Family Living Focus: Avoid Drug Interactions – Part I

Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor
Emeritus, University of Minnesota

Many older adults take medications prescribed by more than one physician and
some take medications that were prescribed more than six months ago.  This
is one reason why caregivers need to be aware of the potential for drug
interactions.  There may be times when multiple medications are needed to
manage symptoms or provide relief in some form.  Interactions occur when
medications do not work in tandem with one another and instead one of the
drugs or both of them together adversely affect your loved one’s health.

Prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications should both be
considered when looking at drug interactions.  Herbal remedies and food
interactions can be a source of concern as well. Drug reactions are just as
critical as interactions since they can cause problems for the patient as
well.

Multiple Medication Interactions:

Drug interactions are often a concern for people since as they age, they
tend to take even more medications.  What most people do not realize is that
common OTC medications can cause serious drug interactions as well.  For
this reason alone, it is critical to take a complete list of medications to
both your doctor and your pharmacist.

Some patients may think it is “overkill” to provide the list to both the
doctor and the pharmacist.  Many think that since the doctor prescribes
medication, he/she should know the interactions to look for but this is not
always the case.

Pharmacists train in medication and specialize in learning about
interactions.  It is best to check with both of them just to be sure that
nothing can adversely affect your loved one’s health. Experts use this
explanation as a basis for suggesting that individuals use the same pharmacy
each time they have a prescription filled.  The pharmacy keeps records and
flags the account for possible drug interactions.  Bring a record of any OTC
medications that your loved one takes as well so that your pharmacist can
have a complete record of medications given at home.

Almost all pharmacies provide printed resources with each prescription.
Read these resources carefully and pay close attention to the side effects
and possible drug interactions.  If you need to ask a question about the
medication, it helps to take the resource to the doctor with you.  You can
also call the pharmacist with your question to be sure that the medicine
your loved one was prescribed is one that can be safely taken without
causing problems with other medications.

Some of the interactions that may occur include:

1. One medication can increase or decrease the effectiveness of another.

2. Taking two medications can produce one interaction that can be dangerous
for the patient.

3. Taking two medications that are similar can produce one reaction that is
greater than one would normally expect.

Depending on the condition being treated, your physician may suggest not
taking particular OTC medications.  Make sure that the physician treating
you is aware of all health conditions which may affect the medications you
need to take.

Herbal Remedies:

While there are some individuals who have found tremendous health benefits
from taking herbal remedies, caregivers should still be concerned when
considering their use.  Just because an herbal remedy touts that it is
all-natural does not mean that it is safe.  Some of these herbal products
can cause dangerous interactions with medications that you may be taking.

Also, do not take an herbal remedy for the same condition for which
medication has already been prescribed unless approved by the doctor.  Write
down any herbal remedies along with other medications that you are taking to
be certain that the doctor has an accurate picture of everything that is
taken at home.

If you feel it necessary to take an herbal remedy, consult your loved one’s
physician first. Exercise caution when reading labels.  Some remedies have
been found to contain so little of an herb that it is nothing more than a
placebo.

Watch for more Family Living Focus information from Gail Gilman, Family Life
Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus – University of Minnesota
in next week’s paper.