5 tips to avoid drug interactions

A drug interaction occurs when the absorption and elimination of a medicine is affected, changing the time and intensity of its effect on the body. Therefore, the drug interaction does not cause the production of a poisonous substance for the body, but it is equally dangerous, especially if the effect of the medication is increased, causing an overdose.

This type of interaction is more common when two different medicines are taken together, which should not be mixed, but it can also happen due to ingestion of food together with some medicines and even due to the presence of diseases in the body, for example.

1. Understand what each medication is for

Knowing the reason why you take each medicine is more important than knowing its name, as several medicines have similar names that can be changed when informing the doctor about what you are taking.

Therefore, when informing the doctor it is important to try to say the name of the medicines, but also to say what they are for, because this way it is easier to identify the correct medicine, avoiding the prescription of a medicine that could interact with those you are already taking.

2. Know how to take each medicine

Before starting to take any medication, it is important to ask your doctor the correct way to do it, especially whether it should be taken with or without food. This is because several medications, such as those used to treat osteoporosis, have their effect reduced if they are taken less than 30 minutes after milk, juice or any type of food.

On the other hand, some medications, such as antibiotics or Ibuprofen, should be taken immediately after eating to avoid irritating the stomach walls.

3. Buy medicines from the same pharmacy

Often, the medicines used are prescribed by different doctors in different hospitals and clinics. Therefore, the chances of there being a failure to record each person’s medications is very high, facilitating a drug interaction.

However, some pharmacies have an electronic record of the medicines sold to each person over time and, therefore, by always purchasing from the same place there is a greater guarantee that the pharmacist identifies medicines that may interact and warns about this risk, indicating the best way to take each one.

4. Avoid the use of supplements

Most supplements can easily interact with medications prescribed by your doctor, mainly due to the high amounts of vitamins and minerals they contain.

Furthermore, supplements can be easily purchased without the need for a prescription, which increases the chances of the doctor not knowing what you are taking when prescribing another medication. Therefore, supplements should only be used when prescribed by a doctor.

5. Make a list of the medicines you use

If none of the previous tips work, it may be helpful to write a list with the name of all the medications you are taking, along with the name of the active ingredient and the time of day. It is important not to forget to add any supplements you are using as well.

This list should always be shown to the doctor or pharmacist when starting to use a new medicine.

Medicines that should not be taken together

Some examples of medications that should not be consumed together are:

• Corticosteroids and anti-inflammatories They should not be taken at the same time, especially when corticosteroid treatment lasts more than 5 days. Some examples of corticosteroids are Decadron and Meticorden and anti-inflammatories are Voltaren, Cataflan and Feldene.
• Antacids and antibiotics They should also not be taken at the same time, as the antacid reduces the effect of the antibiotic by up to 70%. Some antacids are Pepsamar and mylanta plus, and antibiotics, Trifamox and cephalexin.
• Weight loss medicine and antidepressant They should only be taken together under medical supervision, as one can enhance the side effects of the other. Some examples are Deprax, Fluoxetine, Prozac, Vazy and sibutramine-based medicines.
• Appetite suppressant and anxiolytics They can also be dangerous if taken together, as they can generate mental confusion and trigger psychosis and schizophrenia. Examples are: Inibex, Dualid, Valium, Lorax and Lexotan.

To avoid this type of problem, no medication should be taken without medical advice. The tip even applies to taking medicines and herbal medicines at the same time, as they can also be dangerous.