Watch What You Swallow With That Pill

[Guest guest]

Watch What You Swallow With That Pill

Sat Apr 27, 7:11 PM ET

By Colette Bouchez

HealthScoutNews Reporter

SATURDAY, April 27 (HealthScoutNews) -- If you're like most folks,

remembering that daily dose of cholesterol medication -- or that heart

pill or blood pressure drug -- is often easier when you take it with a

meal.

However, the truth is what you eat at one of those meals could have some

detrimental effects on how a medication works in your body.

One of the most dangerous combinations involves grapefruit, a breakfast

staple for many.

" Grapefruit juice influences the production of liver enzymes, which can

affect the way certain drugs are metabolized by the body, " says

Coyne, a registered pharmacist and associate vice president of pharmacy

at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City.

This can cause some drugs to end up in the bloodstream in a higher

concentration than you are prescribed, Coyne explains. With other drugs,

it can inhibit concentration so you don't get the level of treatment you

need.

Medications most likely to be affected by grapefruit juice, he says,

include antihistamines for allergies, benzodiazepines for anxiety,

calcium-channel blockers for hypertension, and statin drugs for

cholesterol. Other research has shown reactions may occur with the

medicines Viagra, Singulair and Aricept.

If you're wondering whether all citrus juices have the same effect, the

answer is no.

" This is a reaction unique to grapefruit juice, so other fruits and

juices are safe to consume with these medications, " says Maudene ,

a registered dietician and nutritionist at Columbia Presbyterian Medical

Center in Manhattan.

Another breakfast drink you might not want to mix with your medicines is

coffee -- the culprit being caffeine.

In addition to causing gastric upsets that can influence how you feel

after taking certain medications, Coyne says caffeine has some potential

to affect the way some drugs are metabolized, altering the rate at which

the medicine gets into your bloodstream.

says caffeine-rich drinks can also increase nervousness, and

thereby decrease the effectiveness of any drug you might be taking to

calm you down.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites)

(FDA), the medicines most likely to be affected by caffeine include

certain bronchodilators for asthma, antibiotics known as quinolones,

(drugs like Cipro), and anti-anxiety medications such as Valium, Ativan

and Xanax.

In addition, the FDA warns the common bronchodilator, theophylline, can

also be affected by high- fat meals, which can increase the amount of the

drug in your body, or high carbohydrate meals, which can decrease the

drug's levels in your system.

Foods can also affect other asthma medications, depending on the dose

form you take -- such as regular release, sustained release or sprinkles.

Experts say you should check with your pharmacist, and follow all

directions provided with your prescription.

However, the breakfast table is not the only place where folks have to be

wary of what they eat. Any desserts that contain licorice can have a

powerful impact on blood pressure medication.

" The effects of licorice were established well over 20 years ago,

including the ability to raise blood pressure, so it should never be

eaten if you are taking medication for hypertension, " says.

Most licorice sold in American supermarkets won't harm you because it

usually features synthetic ingredients, or licorice flavoring,

says. Ironically, the licorice you buy in a health food store -- or those

imported from Europe -- often contain real licorice. Just a few pieces is

enough to cause blood pressure patients harm, she notes.

Another food-drug interaction that may take you by surprise: blood

thinners such as Coumadin could be affected by large amounts of otherwise

healthy foods such as broccoli. The key factor here is vitamin K, which

helps blood clot, Coyne says.

" Obviously if you are taking a medicine to keep your blood from clotting,

the last thing you want to do is eat a lot of foods containing the blood-

clotting nutrient vitamin K, " Coyne says. This includes not only

broccoli, but also spinach, brussels sprout and cauliflower.

If you just can't live without these foods, eat the same amount every

week and let your doctor know, so your medication can be adjusted.

Finally, among the most dangerous of all beverage-drug interactions is,

of course, alcohol, which can dramatically alter how a number of

medications act in your body.

" This is particularly true of any drug which affects the central nervous

system, which is where alcohol does its work -- drugs such as

antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents or sedatives, " says. Other

drugs affected by alcohol can include blood pressure medications,

cholesterol-lowering drugs and certain heart medications.

" If you have a question about a food or drug interaction, check with your

pharmacist and always read the literature that comes from the pharmacy

with your medication, and obey all precautions, " Coyne says.

What To Do

For more information on food-drug interactions, including a complete

listing of the most common drugs and the foods you should avoid, visit

New Mexico State University's College of Agriculture and Food Economics.

You can visit the FDA for a terrific brochure on food and drug

interactions.

