Author: Alex Thompson

Types of drug interactions: Food, supplements, drugs, and conditions

When you combine it with other drugs that have similar side effects, your breathing may slow to dangerous or deadly levels. You might become unsteady and at risk for a fall or broken bone. Extra drowsiness can make it very dangerous for you to drive or perform hazardous activities. Any food or substance can interact with any other substance. Inappropriately discarded drugs can harm people, animals, and the environment.

1. Drugs may also interact and oppose the effects of one another, leading to one (or both) medications not having their intended effect.
2. It is also more important than ever to know about the medicines you take.
3. Over-the-counter (OTC) drug labels contain information about ingredients, uses, warnings and directions that is important to read and understand.
4. Some medications benefit from being taken with food while others may work better on an empty stomach.

For example, calcium can affect the absorption of certain drugs. Information may change as new information is learned about medications, so it’s important to review the information frequently. Ask your pharmacist if you need a copy of any of this information. Alcohol is itself a drug and may cause central nervous system side effects, like drowsiness, dizziness or fainting.

Get more from our interaction checker!

Share this list with your doctor, pharmacist, and nurse at each visit so that they can also screen for possible drug interactions. Be sure to check your prescription drugs, as well as your over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, herbals, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals for alcohol interactions. Some cough and cold medicines may also contain alcohol, so be sure to check the labels. Your pharmacist can give you a better idea of what drug interactions may occur with any herbal or herbal dietary supplements you may be taking. Advice from your health care provider is your best option in preventing serious health effects from any drug interaction.

When a person takes cannabis with certain antipsychotic drugs, such as clozapine, it reduces the amount of the antipsychotic in their bloodstream. The commonly prescribed antidepressant citalopram (Celexa) can cause brain bleeding when taken with cocaine. While supplements are beneficial for people with a deficiency, they still have potential side effects and interactions, just like any other medication. The supplements a person takes can interact with prescription drugs or other supplements. For instance, it can be dangerous to drink alcohol while you’re on certain medications. Some vitamins and dietary supplements interact with medicines, too.

It will also display any interactions between your chosen drugs, food, beverages, or a medical condition. Pharmacodynamic interactions can occur on protein receptors.[5] Two drugs can be considered to be Homodynamic, if they act on the same receptor. These may be competitive antagonists, if they compete with the main drug to bind with the receptor. Or uncompetitive antagonists, when the antagonist binds to the receptor irreversibly. The drugs can be considered Heterodynamic competitors, if they act on distinct receptor with similar downstream pathways.

Some symptoms may be minor, while others can be serious or life-threatening. It may be difficult to distinguish between synergistic or additive interactions, as individual effects of drugs may vary. When the unwanted effects of one drug are the opposite of the desired effects of another drug, you might end up with less of the desired effects.

Based on metabolism

For example, St. John’s Wort, CoenzymeQ10, and even melatonin can interact with medicines like antidepressants, blood thinners like warfarin or even alcohol. These interactions can be just as serious as prescription medicines. Compounds may affect any of those process, ultimately interfering with the flux of drugs in the human body, increasing or reducing drug availability.

They should also consult a doctor or pharmacist about any potential interactions. The symptoms of drug interactions vary greatly and range from mild to life threatening. If a person is unsure or is concerned about a potential drug interaction, they should contact a doctor or pharmacist.

These potentially dangerous health outcomes show how important it is to discuss new medications with a doctor or pharmacist. The symptoms of a drug interaction can vary a lot, depending on the drugs you’re taking and how they’re interacting. Sometimes you might not even know right away that an interaction is happening. This herbal dietary supplement can affect many medications for heart disease, HIV, depression, and other conditions. It can also affect birth control pills and the cancer drugs irinotecan and imatinib. High-potassium foods and drinks, like bananas, salt substitutes, and orange juice.

Pharmacodynamic interactions are the drug-drug interactions that occur at a biochemical level and depend mainly on the biological processes of organisms. These interactions occur due to action on the same targets, for example the same receptor or signaling pathway. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 3 Mar 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 4 Mar 2024), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2024) and others.

The best way to avoid drug interactions is to take only drugs that are needed and read all new drug labels thoroughly. Drug labels usually list the most severe and common interactions. They may also have an insert with a heading that says, “Drug Interactions.” A person should read this section thoroughly.

Drugs & Medications Resources

But most drug labels and patient handouts don’t list every possible drug interaction. They can also answer any questions about medical terms or jargon on the drug packages. Pharmacists are experts on medicine safety, and they can work with your doctors to help you avoid drug interactions. For example, if you have two doctors and they separately prescribe drugs that interact, your pharmacist can warn them — and you — before you have a problem. You can also use the Drugs.com Drug Interaction Checker to learn more. This tool explains what the interaction is, how it occurs, the level of importance and how to handle the drug interaction.

What Are Drug Interactions?

Review the Medication Guide, prescription information, warning labels, and Drug Facts Label with each new prescription or over-the-counter product you use. Over-the-counter medicines also contain a Drug Facts label that helps to explain the medicine. If you do not understand your directions, ask a healthcare professional for help. Compounds that increase the efficiency of the enzymes, on the other hand, may have the opposite effect and increase the rate of metabolism. Each interaction also has an extended description, complete with references, which outlines additional details about the nature of the interaction. People who have negative drug reactions should talk with a doctor right away.

Most drugs that you swallow enter your blood through your intestines. Sometimes a drug or supplement can block or trap another drug in the intestine before it can be absorbed. For example, supplements like calcium and iron can prevent absorption of thyroid meds.