Prescription Medications Are Not the Only Cause of Drug Interactions
As seniors, you are at a greater risk of drug interactions than the general population because you typically take more medications. Taken in certain combinations, drugs can interfere or interact with one another, altering their effectiveness in controlling symptoms and improving health. In some cases the results can be life-threatening.
A University of Chicago Medical Center study published in the Dec. 24-31, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that more than half of American seniors take five or more medications or supplements. The study further found that at least one in 25 older Americans—about 2.2 million—take drugs in potentially harmful combinations.
The problem of medication interactions does not involve only prescription medications. The study found that about half of the interactions involved over-the-counter (OTC), or nonprescription medications. Herbal medications, supplements and vitamins—and even some foods and beverages—also interact with drugs to alter their performance.
Prescription Drugs and Nonprescription Products
The following are just a few examples of how nonprescription products can interact with prescription drugs for unhealthy results:
- Taken separately, aspirin and warfarin help prevent blood clots from forming. Taken together, they may cause excessive bleeding.
- Decongestants, found in many OTC cold remedies, may increase blood pressure of people taking anti-hypertension medications or MAO inhibitors, a type of antidepressant.
- Certain antacids can diminish the effectiveness of many medicines, such as antibiotics and heart medications, by preventing them from being absorbed into the blood stream.
Prescription Drugs and Food
Food can also alter the effectiveness of medication. The National Council on Patient Information and Education cites examples:
- Dairy products, antacids and vitamins containing iron can slow the body’s absorption of antibiotics into the bloodstream and thus diminish their effectiveness.
- Grapefruit and grapefruit juice block enzymes that metabolize certain drugs, thus making them less effective. Drugs affected by grapefruit include some blood pressure-lowering medications, some cholesterol drugs, the antihistamine terfenadine, and cyclosporine, a drug taken to prevent organ transplant rejection. Pomelo and Seville oranges can cause similar effects.
If you do not know whether any of your medications interacts with foods, ask your doctor or pharmacist
Comfort Keepers provides in-home care to seniors and the elderly living in Ocala, Gainesville, and The Villages, Florida. We provide superior in-home care to seniors and the elderly throughout Central Florida so they can live enriched independent lifestyles! Call us today at 855-592-0013.
Let Us Hear From You!
Have you experienced complications from prescription or OTC drug interaction? Do you research your medications online? If you are an in-home caregiver, how do you ensure your clients avoid harmful drug interactions?
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Part 2: Things You Can Do to Prevent Interaction
