Moreover, many drugs have been withdrawn from the market because of their potential to interact with other drugs and cause serious healthcare problems. Whenever two or more drugs are being taken, there is a chance that there will be an interaction between the drugs. The interaction may increase or decrease the effectiveness of the drugs or their side effects.
- If you take several different medicines, see more than one doctor, or have certain health conditions, you and your doctors need to be aware of all the medicines you take.
- So if you have a substantial change in your weight, you may need a different dosage of some medications.
- Supplements are regulated as foods, not as drugs, so they are not tested as comprehensively.
- Antacids like calcium tablets can prevent the absorption of the antifungal medication ketoconazole, for example.
- Personal traits can play a role in whether a drug interaction will happen and if it will be harmful.
- The main mechanism is via a reduction in glomerular perfusion through a reduction of local prostaglandin E2 synthesis with corresponding reactive secretion of renin.
An enzyme called CYP3A4 helps metabolize many drugs in the small intestine, but grapefruit blocks this enzyme. This makes more of the drug enter the bloodstream, resulting in a higher dose that stays in the body longer. For example, warfarin is an anticoagulant used to help prevent blood clots. If you think you may be experiencing a symptom or side effect due to a drug interaction, contact your healthcare provider right away for advice. Check interactions with multiple drugs, vaccines, supplements, alcohol, food and diseases.
It is helpful to keep an up-to-date written list of all drugs being taken and to bring the list along on each doctor visit. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of drug interactions is to talk with a doctor before taking a new drug, including supplements. People with certain medical conditions, especially ones requiring a person to take medication regularly, should contact a doctor before starting any new medications.
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Enter search terms to find related medical topics, multimedia and more. For example, doctors prescribe intravenous vancomycin to treat certain gram-positive bacterial infections, whereas oral vancomycin is for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria. If you’re thinking about quitting smoking, what are the immediate short-term effects of heroin use your doctor can help you create a personal plan with actionable steps to help you stop. People who have negative drug reactions should talk with a doctor right away. Each interaction also has an extended description, complete with references, which outlines additional details about the nature of the interaction.
Drug interactions also may occur when two drugs that have similar (additive) effects or opposite (canceling) effects on the body are administered together. For example, there may be major sedation when two drugs that have sedation as side effects are given, for example, narcotics and antihistamines. Another source of drug interactions animal-assisted therapy occurs when one drug alters the concentration of a substance that is normally present in the body. The alteration of this substance reduces or enhances the effect of another drug that is being taken. The drug interaction between warfarin (Coumadin) and vitamin K-containing products is a good example of this type of interaction.
Pharmacists are experts on medicine safety, and they can work with your doctors to help you avoid drug interactions. For example, if you have two doctors and they separately prescribe drugs that interact, your pharmacist can warn them — and you — before you have a problem. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
How long the drug is in your body
People with kidney disease should use a lower dosage of metformin or not take it at all. This is because metformin can accumulate in the kidneys of people with this disease, increasing the risk of severe side effects. Learn more about interactions between grapefruit and statins, which are used to lower cholesterol and treat heart disease. In general, call your doctor if you’re having side effects that worry you or if your medicine doesn’t seem to be working, especially after you’ve recently started or changed doses of a drug. When a medication works right, it boosts your health or helps you feel better. But a drug can bring on problems if it doesn’t mix well with something else you put into your body, like another medication, a certain food, or alcohol.
So far, however, the attempt to overcome the chemoresistance of tumors by inhibiting efflux transporters, especially by means of P-glycoprotein, has been unsuccessful. Like food, drugs taken by mouth must be absorbed through the lining of the stomach or the small intestine. Consequently, the presence of food in the digestive tract may reduce absorption of a drug. Often, such interactions can be avoided by taking the drug 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating.
Drug-alcohol
If you have any concerns or questions about medications you’re taking or planning to take, consult your doctor. In particular, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should check with their doctor before taking any new medications. It’s the information that’s given with the medication that’s dispensed directly to you.
For example, supplements like calcium and iron can prevent absorption of thyroid meds. This is when you have a health problem that makes it risky for you to take certain meds. For example, if you have a condition like high blood pressure, taking a decongestant for a cold could drive up your blood pressure even more. It could make your medication stop working, become less effective, or too strong. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records.
