What drinks can interfere with the effect of the medicine
Have you ever thought about what drink we wash down with this or that medicine? Very often, when a doctor prescribes pills, he does not give precise instructions on what to wash down the medicine with, and therefore at home, without thinking at all, we use not only regular water, but also tea, coffee, juices or carbonated drinks. And what’s wrong with that?
You won’t believe it, but combining some drinks with medications can be dangerous to your health! You should be careful when washing down your pills with a drink that comes to hand, because it can not only reduce the effectiveness of the drug you are taking, but also seriously harm your health! From this article, we will learn about the most undesirable combinations of drinks and medications.
Pomegranate juice
Healthy pomegranate juice, a well-known cancer prevention remedy, is not suitable for washing down medications. This drink contains special enzymes that destroy the action of some medications, in particular, drugs for lowering and normalizing blood pressure. In addition, this juice interferes with the breakdown of many medications, which leads to their accumulation and overdose in the body. And this is fraught with serious consequences. For example, an overdose of calcium channel blockers threatens cardiac arrest, and an overdose of statins – to the breakdown of muscle tissue.
Grapefruit juice
The juice of this citrus fruit does not mix well with medications. According to doctors, there are more than 50 medications that grapefruit prevents from being fully absorbed into the body, and the most vulnerable in this regard are statins – drugs for lowering cholesterol. And given that statins act for 24 hours, grapefruit juice should be completely avoided during treatment with these medications.
Fruit juices
Juices are not suitable for washing down medications at all. This applies not only to the above-mentioned citrus juices, but also to the apple, carrot or tomato juices that are widespread in our country. Such drinks reduce the effect of antibiotics and antispasmodics, such as No-shpa or Drotaverine, on the body. And everyone’s favorite cranberry juice is completely incompatible with anticoagulants. Such a combination can cause internal bleeding and even death! In addition, juices can significantly increase the toxic properties of antifungal agents.
In fairness, it should be said that taking vitamin complexes is even recommended to be combined with fruit juices, since in this case the absorption of vitamins increases.
Caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee and energy drinks)
Drinks that contain a large amount of caffeine, namely coffee, tea or energy drinks, should not be washed down with drugs with a stimulating effect, which are widely used in bodybuilding to burn fat and reduce appetite. The stimulating effect on the body increases several times, which can provoke a sharp jump in pressure. In this regard, you should not wash down drinks containing caffeine, drugs such as Ephedrine, as well as drugs for the treatment of asthma.
Milk and milkshakes
It is also not advisable to wash down pills with milk. It turns out that calcium, which is so rich in this drink, interferes with the absorption of drugs that support the thyroid gland. If you cannot give up your favorite milk drink, drink it 4 hours after taking the pills. Milk is also not compatible with antibiotics. In this case, the effect of the drugs is also reduced several times, and therefore it is better to refrain from drinking milk and dairy products during antibacterial therapy.
Carbonated drinks
Mineral water and any carbonated drinks are not suitable for washing down tablets. These liquids are rich in carbon dioxide, which can affect the acidity of the drug, and therefore its properties. It is impossible to say with certainty how exactly this or that medicine will behave if you wash it down with mineral water. In one case, the effect of the medicine may be reduced to zero, in another – it will increase several times, and therefore it is not worth the risk.
Sports drinks
Energy drinks and other sports drinks mostly contain potassium, and therefore it is not advisable to drink them with medications used to treat hypertension and heart failure. And given that bananas are rich in potassium, cocktails with this fruit, and bananas themselves, should not be consumed while taking medications of this group.
Green tea
Green tea, rich in catechins, has a negative effect on the body’s absorption of anticoagulants, i.e. drugs that prevent blood clots. That is why green tea, as well as products containing vitamin K (kale, broccoli) are not recommended if anticoagulants such as Warfarin or Coumarin are prescribed. Black tea can also have a negative effect on treatment. For example, if you are taking laxatives, you should temporarily avoid tea, because this drink will have a binding effect.
Wine
Alcoholic drinks are generally not compatible with medications. However, some people allow themselves to drink a glass of wine, believing that it will be good for their health. Here it should be remembered that wine is contraindicated during the period of taking antidepressants. According to doctors, this combination can provoke an increase in blood pressure, headache, increased heart rate and even a stroke! By the way, the combined use of antidepressants and energy drinks has a similar effect on the body, which means that they should also be abandoned during treatment with sedatives. Wine is also contraindicated when taking antibiotics or anthelmintics.
Alcoholic drinks
The most dangerous combination is the combination of drugs with alcoholic beverages. And it is not only that alcohol prevents the stomach walls from absorbing the active components of the drug, but that such a combination can cause serious complications and even provoke a fatal outcome!
Judge for yourself: taking Aspirin in combination with alcohol leads to the development of gastritis and stomach ulcers. Moreover, the disease develops literally in two or three months. The combination of alcoholic beverages with diuretics and hypotensive drugs threatens a sharp decrease in blood pressure. If you take antihistamines and then drink an alcoholic beverage, the allergic reaction can intensify several times and provoke anaphylactic shock! The body will not react in the best way to taking Nitroglycerin together with alcohol. In this case, heart pain will not only not go away, but will become even stronger.
Drinking alcohol together with sleeping pills or tranquilizers threatens severe intoxication of the body up to the development of a coma. And this is a direct threat to the patient’s life! It is equally dangerous to drink alcoholic beverages after taking Ephedrine, Theophedrine, Coldrex, Coldact or a large dose of caffeine. In this case, there is a risk of developing a hypertensive crisis.
If you drink alcohol while taking Paracetamol, Efferalgan or Panadol, there is a high risk of toxic liver damage. Intoxication of the body can be caused by a combination of alcohol-containing liquids with neuroleptics and drugs from the NSAID group.
Alcohol enhances the effect of some medications, which can be fatal for the body. For example, drinking alcohol while taking insulin and sugar-containing drugs threatens a sharp drop in blood glucose levels and the development of a coma. Of course, this does not happen in all cases, but if a person suffers from diabetes, such an outcome is quite real.
No less dangerous is the combination of alcohol and antibiotics. In this case, the therapeutic effect may be completely absent, although medicine knows of cases when alcoholic drinks in combination with antibiotics led to acute poisoning and even death! If you drink alcohol after taking sulfonamides, the development of intolerance to the drug cannot be ruled out.
What to wash down with medications
It is safe to say that most of the known drinks are absolutely incompatible with medications. In this case, a reasonable question arises, what to wash down pills with and what drinks can be taken during treatment with this or that medication? According to doctors, the best liquid to wash down medications is clean, still water. By choosing regular water, you will definitely not harm your body and will not harm the treatment in any way. Take care of yourself!