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It’s not uncommon today for you to take more than one medication at a time. What can happen when you do this is for these drugs to interact with one another. Even if you are taking only prescribed one medication and you mix it with an herbal supplement or an over-the-counter painkiller, you may risk drug interaction. This may lead to unwelcome side effects, less efficacy or increased action of the drugs. It makes sense to take time to learn more about drug interactions and how to help prevent the possibility of them occurring.

Research

Researchers at the University of Illinois tracked more than 2,000 Americans with an average age of just over 70. In the survey group it was found that for every six adults, one was at risk of major drug-drug interactions. The researchers reported in JAMA Internal Medicine that they found 93 potentially harmful drug combinations, based on 40 of the most commonly used drugs and supplements. Fifteen of these were potentially life-threatening.

Varied levels of interaction

Some interactions are not as severe as others but may still pose some dangers by slowing down your reactions. This may happen when taking an antihistamine for allergies and a sedative to help you sleep or when combining drugs and alcohol.

Taking an anticoagulant like warfarin with aspirin which thins the blood could have a more serious effect such as uncontrolled bleeding.

An even more hazardous combination would be to give patients with heart failure a combination of medications which improve blood flow with those that inhibit clotting.

The factors contributing to the severity of a reaction include drug dosage and frequency, the type of interaction, liver and kidney function and age. Older adults metabolize drugs less effectively than younger people.

Interaction with supplements and herbal products

Another type of interaction could occur between supplements and conventional drugs. Many people think of dietary supplements and herbal products as being safe because they are natural, but they can cause harmful side effects when combined with prescription medications. One of these is the popular herbal supplement, St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) which can cause tremors, fever, confusion, and anxiety when taken with antidepressants.

Suffering from certain medical conditions may even make some drugs harmful to you.  An example of this type of interaction could be for someone with very high blood pressure to use a nasal decongestant.

Lowering your risks

Relationship with your doctor: It’s in your best interest to develop a good relationship with your primary care physician. You should inform your doctor about all natural products, over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements you take. Past surveys have found that patients may not think about mentioning supplements to their physicians. Always alert your primary care physician if other health care professionals prescribe a new drug for you.