[Guest guest]

--- In @y...:

Watch What You Swallow With That Pill

Sat Apr 27, 7:11 PM ET

By Colette Bouchez

HealthScoutNews Reporter

SATURDAY, April 27 (HealthScoutNews) -- If you're like most folks,

remembering that daily dose of cholesterol medication -- or that

heart

pill or blood pressure drug -- is often easier when you take it with

a

meal.

However, the truth is what you eat at one of those meals could have

some

detrimental effects on how a medication works in your body.

One of the most dangerous combinations involves grapefruit, a

breakfast

staple for many.

" Grapefruit juice influences the production of liver enzymes, which

can

affect the way certain drugs are metabolized by the body, " says

Coyne, a registered pharmacist and associate vice president of

pharmacy

at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City.

This can cause some drugs to end up in the bloodstream in a higher

concentration than you are prescribed, Coyne explains. With other

drugs,

it can inhibit concentration so you don't get the level of treatment

you

need.

Medications most likely to be affected by grapefruit juice, he says,

include antihistamines for allergies, benzodiazepines for anxiety,

calcium-channel blockers for hypertension, and statin drugs for

cholesterol. Other research has shown reactions may occur with the

medicines Viagra, Singulair and Aricept.

If you're wondering whether all citrus juices have the same effect,

the

answer is no.

" This is a reaction unique to grapefruit juice, so other fruits and

juices are safe to consume with these medications, " says Maudene

,

a registered dietician and nutritionist at Columbia Presbyterian

Medical

Center in Manhattan.

Another breakfast drink you might not want to mix with your medicines

is

coffee -- the culprit being caffeine.

In addition to causing gastric upsets that can influence how you feel

after taking certain medications, Coyne says caffeine has some

potential

to affect the way some drugs are metabolized, altering the rate at

which

the medicine gets into your bloodstream.

says caffeine-rich drinks can also increase nervousness, and

thereby decrease the effectiveness of any drug you might be taking to

calm you down.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites)

(FDA), the medicines most likely to be affected by caffeine include

certain bronchodilators for asthma, antibiotics known as quinolones,

(drugs like Cipro), and anti-anxiety medications such as Valium,

Ativan

and Xanax.

In addition, the FDA warns the common bronchodilator, theophylline,

can

also be affected by high- fat meals, which can increase the amount of

the

drug in your body, or high carbohydrate meals, which can decrease the

drug's levels in your system.

Foods can also affect other asthma medications, depending on the dose

form you take -- such as regular release, sustained release or

sprinkles.

Experts say you should check with your pharmacist, and follow all

directions provided with your prescription.

However, the breakfast table is not the only place where folks have

to be

wary of what they eat. Any desserts that contain licorice can have a

powerful impact on blood pressure medication.

" The effects of licorice were established well over 20 years ago,

including the ability to raise blood pressure, so it should never be

eaten if you are taking medication for hypertension, " says.

Most licorice sold in American supermarkets won't harm you because it

usually features synthetic ingredients, or licorice flavoring,

says. Ironically, the licorice you buy in a health food store -- or

those

imported from Europe -- often contain real licorice. Just a few

pieces is

enough to cause blood pressure patients harm, she notes.

Another food-drug interaction that may take you by surprise: blood

thinners such as Coumadin could be affected by large amounts of

otherwise

healthy foods such as broccoli. The key factor here is vitamin K,

which

helps blood clot, Coyne says.

" Obviously if you are taking a medicine to keep your blood from

clotting,

the last thing you want to do is eat a lot of foods containing the

blood-

clotting nutrient vitamin K, " Coyne says. This includes not only

broccoli, but also spinach, brussels sprout and cauliflower.

If you just can't live without these foods, eat the same amount every

week and let your doctor know, so your medication can be adjusted.

Finally, among the most dangerous of all beverage-drug interactions

is,

of course, alcohol, which can dramatically alter how a number of

medications act in your body.

" This is particularly true of any drug which affects the central

nervous

system, which is where alcohol does its work -- drugs such as

antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents or sedatives, " says.

Other

drugs affected by alcohol can include blood pressure medications,

cholesterol-lowering drugs and certain heart medications.

" If you have a question about a food or drug interaction, check with

your

pharmacist and always read the literature that comes from the

pharmacy

with your medication, and obey all precautions, " Coyne says.

What To Do

For more information on food-drug interactions, including a complete

listing of the most common drugs and the foods you should avoid,

visit

New Mexico State University's College of Agriculture and Food

Economics.

You can visit the FDA for a terrific brochure on food and drug

interactions.

--- End forwarded message ---