Safety First
What to know
before mixing drugs
Billions of people across the globe
take medications each day. Certain
medications can help people with
potentially debilitating or even deadly
conditions live normal lives, while
others can help people overcome relatively
minor issues like muscle aches
or seasonal allergies.
The American Heart Association
notes that mixing drugs can produce
unexpected side effects. This can
make it dangerous for people already
on prescription medications to use
over-the-counter drugs for issues
like headache or seasonal allergies.
Understanding the potential interactions
between their prescriptions and
common prescription and over-thecounter
medications can help people
stay safe.
• Antihistamines: Antihistamines are
widely used to alleviate symptoms
of the common cold or seasonal
allergies, such as runny nose, itchy
eyes and sneezing. The AHA notes
that, when taken along with blood
pressure medication, antihistamines
can contribute to an accelerated
heart rate and cause blood pressure
to spike. The AHA also cautions people
taking sedatives, tranquilizers
or prescriptions to treat high blood
pressure or depression to consult
their physicians before taking antihistamines.
• Bronchodilators: Bronchodilators
relax and open the airways in the
lungs and are used to treat various
lung conditions, such as asthma
and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, or COPD. These drugs make
it easier to breathe and are available
via prescriptions. But patients with
heart disease, high blood pressure,
thyroid disease, and/or diabetes
should discuss the potential interactions
between bronchodilators
and other medications they may be
taking with their physicians.
• Cordarone: According to Drugs.com,
Cordarone is used to treat potentially
deadly abnormal heartbeats.
Cordarone can cause severe problems
that affect the lungs, thyroid
or liver, and can be dangerous when
combined with other drugs. For example,
the AHA notes that patients
who take more than 20 milligrams
of Zocor, a drug used to lower “bad”
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