Avoid these foods when taking your prescription drugs
Certain foods may interfere with how a drug is processed by your body. This is called a food-drug interaction. It can be a problem with prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
“Food-drug interactions can cause the medication to not work effectively. They may also cause potentially deadly side effects,” says Meredith Mishan, M.S., R.D.N., a licensed dietitian.
Who is most at risk of food-drug interactions?
You’ll want to be aware of possible food-drug interactions when taking any kind of medication. But it’s especially important if you have any serious health conditions. This includes chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, says Shinta Galej, M.S., R.D.N. Galej is a registered dietitian nutritionist in Queens, New York.
People with these conditions are likely to be on multiple medications. And these medications can interact with certain foods or supplements, Galej says. This may make the drug less likely to work. It may also lead to increased blood pressure. Or it may harm your liver, she says.
It’s the liver that’s responsible for processing anything in your blood. That includes medications.
What foods might interact with prescription drugs?
Talk to your doctor about what you should and shouldn’t be eating with your medication. Ask, too, how long after taking a drug you should wait to eat these foods.
Here are some common foods may interact with meditations:
- Grapefruit. The most common food that interacts with medications is grapefruit. This includes eating grapefruit or drinking its juice. One of the most common types of medication that grapefruit can interact with is high blood pressure medication.The problem with grapefruit: It can affect the amount of medication absorbed by your body. The result: More or less of the medication may remain in the blood, increasing your risk of side effects or making the medicine less effective.Grapefruit can also interact with a number of other drugs besides high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart, and thyroid medications.Instead, water is the best option to take with these medications.
- Leafy greens. It’s not spinach, kale and lettuce that are the problem. It’s what these leafy greens contain. That’s vitamin K. This nutrient is not only found in leafy greens. It’s also found in other green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage.Vitamin K is a nutrient that’s essential for blood clotting. That’s why foods with vitamin K may interfere with blood thinning or anticoagulant drugs. (Blood thinners and anticoagulants both help you avoid blood clots.)“People on this drug think they can’t eat anything green such as spinach and kale,” Mishan says. But that isn’t the case. What’s important is eating a consistent amount of vitamin K foods daily. That way, your doctor can give you the proper dose of blood thinners or anticoagulants. If you are on this kind of medication and plan to change the amount of vitamin K foods you eat, speak with your doctor first, says Mishan.
- Milk, cheese and yogurt. You may want to be careful with cheeses when taking certain antidepressants. Tyramine, an amino acid, is found in aged cheeses, such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan, and it may interact with a specific type of antidepressant called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, says Mishan. Taking it with this antidepressant may cause headaches, changes in your vision, chest pain and more.Dairy products also contain potassium. Foods high in potassium — such as milk and yogurt, as well as bananas and potatoes — may interfere with diuretics and ACE inhibitors.Need health insurance? Call a licensed insurance agent at (866) 407-1403 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.
- Alcohol, such as beer and wine. Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs can both interact with alcohol.Drinking alcohol while taking medications can intensify a drug’s effects. This may cause reactions such as nausea and vomiting, headaches and fainting. It may also cause more serious problems such as internal bleeding and heart problems.Alcohol may also interact with medications even if you don’t take them together. So, be sure to talk to your doctor about how and when a glass of wine or beer may affect your medication.
- Herbs, such as chamomile. This is particularly important for anyone taking blood thinners or anticoagulants. That’s because chamomile may increase the risk of bleeding, explains Galej.Ginseng is another herb to be wary of when taking medications. This herb is found in many energy drinks. It also may reduce the effects of certain blood thinners, says Galej.Other herbs may interfere with anticoagulants too. These include, ginger, gingko biloba, turmeric and St. John’s wort.
When to talk to your doctor
It’s always important to talk to your doctor about potential food-drug interactions. This is particularly true whenever you start a new medication.
And keep in mind that just because a food interferes with a drug doesn’t mean you can never eat it. Sometimes it may be a matter of adjusting when and how often you do so.
Your doctor may also be able to make some adjustments. “Sometimes, providers may be able to adjust medication dosages. Or they may suggest alternative medications,” adds Galej. “Open communication with your health care team is key.”
