Food and meds you shouldn't mix
Mumbai Mirror | Apr 5, 2016, 12.00 AM IST
Some foods can prevent prescription medication from working.
They also have dangerous side-effects. Here's what to watch out for:
COFFEE
Avoid if you take — Bronchodilators for asthma
These help patients to breathe more easily by relaxing the muscles in the
lungs and widening airways. Common side effects of these include palpitations,
nervousness and excitability. When mixed with caffeine these risks are increased.
Too much caffeine can also limit their effectiveness in an emergency, so speak to
your GP if you are taking them but need caffeine too.
BANANAS
Avoid if you take — Blood pressure medicines
Bananas are high in potassium, a good thing, but for those taking medication like
Captopril, ACE inhibitors or Angiotensin receptor blockers, avoid large quantities of
potassium-rich food like leafy greens and oranges too. Mixed with these drugs, these
foods can cause high potassium levels. When consumed in excess, it can also cause
irregular heartbeats and palpitations. It's best to inform your GP if you're taking
potassium or diuretics alongside blood pressure medication.
ALCOHOL
Avoid if you take — Antihistamines, diabetes medicines or painkillers
Medicines often come with a warning to avoid alcohol. This is due to the pressure booze
puts on your liver. Alcohol, paracetamol and codeine are metabolised by the liver and it
will have to work harder to break down alcohol and medications at the same time. This
can increase the risk of side effects from the medications, including drowsiness. Also,
overworking your liver can eventually increase your risk of liver damage.
LEAFY GREENS
Avoid if you take — Anticoagulants
Leafy greens are part of a healthy diet but when you're taking antiblood-clotting medicines,
like Warfarin, you need to be careful not to suddenly up your leafy green intake.
They are high in vitamin K and as a result, help blood to clot. Warfarin is designed to
prevent the production of vitamin K so if you suddenly eat more greens,
this will interfere with the medicine.
BLACK LIQUORICE
Avoid if you take — Heart medications
Liquorice lowers potassium in your body, which can be dangerous for those with
certain heart conditions. Low levels of potassium can increase side effects associated
with digoxin, used to treat congestive heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.
Diuretics to treat high blood pressure, glaucoma, heart failure and liver and
kidney problems, also lower potassium, so taken with liquorice they cause levels to fall.
This causes weakness, cramps and irregular heart rhythms.
GRAPEFRUIT
Avoid if you take — Statins
If you are taking statins to lower blood pressure, then grapefruit, or its juice, won't provide
a healthy breakfast. Grapefruit contains a chemical that stops the body breaking down statins.
This will lead to raised levels in your body which means you will be at risk of side-effects.
Patients might experience muscle aches and pains as a result.
MILK
Avoid if you take — Antibiotics
Ciprofloxacin and tetracycline should be taken with a glass of water one hour
before a meal or two hours after you have eaten. Food will interfere with the way
these medications are absorbed by your body and dairy products, such as milk,
will have the same effect. So while it might be tempting to take antibiotics with a
glass of milk, don't.
LIMES
Avoid if you take — Cough medicines
Be careful with limes or Seville oranges if you're taking cough medicines with
dextromethorphan. Citrus foods can interfere with the process that breaks down the
drug causing more of it to get in your body. This can lead to side-effects like hallucinations or
drowsiness. The fruits' effects can last for 24 hours or more, so
avoid them while you need the cough medicine.
SMOKED SALMON
Avoid if you take — Antidepressants
Check with your GP if your antidepressants come under the monoamine oxidase
inhibitors (MAOIs) category before you indulge in smoked meats such as salami,
smoked salmon or chicken liver pate. The problem is that these foods are rich in
tyramine, a compound caused by the breakdown of amino acid. When mixed with
MAOIs, it can cause tyramine levels to spike leading to dangerously high blood pressure.
Other foods on the risk list include strong or aged cheese and other
smoked or processed meats and fish. —Daily Mirror
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