Drug Interactions
Drug interactions are the Achilles heel of modern medicine. Even with computers, pharmacists, physicians and nurse practitioners may overlook a combination of drugs that is incompatible and could cause serious problems.
Michael Jackson’s Drug May Not Deserve Bad…
Before Michael Jackson's tragic death, most people never heard of the drug propofol (Diprivan). It's not the kind of medication that anyone would ever seek out on the street. You can't use it to get h…
Beware Deadly Drug Interactions
When celebrities die from drug interactions it makes headlines. But ordinary people die every day as a result of the wrong combination of medications. These deaths don't make news, but they are no les…
Antidepressants Reduce Tamoxifen Effectiveness
Tamoxifen is an important drug to prevent recurrence of breast cancer, but a new study shows it should not be taken in conjunction with certain antidepressants. Roughly 1,300 women were followed for o…
Drug Interactions Are Common and Dangerous
Americans take way too many medications. They mix and match with barely a second thought.Researchers found that 81 percent of older adults took prescribed drugs. More than half “used 5 or more p…
Turmeric Interacts with Coumadin
Who would imagine that curry, guacamole, cranberries or mango could interact with a medicine to cause a potentially life-threatening interaction? All these foods may alter the action of warfarin (Coum…
Multiple Medicines May Not Help Mother-In-Law
Q. I am concerned about all the drugs my 81-year-old mother-in-law takes. Her forgetfulness has gotten progressively worse and she is dizzy much of the time. She is taking: amitriptyline, Aricept, Art…
Don’t Take Synthroid with Iron
Q. Can Synthroid and ferrous sulfate be taken at the same time of the day? A. No. Iron supplements such as ferrous sulfate interfere with the absorption of Synthroid (levothyroxine) taken to treat thy…
Amiodarone and Simvastatin Warning
Amiodarone (also prescribed under the brand names Cordarone and Pacerone) is a medication designed to control abnormal heart rhythms. It can be a lifesaving drug, but it is especially prone to interac…
Multiple Medications May Put Mother at Risk
Q. My 81-yr-old Mom is currently prescribed allopurinol to prevent gout, enalapril and labetalol for high blood pressure, metformin for diabetes, Plavix to thin her blood, Zocor to control cholesterol…
Can GI Problems Interfere With Thyroid Medicatio…
Q. I have suffered with stomach pain and reflux for a long time. I have tried Zantac and Pepcid without much success. I am now taking Prevacid that my doctor prescribed to control excess acid. Even af…
Coumadin Interactions Pose Dangers
Q. Does aspartame affect bleeding if you are taking a blood thinner like Coumadin? I know that cranberry juice poses a potential problem with this drug. How can I keep up with Coumadin interactions? A…
Don’t End Up Like Anna Nicole Smith
Unless you have been hibernating for the last few weeks, you have probably heard that Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental overdose. According to the Broward County Medical Examiner, the legal medi…
Grapefruit Interactions Can Be Tricky
Until 1989, grapefruit was just another citrus fruit. It had a pronounced taste that some people found refreshing and others rejected as bitter. But then Canadian scientists published a surprising fin…
FDA Warns of Serotonin Syndrome
Several years ago we got a desperate phone call from a friend. He was afraid his wife had suffered a stroke. She was in a coma, unresponsive and he feared he would soon be forced to decide whether to…
Pharmacist Prevents Bad Drug Interaction
Q. My doctor prescribed tramadol with APAP for headaches. He also wrote prescriptions for Lexapro and Effexor for depression and anxiety. He said that Effexor and Lexapro are both antidepressants, but…
Don’t Plug & Play with Pills
Plug & play is the watchword for new technology, but it doesn't work well for everything. A few weeks ago we ordered a bookshelf and tried to assemble it. Our crew of two was divided on the proper…
Don’t Play Russian Roulette with Drugs and…
There’s increasing encouragement for people to drink alcohol. Headlines state that a drink or two a day may protect against heart attacks, strokes and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease. At holidays, …
New Cholesterol Guidelines Pose Interaction Dang…
New guidelines have just been issued for cholesterol control. People at high risk of heart disease are now being encouraged to get bad LDL cholesterol under 70. Their prior goal was 100. To accomplish…
Serotonin Syndrome Can Be Deadly
Serotonin is a critically important neurochemical that helps control mood and is also involved in appetite, sexual behavior, sleep and learning. Millions take medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapr…
Grapefruit Interactions Are Confusing
Ever since the "grapefruit effect" was discovered more than a decade ago, this fascinating food and drug interaction has confused patients, physicians and pharmacists. People still don't understand wh…
Food And Drug Interactions Can Be Lethal
Most of us swallow our pills with a glass of juice or a swig of water. We rarely think twice about when we take our medicine or what we eat with it. Yet food and drug interactions can be dangerous or …
Drug-Drug Interactions Can Be Deadly
The woman was experiencing headaches and anxiety after the death of her husband. Her doctor prescribed the antidepressant Paxil together with an older drug called amitriptyline to help her sleep. She …
Drug Interactions Are Neglected But Deadly
Drug interactions are one of the most complicated and neglected problems in health care. Physicians, pharmacists and nurses all realize how dangerous it can be to combine certain medications, but they…
Peppermint May Interact With Medications
Q. Periodic bouts with irritable bowel syndrome cause me painful cramping and gas. My doctor prescribes Donnatal, but it makes me drowsy. I have read that peppermint oil would help. Could you give me …
Drug Interactions Can Be Deadly
Bill Cosby likes to tell the story about his childhood chemistry experiments. He liked to mix the components of his chemistry set in the basement to see what would happen. When he succeeded in produci…
Don’t Mix Motrin And Tylenol In Tykes
In the middle of cold and flu season, parents are no doubt desperately searching for medications to help their sick children get better faster. Those who suspect their youngsters have the flu should b…
Grapefruit Doesn’t Go Well With All Drugs
Q. We've recently been buying grapefruit by the box from a truck that comes up from Florida. They are incredibly delicious, but my neighbor says they interact with lots of drugs. Where do I find a lis…
Don’t Kill Kitty Yourself
Q. I have a 19-year-old cat to which I am very attached. I know her time will come soon. I don't want to take her to the vet to be put down because she is terrified of both vets and needles. I would l…
Red Wine And Hormone Replacement Therapy
Q. I heard today that red wine and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are a bad mix. Is this true and if so how come? I thought red wine was supposed to be good for you. A. Red wine in moderation has b…
Parkinson’s Drugs for Restless Leg Syndrom…
Q. My wife suffers unmercifully from Restless Leg Syndrome. Over the years physicians have prescribed a variety of medications, but only two worked. Both are powerful pain relievers--Talwin and Vicodi…
Laxatives And Diuretics No Way To Control Weight
Q. My niece takes laxatives and diuretics weekly to stay in drill team weight range. Is this dangerous? A. Both laxatives and diuretics (water pills) can deplete the body of essential minerals. If pot…