3 Surprising Things that Can Affect Your Medication
Grapefruit - You may be surprised to learn that grapefruit juice can interact with dozens of medications. According to Harvard Health (2021), researchers have not yet pinpointed the exact chemical in grapefruit that’s responsible for medication interactions, but suspect it’s a chemical called “furanocoumarin”, which is also present in sour oranges and tangelos. Grapefruit juice causes reduced absorption of certain chemicals in the intestinal tract by binding to an enzyme responsible for the body’s absorption (Harvard health, 2021). When this enzyme is blocked by grapefruit juice, it can result in a potentially dangerous rise in medication levels in the bloodstream. Medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and depression and anxiety medications commonly interact with grapefruit juice. Cehck with your pharmacist to see if you need to avoid Grapefruit juice with your prescription(s).
Alcohol - There are several ways in which alcohol can interact with certain prescription medications. Alcohol consumption can make some medications less effective, can worsen medication side effects, cause an interaction that makes the medication toxic to your body, result in new symptoms, or increase the effect of alcohol on the body, causing you to feel more inebriated (Good Rx, n.d.). Always check with your pharmacist to verify whether your medication cannot be mixed with alcohol. Common medications that interact with alcohol include pain medications, anxiety medications, anticoagulant prescriptions like Warfarin, and sleeping pills (Good Rx, n.d.). Note: you should also avoid mixing medications with over the counter pain relievers like Ibuprofen, as combining the two can place unnecessary strain on your liver.
St. Johns Wart - A popular medicinal plant, St. Johns Wort is a commonly used over the counter supplement. It can have negative interactions with prescription medications and reduce the efficacy of them (TGA, 2022). St. Johns Wort is known to reduce the efficacy of anticoagulant anticonvulsant medications, and may also negatively impact oral contraceptives (TGA, 2022).
References
Good Rx. (n.d.). Side effects - goodrx. Good Rx. Retrieved December 28, 2022, from https://www.goodrx.com/drugs/side-effects
Harvard Health. (2021, March 30). Grapefruit and medication: A cautionary note. Harvard Health. Retrieved December 28, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/grapefruit-and-medication-a-cautionary-note
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). (2022, June 21). St John's wort: Important interactions between st john's wort (Hypericum perforatum) preparations and prescription medicines. Therapeutic Goods Administration . Retrieved December 28, 2022, from https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-alerts/st-johns-wort-important-interactions-between-st-johns-wort-hypericum-perforatum-preparations-and-prescription-medicines