Drug interactions can occur any time an individual is taking two or more different medicines. The physician prescribing the drugs is the best person to ask about possible interactions with other medications. If the individual is taking...
OxyContin is one of the trade name for the powerful painkiller called oxycodone hydrochloride. Purdue Pharma manufactures OxyContin. In 10 years as of this writing, emergency-room visits related to OxyContin have jumped more than 100 percent,...
Digoxin (Lanoxin), derived from the digitalis plant, is a cardiac medicine that controls the force, timing, pattern and fluid levels of the heart and blood vessels. Digoxin is considered the most widely used cardiac medicine for heart failure and...
Adipex is a stimulant medication that doctors may prescribe to help obese individuals lose weight. Although the medication may benefit obese individuals, it can produce undesirable or dangerous effects when taken at the same time as certain other...
The concept of medications interacting with each other is a fairly well known one. However, the potential interaction between certain medications and certain foods is perhaps not as obvious. The interaction between grapefruit--in the form of the...
If you are on medications, you need to be aware of how different supplements or components of your diet may affect the way your medications work in your body. When it comes to fiber, some medications may increase the need for soluble fiber, while...
Folic acid, a water-soluble B-complex vitamin, helps your body produce and maintain new cells, especially blood cells and platelets. It also helps prevent mutations in DNA that may lead to cancer and treats folic acid deficiency and certain types...
Metformin belongs to a group of drugs known as biguanides. It is often prescribed to lower blood sugar in diabetics. This class of drugs lowers blood sugar by affecting its absorption from the intestines, production in the liver and improving the...
Vitamin D supplements are needed by people who do not get sufficient sunlight. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, the body makes vitamin D after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. However,...
B vitamin complex supplements usually contain all eight B vitamins -- including B12 and B6. Some of these B vitamins may interact with other drugs or supplements. In some cases, the vitamins lower the efficacy of the drug. In other cases, the drug...
Compounds in grapefruit juice or in products made from grapefruit can interact with certain types of prescription medications. These interactions may inhibit enzymes needed to metabolize or break down the medication and thus enable its removal...
Lithium is an anti-manic drug used to treat and prevent episodes of mania in patients with bipolar disorder, a condition that causes episodes of depression and episodes of mania. Lithium is also used to treat schizophrenia and severe depression....
If you have high levels of bad, or LDL, cholesterol, you might benefit from treatment with red yeast rice. This herbal treatment is developed by allowing Monascus purpureus -- a type of yeast -- to ferment over red rice. Despite its purported...
Drug interaction refers to the change that occurs in medication resulting from other substances interacting with the medication. Aids.org notes that prescription drug dosages are catered to meet the needs of the symptoms being treated. Use of...
Pharmaceutical drugs are used for a variety of reasons in medicine. Drugs can be used therapeutically to treat diseases or symptoms; preventively or even as a diagnostic agent helpful in the initial diagnosis of a disease. The Center for Disease...
With its lightly sweet aroma and tart flavor, pineapple is a nutritious snack packed with vitamin C. The aromatic fruit can be skewered onto a fruit kabob, blended into a smoothie or grilled and used to top a decadent dessert. But if you are...
Viagra, chemically known as sildenafil, is a prescription medication used for treating erectile dysfunction. Men with erectile dysfunction have inadequate blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to form and sustain an erection. Viagra relaxes...
Ambien is a prescription sleep medication used for the treatment of insomnia. It works by affecting the chemicals in the brain that cause a person to experience difficultly falling asleep or staying asleep. Although this medication may prove...
Calcium is an important mineral needed to help strengthen bones and teeth, and it also plays a role in regulating muscle and nerve function. Many people take calcium supplements to prevent calcium deficiency. Calcium supplements, however,...
Acetaminophen is the generic name for the brand drug Tylenol. While more than 130 drugs are known to have some interaction with acetaminophen, many of these are minor effects. In addition, some of these drugs are no longer commonly prescribed....
Omega-3 fatty acids are valued for their anti-inflammatory effects. Adding more of this essential fatty acid to your diet can help protect your heart from disease and may reduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Before taking omega-3...
Modafinil, which is marketed as Provigil, is prescribed to increase daytime wakefulness in patients with sleep disorders, including narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. Provigil can inhibit enzymes, called cytochromes, that break down drugs,...
Drug interactions occur from drug-drug, drug-food and drug-supplement antagonistic reactions. Shiew-Mei Huang, Ph.D. of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that people should discuss their medications, diet and supplements with health...
Milk thistle is a member of the sunflower family. Benefits, side effects and drug interactions are mainly caused by two chemicals: sylibin and sylimarin, both derived from the black seed of the plant. These chemicals act as antioxidants and...
On a hot summer day, a cold glass of grapefruit juice or having grapefruit with your breakfast can be refreshing. If you are taking certain medications, however, it can be dangerous. There is a chemical in this fruit and its juice called...
Fish oil has become a popular over-the-counter supplement used to improve heart health. Fish oil, which is derived from fatty fish, contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties....
What you eat and drink can affect the way medications work. Some foods make your medication too effective, such as grapefruit juice when taken with cholesterol medication, while other foods make your medication less effective, such as vitamin...
Considered a supplement and therefore unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, fish oil capsules may cause minor and occasionally serious side effects. Though the supplement is likely safe for most adults at lower doses, some drug...
Coenzyme Q10, or coQ10, is a naturally occurring antioxidant that is essential in the production of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is the central energy source that drives the majority of necessary cellular biological processes. Although...
