Drug Interactions: What You Need to Know

You might know that certain prescription medications can interact with one another and cause potentially harmful side effects. But did you know that interactions can occur not only with prescription medications, but also with over-the-counter medications, supplements, and foods and beverages? Medications can even interact with diseases or conditions you may have. Fortunately, with a little careful planning, you can avoid serious drug interactions.

Types of Drug Interactions

There are 3 basic types of drug interactions:

Symptoms of Drug Interactions

The most common symptoms of drug interactions tend to be less serious and include the following:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Lightheadedness

More serious—but less common—symptoms and results of drug interactions include the following:

• Sharp increase or decrease in blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat
• Buildup of toxins that could damage vital organs, such as the liver or heart

Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you experience any unusual side effect after taking a medication, no matter how mild or severe.

How to Avoid Drug Interactions

The key to avoiding drug interactions is to become informed about the potential interactions between all the drugs and dietary supplements you take by talking with your doctor and pharmacist.

Some steps you can take include:

• Read the labels of all over-the-counter and prescription medications and dietary supplements carefully. Pay particular attention to the correct dosage and to the potential side effects and interactions associated with the drug or supplement.
• Make sure you understand the benefits as well as the potential risks of any medication you are taking. Look specifically for the warning labels of over-the-counter medications.
• Keep a record of all the medications and supplements you take, and share it with all the doctors and pharmacists involved in your care.
• Talk to your doctor before taking any new medication or supplement.
• Use one pharmacy for all your prescription medications.
• Ask your pharmacist whether you should take a particular medication with food or on an empty stomach and if there are any foods or beverages that could interact with the drug.
• Report any side effects you experience from any medications to your doctor or pharmacist.
• Take medications only as directed and do not take any medications that were prescribed for someone else.
• Purchase supplements and vitamins from a reputable source.
• Look for a United States Pharmacopeia (USP) notation on the bottle of your supplement. USP is an organization that sets standards for prescription and OTC medications, healthcare products, food ingredients, and supplements.

Revision Information

• Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
• Update Date: 05/01/2017