Question Contest: Rilah
Terra, of Eating Disorder Talk asked me about medication interactions for the recent question contest I ran. While her question was specific with regards to the types of medication she is taking/has taken for her cyclothymia, obsessive-compulsive & attention-deficit disorders, I am going to provide some resources for you that will help you check your own medication interaction risks.
Drug Digest allows you to type in which medications you are currently (or have previously) taken and then shows you the possible interactions with drugs as well as with food & alcohol. Drug Digest will also tell you about the documentation level and the severity of the interactions. Playing around with it a bit, I give you the following information:
*Effexor + St. John’s Wort = “Both alcohol and St. John’s wort relax the central nervous system. When they are used together, the risk of excessive sedation and other side effects is increased.” and “Serotonin, a type of chemical that is called a neurotransmitter, is responsible for sending signals from one nerve cell to another. Both venlafaxine and St. John’s Wort increase blood levels of serotonin in the brain. A lack of serotonin has been associated with depression. However, when serotonin levels are higher than normal, you may be more likely to experience side effects such as nausea, vomiting, agitation, restlessness, headache, or dizziness.” In other words, don’t take St. John’s Wort with Effexor unless you’ve been specifically instructed to do so by your physician.
*Oxycodone + Viagra = “Oxycodone may prolong the effects of sildenafil leading to a prolonged erection following orgasm.” “Sildenafil in Viagra may interact with grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice may block the breakdown of sildenafil by the liver. If this happens, blood levels of sildenafil could be increased and that could increase the risk for side effects.” Honestly though, if your back hurts that bad, you probably shouldn’t be trying to have sex anyway. Avoid an Oxycodone & Viagra cocktail please.
*Accutane + Acetaminophen Suppositories = “Both alcohol (ethanol) and acetaminophen can cause damage to the liver. The risk of experiencing liver damage may be increased when alcohol and acetaminophen are used together.” Looks like you can put Tylenol in your rear and still take your acne medication.
Other sites like Drug Digest include:
Drugs.com - not as user-friendly, but still provides a wealth of information
Health A-Z - keeps a running list of drugs for you if you’re taking multiple pills
RxList - an internet drug index with loads of information about any drug you wish to educate yourself on
FDA Drug Interactions Website - the FDA has a “what you should know” about drug interactions page as well
Food + Medications Interaction - only taking one medication? It could still react with the food you eat. Check this page out for that information!
When it comes to taking medications, it’s imperative to always follow your physicians instructions. The back of over-the-counter medications always says to contact your physician if you are taking such & such drug, and actually doing so could save your life!
mental & emotional health, eating disorder talk online, Terra Atrill, medications, medication interaction, drug interaction, Effexor, St. John’s Wort, Oxycodone, Viagra, Accutane, Tylenol, acetaminophen suppositories, FDA drug warnings, physician’s advice
(I am VERY interested to see if I get loads of spam on this post due to my mention of certain drugs!)
September 7th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
2 other sites that I think are indispensible: http://www.safefetus.com and Dr. Hale’s medications & the mother’s milk forums. The former is for pregnant women, they can check the safety of a medication and its possible effects on the unborn, and the latter is the official forum of Thomas W. Hale, the doctor who wrote “Medications and Mother’s Milk.” Most doctors and pharmacists just tell you what’s in the drug insert packet, which may not necessarily be what is true for the drug, in terms of safety; for instance, most antibiotics - including those GIVEN TO INFANTS - say to not give them to nursing mothers. Hale’s book and forum gives nursing moms more accurate information, including safe dosages, possible alternatives, and interaction warnings.
September 8th, 2007 at 2:17 am
Ugh. Spam comments suck so much!
This was a great question and a very helpful response. Thanks for gathering these resources and sharing them
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:46 pm
More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. Not much on my mind today. Today was a total loss. My mind is like a bunch of nothing, but maybe tomorrow. So it goes. I just don’t have much to say recently, but whatever.