Whether we feel heavy in our heads or feel the pain in our stomach, we usually grab some medicines over our kit. While there are drugs which are for pains, we also take our vitamins and supplements which are prescribed and thought to promote healthier body.
But there are some things that we should know about mixing prescription medicines and drugs and the supplements. We usually combine multiple medicines not knowing that this could lead to serious side effects.
Chronic conditions can be treated by the medicines prescribed by doctors but each them they prescribe new medication, they should also ask the patient if he is taking a something else.
When you take more than one drug at the same time, drug interactions happen and the risk could vary based on age, the underlying diseases and lifestyle. It is true that drugs can react to other medications this is why when a person takes medication, it is critical that he should also consider the potential of interactions with other substances in the body.
While there are interactions that could increase the effectiveness of the drugs, mixing medicines can also lead to unwanted side effects. Dangerous interaction could happen when a person takes two or more drugs that have similar properties, in this case the effects are magnified. In the event that the person is taking two or more medicines unknowing of the opposite properties, the medicinal benefit of both drugs can be cancelled.
The mixture of drugs could also alter the concentration of a substance that is normally present in the body.
While older people are most likely to take more medicines with supplements, they are at risk in the increase of adverse interactions. For patients who are introduced to new drugs and prescription, it is also a must that they should let their doctor know about the other medicines they are taking.
We should also remember that the interactions and reactions between drugs do not only happen with the prescribed medicines but also with the medicines we get from the counter and drug stores. When taking combinations of over-the-counter medicines, it is still a must that you ask the pharmacist for the interactions of the medicines as one may be overdosed.
It is same with the supplements that we take. When combined with drugs, the supplements could also have a serious effect on our body.
Drugs with known interactions
- Antidepressants
Antidepressants have components which work to elevate the serotonin levels in the brain which is thought to ease the symptoms of depressions. However, unpleasant effects could rise especially towards behavior for babies whose mother took the drugs during pregnancy. If mixed with other drugs such as pain medications which contain the same ingredient, the risk of serotonin syndrome could rise.
- Blood Pressure Medication
During high blood pressure, we take medicine to essentially pull the extra water from the body, decreasing the volume of blood so the body doesn’t have to work hard. However, medicines for blood pressure should now be mixed with heart-rhythm medication because it may lower the potassium levels.
- Cholesterol Drugs
The prescription of this drugs is to basically lower the person’s cholesterol. But high levels of this can lead to plaque buildup in arteries as the body still needs cholesterol to function—this could eventually block the blood flow and lead to heart attack and stroke.
Patient have the charge of their health too. It is wise to know how your medicine could react to your body.
Source: https://www.drugwatch.com