The drug may be less absorbed or even harmful if you eat banana, meat, cheese, drink milk or juice. What to eat and what to avoid to make the drug effective?
Carbohydrates ,fats , dairy,fibermay impair performancedrugs . It is therefore worth knowing what interactions between drugs and the daily diet.
Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates should be the main source of energy, but it is worth limiting them during infection. They can reduce the effects of antibiotics and antiviral medications. They bind with them to form hardly absorbable particles. As a result, the concentration of the drug substance in the blood decreases, with the consequence that the drug has little or no effect. Therefore, it is better not to take the medicine during or just after eating peas, rice, pasta, groats or bread.
Fat
They are needed for the production of hormones and enzymes, they are the key to metabolic changes, they enable the transport of vitamins. But they also increase the absorption of certain preparations. The combination of theophylline, which is found in medications to reduce breathlessness, with fatty meats can end up with heart rhythm disturbances, a drop in blood pressure, headache, and insomnia. The collision of preparations from the group of blockers, recommended e.g. in arrhythmia, with fats may slow down the heart rate, lead to arterial hypotension, even heart failure. Fat-containing meals, especially of animal origin, in combination with certain antidepressants lead to a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, sleep disturbances, even seizures.
If you are taking medication, limit fried foods, fatty meat and fish (mackerel, eel, salmon), butter, lard, and fatty milk in your diet. Better to replace them with chicken or skinless turkey, veal, poultry sausage, pollock, hake, zander, lean dairy.
Dairy
The calcium in dairy products reacts with some antibiotics (such as tetracyclines) to form calcium s alts that are insoluble in water. As a result, the drug is only partially absorbed. Taking an antibiotic with yogurt or kefir can reduce its effect by up to half. In the case of some preparations recommended for osteoporosis, it is even worse - the company of cottage cheese or milk causes the preparation to be completely excreted from
Taking medications containing bisacodyl just before, after and during milk meals may not only reduce or eliminate their effects, but also cause nausea and abdominal pain.
Do not take calcium supplements while taking medications that interact with calcium.
fiber
It regulates digestion, protects against obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, but also may interact adversely with some medications. High-fiber meals, by reducing the absorption of tricyclic antidepressants, can significantly inhibit their effect and thus aggravate depression.
Taking cardiac glycosides of digitalis in the company of oatmeal, wholemeal bread or bran may exacerbate cardiovascular failure. Dietary fiber reduces the absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, D, E, and B vitamins. By taking medications that interact with fiber, limit your intake of bran, linseed, beans, cereals, wholemeal bread, apples , currants.
Beware of tyramine
Tofu, maturing brie cheeses, raisins, figs, very ripe bananas and avocados, smoked fish, sausages, livers and pates, sauerkraut, alcohol-free beer and chocolate share a common feature - they contain tyramine, a substance that is formed in time of decomposition of proteins in long-stored or fermenting food. Its interactions with certain medications can cause a sharp rise in blood pressure, palpitations, agitation, headache, dizziness, and vomiting. Such complications most often occur in the case of tyramine collisions, e.g. with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, used in the treatment of depression, and with some anti-tuberculosis drugs. The combination with preparations administered in the case of gastrointestinal infections is also risky.
During the treatment, choose fresh products and it's best not to eat out in the city. Do not take medications immediately before, during, and after eating tyramine-containing treats, such as chocolate and blue cheeses.
Alcohol
Even an innocent drink can inhibit the metabolic changes of some drugs, causing an increase in their concentration in the blood and, consequently, undesirable side effects. This applies, for example, to sedatives, hypnotics, antidepressants, and neuroleptics. Combining them with alcohol may cause dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, impaired concentration and coordination of movements, in extreme cases coma and respiratory depression. Interactions sometimes occur even when the alcohol is drunk the day after taking the preparation. If you are taking medications to reduce blood clottingblood, remember that alcohol multiplies their effects, and this may cause bleeding.
Alcohol also enhances the calming effect of antiallergic and analgesic drugs, causing imbalance, drowsiness, muscle spasms, and lack of coordination. If you take an antibiotic, a hundred vodka will reduce its effectiveness by 25%. and you may get allergies. In the case of oral antidiabetic drugs, the low blood sugar level will last longer and the heart may be disturbed, with heart drugs, blood pressure drops dangerously. The combination of alcohol with acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen or paracetamol can damage the stomach, liver and kidneys. Alcohol also inhibits the absorption of calcium. Regularly drinking drinks and taking vitamin A can end up damaging the liver, and vitamin E - making it fatty. It is best to give up all drinks, especially strong ones, during the treatment. And if you need to take any medications constantly, ask your doctor if you can indulge in a drink every now and then.
Citrus juices
They contain valuable flavonoids, which, however, interfere with the metabolism of drugs in the liver or small intestine. Especially rich in these substances is grapefruit and red orange juice. As a result, the concentration of the drug in the blood increases several times, and this may result in poisoning. The combination of juices (fruit) with antihistamines may lead to cardiac arrhythmias, with preparations used in the treatment of cardiological diseases, the so-called calcium channel blockers - a sharp decrease in blood pressure and headaches.
Certain drugs that lower blood cholesterol, sedatives, may interact with grapefruit juice. Taking cyclosporin with citrus juice sometimes leads to a drastic increase in pressure and seizures.
It is best not to drink grapefruit juice or eat citrus 4 hours before and after taking the medicine, and do not take preparations containing grapefruit or orange extracts during the treatment. But if the medications you are taking do not interact with citrus fruits, do not eliminate these fruits from your diet. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and minerals necessary for he alth.
Caffeine
It is found not only in coffee or tea, but also in many cola and energy drinks. This stimulating substance can intensify the body's reaction to certain preparations many times. This is especially true for drugs that contain caffeine. The combination of beverages with a high caffeine content with these drugs leads to agitation, insomnia, acceleration of the heartbeat, headache.
If you drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day and take the drugcontaining theophylline (e.g. they are administered in bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis), do not be surprised if you have a headache, heart palpitations and you will have a sleepless night. Caffeine may increase the analgesic effect of acetylsalicylic acid and aminophenazone, preparations used in upper respiratory tract infections, pain and fever. To avoid this, you should significantly limit caffeinated drinks during the treatment and it is essential to keep at least a 2-hour interval between drinking the drink and taking the drug.
For the medications you take to work well …
If it is advisable to take the drug while eating, choose foods that are low in ingredients that may interfere with its effect (fat, carbohydrate or fiber).