The dangers of opioid overmedication and addiction are in the news just about
every day.
But, did you know that drug interactions are also a very serious health threat?
Mixing prescriptions with other drugs, foods or supplements can cause serious
and unwanted side effects.
“A drug interaction is when after taking two medications, the body reacts in a way
that would not be expected if each of the drugs was taken alone,” says Daniel
Dunham, MD., a primary care physician at Rush University Medical Center.
Sometimes, drug interactions magnify the potency of the drugs taken.
Interactions also can make the drugs less effective. There are times when
interactions can be life threatening, or seriously impair the patient’s judgement,
his ability to drive a car or operate machinery. The same is true with eating
certain foods that may have their own unique chemical structure that interacts
with a prescription drug. Supplements can also interact with prescription drugs
especially because supplements are not evaluated clinically by the FDA and their
formulations may vary among manufacturers. This can cause them to interact
with prescription medications.
The best way to avoid drug interactions is to inform your primary care provider
with information regarding all medications you are taking including even vitamins
and pain relievers such as aspirin or NSAIDs like ibuprofen. Your primary care
provider should also be made aware of any supplements you are taking and any
foods combinations you should avoid such as dairy products when you are taking
antibiotics. Also, it is best to use the same pharmacy to fill your prescriptions.
The pharmacist will have a complete record of all your prescriptions and their
data base will screen for interactions. Your primary care provider should be your
point of contact for all prescriptions.