Drug Interactions: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Drug interactions can be mild or severe, depending upon the drugs. In some cases, diet and lifestyle can also play an important role in the effectiveness of a drug.

Many people take a variety of drugs at the same time. When a patient consults many different doctors at the same time, for instance, a family doctor, gynecologist, and dermatologist, the patient does not always inform each doctor of all the medications they are taking. As a result, patients experience drug interactions, which present themselves as "side effects".

In some cases, these side effects may be severe. So, what typically happens is, the patient will consult their family doctor or another doctor about the side effect without informing the doctor about the drugs he or she is taking, and the doctor will, unknowingly, prescribe another drug to treat the side effect. Before you know it, the patient is taking so many drugs and experiencing so many side effects that the patient has turned into a walking time bomb.

Drug interactions may occur immediately or over time, depending upon the drugs. Because many studies have only compared interactions with one other drug, very little is known about how all the commonly used drugs interact with each other.

Although not everyone experiences side effects, many drug interactions can be monitored and doses adjusted to minimize or eliminate adverse events.

So, how do you prevent drug interactions? When consulting your doctor about a new illness or injury, it is imperative to inform your doctor of all the drugs you are currently taking, including OTC and herbal or vitamin supplements. Remember, many OTC drugs may contain the same active ingredient, resulting in an over-dose.

Each time you see a doctor, put all your drugs, including any OTC drugs, into a brown bag. Take the bag with you for your doctor’s review. Also, each time your doctor prescribes a new drug, ask him or her if there will be any possible drug interactions. It is also a good idea to do a "once-over" of all your medications during your annual check-up. Read OTC drug labels. Any known drug interactions will be listed. You can also do your own "check-up" by going to Drug Digest or Health Discovery and entering the drugs you are currently taking. The websites will identify any possible drug interactions.

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Recommended Readings:

Editorial Review Excerpt: This booklet will help you and your healthcare provider avoid the risk of a dangerous drug-drug interaction. Each drug interaction description includes a brief summary of the interaction and specific recommendations on how to avoid possible adverse outcomes by proper management. Alternative drugs to consider that would avoid the interaction are included. Interactions between drugs and herbal products are also described. A table listing the metabolic pathway and any enzyme induction or inhibition for over 250 common drugs is included. The index lists drugs by both their generic and trade names for easy reference.