing health conditions. However, you must remember to exercise caution while using drugs because of the potential drug interactions. You should always ensure to supplement your medications with a healthy and suitable diet that can boost the efficacy of the drugs and improve vitality.  

At Stadium Pharmacy, our team works closely with you to understand your health issues and support you by offering products of the highest quality.  

Stadium Pharmacy surpasses the competition by offering a range of personalized patient care services such as Patient Consultation, Home Delivery, Medication Synchronization, and Pill Packs. Our competent staff evaluates your medication needs and conducts a periodic review of drug interactions to protect your family.  

Contact us at 816-356-4600 to learn more about our services today! 

Sources

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/7-things-you-can-do-to-avoid-drug-interactions 
2. https://www.drugs.com/article/preventing-drug-interactions.html 
3. https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/multimedia/table/how-to-reduce-the-risk-of-drug-drug-interactions 
4. https://pharmacysafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/lasa-one-pagers-191219.pdf 
5. https://www.bvhealthsystem.org/expert-health-articles/common-food-drug-interactions 
6. https://familydoctor.org/drug-nutrient-interactions-and-drug-supplement-interactions/#:~:text=For%20example%3A,%2C%20magnesium%2C%20and%20other%20minerals.