Preventing Food and Drug Interactions

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Preventing Food and Drug Interactions

• The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
  Service

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Possible Drug-Food Interactions

• Food can affect drug absorption
• Food can interfere with how a drug works

• A drug may affect food absorption or how vitamins
  or minerals are used by the body
• A drug can affect appetite

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Mix Food, Drink and Drugs Carefully

• Ask doctor questions
• Talk to pharmacist
• Read medicine labels
• Read printed material from pharmacy
• Read inserts provided by manufacturers

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The Responsibility is Yours!

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist about ALL your
  drugs
• Take all your drugs to each doctors appointment
  and review

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In General

• Take pills and capsules with a large glass of
  water

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Know Whether the Drug Should Be Taken on a Full
or Empty Stomach
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Dont mix a drug directly into a food or drink
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• Take NO Medicines with Alcohol !

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A New Concern - Grapefruit

• Can cause more of a drug to be absorbed from
  intestine even toxic levels
• May cause a drug not to work
• Also avoid tangelos

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Pain Medicine

• Dont take with alcohol to prevent stomach
  bleeding and irritation
• Dont have more than 3 drinks per day to prevent
  liver damage if taking Tylenol

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High Blood Pressure Medicine

• May need more or less potassium in your diet
  depending on the medicine
• Examples of high potassium foods bananas,
  oranges, potatoes, leafy green vegetables,
  tomatoes

Always Ask!
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Alcohol and Other Medicines for the Heart

• Can lower blood pressure too much with beta
  blockers and nitrate containing drugs
• Can cause liver damage with statin drugs

• Beta blocker Inderal, Lopressor
• Nitrates Nitro, Transderm Nitro, Isordil
• Statins Lipitor, Mevacor, Zocor, Prevachol

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Coumadin and Vitamin K

• Keep intake of foods containing Vitamin K
  constant
• Vitamin K is high in spinach, kale, turnip
  greens, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts
  and other leafy greens
• Also dont take Vitamin K or E supplements

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Flagyl or Nizoral

• No alcohol including medicines containing alcohol
  while taking the medicine and for 3 days after
  stopping
• Side effect nausea, flushing, stomach cramps,
  vomiting, headaches

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No Dairy Foods

• Tetracycline - also no iron supplements
• Antifungal medicines
• Examples Diflucan and Nizoral

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Medicines for Depression and Anxiety

• Never mix with alcohol with any of these drugs!
• Also caffeine may decrease the effectiveness of
  anti-anxiety drugs

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MOA Inhibitors

• Common brands Nardil and Parnate
• Must restrict some foods containing tyramine to
  prevent possible fatal rise in blood pressure

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MOA Inhibitors

• No beer, red wine or other alcohol
• No cheddar, American, bleu, brie, Parmesan or
  mozzarella cheese
• No beef or chicken liver, cured meats, game meat,
  caviar or dried fish

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MOA Inhibitors

• No avocados, bananas, soy sauce, miso soup,
  sauerkraut

• No ginseng, broad or fava beans or food or
  beverages containing caffeine like coffee,
  chocolate, cola drinks, tea

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Stomach Medicines

• Examples Zantac, Tagamet, Pepcid, AXID
• Alcohol and caffeine may irritate stomach

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In Summary

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all your
  medicines
• Take your medicines to every doctor visit

• Learn all you can about your drugs
• Use alcohol and caffeine very cautiously if at
  all
• Drink plenty of water