WHEN it comes to remembering to take your medicine, it can be helpful to follow certain tips.
You might be one of those people who takes your pills with your morning cup of coffee or tea.
But certain medications may not pair best with your morning cup of Joe, which can lessen their effectiveness or even cause unpleasant side effects.
“Caffeine can interact with a number of medications, potentially causing adverse effects or decreasing the effectiveness of the medications,” Jacquie Lee, drug safety officer and information pharmacist at Numark, told The Sun.
“Patients should keep their caffeine intake reasonably stable and moderate to alleviate any adverse effects or interactions with regular medications,” she said.
“If patients wish to reduce or eliminate caffeine from their diet, they should seek advice from their doctor to check any potential effects this may have on their regular medications.”
Jacquie named seven medications you should avoid or be careful with when taking with coffee – from blood pressure medications to antibiotics and asthma medications.
1. Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a medicine used to treat hypotension – also known as low blood pressure, when the force of blood against artery walls is too low.
Some nasal sprays to relieve congestion used to contain ephedrine – they are no longer sold in the UK but may still be available in other countries, according to Patient.info.
Jacquie warned that combining the drug with coffee could cause unwanted and sometimes serious side effects.
“Ephedrine, when combined with caffeine, is known to cause hypertensive crises, subarachnoid hemorrhage and, in some cases, psychosis,” she said.
“Caffeine needs to be avoided in patients taking this medication,” warned Jacquie.
A hypertensive crisis is a sudden and severe increase in blood pressure, which causes chest pain, shortness of breath, blurred vision, dizziness and vomiting.
You should seek help immediately if you think you are experiencing a hypertensive emergency.
Meanwhile, subarachnoid hemorrhage is an uncommon type of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain.
The NHS warns you should call 999 in this medical emergency, which causes symptoms such as:
- A sudden, intense headache unlike anything you’ve ever felt before
- A stiff neck
- Feeling and being sick
- Light sensitivity
- Blurred or double vision
- Stroke-like symptoms – such as slurred speech and weakness on one side of the body
- Loss of consciousness or convulsions (uncontrollable shaking)
2. ADHD Medications
The medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and amphetamines are both stimulants – a class of medications that improve brain activity.
Jacquie warned against mixing medications with coffee, due to the risk of enhancing their effects.
“Stimulants – such as amphetamines or ADHD medications – can increase effects such as increased heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety when combined with caffeine, which itself is a stimulant,” said the pharmacist.
3. Asthma medications
Bronchodilators are a type of medicine that makes breathing easier by relaxing the muscles in the lungs and dilating the airways.
They are often used to treat conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a group of lung diseases often caused by smoking, says the NHS.
Caffeine can actually act as a mild bronchiodilator.
According to Jacquie: “Bronchodilators – such as theophylline – along with drinking drinks that contain caffeine can increase theophylline levels.
“Similarly, removing caffeine-containing foods from the diet may reduce the duration of effective action of each dose of theophylline.”
4. Insomnia medications
Benzodiazepines are a type of sedative medication that slows down body and brain functions.
They can be used to help treat anxiety and insomnia, according to Mental Health charity Mind.
A class of medications known as Z medications may also be prescribed for sleep problems.
Diazepam and zopiclone are some common examples, according to Jacquie, who warned not to take them with coffee.
“With benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, caffeine appears to antagonize the sedative – and possibly anxiolytic – effects of these medications,” the drug expert explained.
5. Blood pressure medications
Beta blockers – such as propranolol and atenolol – and calcium channel blockers, including verapamil, are medicines used to reduce high blood pressure.
Jacquie noted that both can interact with caffeine.
“Caffeine can oppose the effects of beta blockers and increase blood pressure,” she warned.
“There is no need to avoid moderate intake, but it seems better to avoid excessive intake.”
How to lower blood pressure
Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) puts additional pressure on your blood vessels, heart, and other organs and can increase your risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Here’s how to reduce it.
Reduce salt
It is recommended that adults limit their salt intake to 6g per day (about a level teaspoon) to avoid health consequences, including high blood pressure.
The main tip is to change table salt, according to the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study, replacing it with an alternative with reduced sodium and added potassium.
Reduce alcohol consumption
Excessive drinking can narrow blood vessels, which increases your risk of high blood pressure.
Official alcohol consumption guidelines advise that people should not regularly drink more than 14 units per week to keep health risks from alcohol low.
Move yourself
Exercise is good for your heart and blood vessels.
While guidelines recommend 150 minutes of activity per week, if you’re currently very inactive, just a walk to the store every day is better than nothing, and you can work your way up from there.
Studies suggest that isometric exercises — when you hold your body in one position without moving, such as wall squats or planks — are best for lowering blood pressure.
Stop smoking
Smoking cigarettes is a killer. It makes arteries sticky and narrow, which can cause blockages.
Although smoking is not a direct cause of high blood pressure, it can cause an instantaneous increase in blood pressure, heart rate and reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the body’s cells.
Skip coffee
Unfortunately, caffeine can cause a short but dramatic rise in blood pressure — even if you don’t have high blood pressure.
Therefore, reducing coffee consumption is recommended as a lifestyle tip for those with hypertension.
Lose weight
The tips above can help you lose weight, which is beneficial because being overweight in itself is a risk factor for high blood pressure.
Excess weight forces the heart to work harder to pump blood around the body, which can increase blood pressure.
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test. All adults over the age of 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
As for calcium channel blockers, they can increase the concentration of caffeine in the blood.
As a result, drinks such as tea, coffee, cola and some medications – such as painkillers that contain caffeine – can cause adverse effects when combined with the medications, such as nervousness or insomnia.
“If this becomes problematic, it may be advisable to reduce your caffeine intake,” said Jacquie.
6. Antibiotics
Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infection.
It may be worth reducing your caffeine intake when taking a common class of antibiotics, Jacquie added.
“Quinolone antibiotics – such as ciprofloxacin – can increase the effects of caffeine,” she explained.
You may be advised to limit your caffeine intake — including tea, coffee and colas — if you experience adverse effects, according to your pharmacist.
7. Diuretics
Finally, Jacquie mentioned diuretics as medications to watch out for in combination with coffee.
Diuretics are sometimes called “water pills” because they make you urinate more to help get rid of excess fluid in your body.
“The effects of diuretics, such as furosemide, can be worsened when taken together with caffeine, she said.
“Caffeine also has diuretic properties.”
Furosemide is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and fluid buildup in the body called edema.
Food and drug combinations to avoid
Tea and coffee aren’t just drinks that you need to be careful about combining with some medications.
Drinks like grapefruit juice – along with some foods – can make a difference in how our bodies process medications.
Some drug and food combinations can even result in blood clots or liver damage.
Here are some to know:
- Grapefruit and statins – the fruit or juice may increase the risk of side effects from cholesterol-lowering medicines
- Dairy and antibiotics – milk, cheese and yogurt can interfere with the absorption of antibiotics
- Green leaves and anticoagulants – kale, spinach and romaine lettuce can reverse the effects of blood-thinning medications such as warfarin by increasing blood clotting
- Drink and painkillers – some painkillers can cause dizziness, drowsiness, liver damage and other serious complications when combined with alcohol
Read more about drug and food combinations to be careful with here.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
