Things That Can Affect Your Medication
 

Things That Can Affect Your Medication



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pill box

11 / 16

Some Things Don’t Mix Well

You may know that some medicines don’t work well together. But what you eat and drink can have an effect on some drugs, too. Before you take a medication for the first time, talk with your doctor or pharmacist to see if there’s anything you should stay away from.





Halved grapefruit

11 / 16

Grapefruit

This citrus fruit changes the way certain cells in your gut take in and move medication through your body -- it can affect more than 50 drugs. It can make some, like fexofenadine (Allegra) for allergies, less effective and make others too strong, including ones that lower your cholesterol like atorvastatin (Lipitor).





glass milk

11 / 16

Milk

This dairy product can make it harder for your body to process certain antibiotics. Minerals in milk like calcium and magnesium are part of the reason, along with the protein casein. If you’re taking antibiotics, make sure to find out about the foods or beverages you should stay away from.





black licorice

11 / 16

Licorice

Some people use this as an herbal remedy to help with digestion, and others use it to flavor foods. But glycyrrhizin, a chemical in licorice, can weaken the effect of some drugs, including cyclosporine, used to keep people who’ve had transplants from rejecting their new organs.





dark chocolate

11 / 16

Chocolate

Dark chocolate in particular can weaken the effects of drugs meant to calm you down or make you sleep, like zolpidem tartrate (Ambien). It also can boost the power of some stimulant drugs, like methylphenidate (Ritalin). And if you take an MAO inhibitor, used to treat depression, it can make your blood pressure dangerously high.





iron supplement pills

11 / 16

Iron Supplement

This can lower the effects of levothyroxine (Synthroid), a medicine that gives you thyroid hormone when your body doesn’t make enough (a condition called hypothyroidism). If you take this medication and a multivitamin, check to see if the vitamin has iron in it. If you need an iron supplement, ask your doctor about taking it and your medication at different times.





Pill bottle

11 / 16

Alcohol

This makes certain drugs less effective or even useless, including some blood pressure and heart medicines. It also can make others stronger than they should be or cause dangerous side effects.





drinking coffee

11 / 16

Coffee

It can weaken antipsychotic drugs like lithium and clozapine, but boost the effects -- and side effects -- of others. Those include aspirin, epinephrine (used to treat serious allergic reactions), and albuterol (taken by inhaler for breathing problems). It can also make it harder for your body to take in and use iron.





Doctor and patient

11 / 16

Antihistamines

These help with the sneezing and runny nose caused by allergies, but some of them can make medication for high blood pressure less effective and raise your heart rate. Talk to your doctor about other ways to manage your allergies if you take blood pressure medicine.





Reading drug label

11 / 16

Anti-Epileptic Drugs (AEDs)

These control seizures in people who have epilepsy. But AEDs can make birth control pills less able to prevent pregnancy, and early research shows they may make other drugs stronger and cause potentially serious side effects.





broccoli

11 / 16

Vitamin K

If you take the drug warfarin -- used to treat and prevent blood clots -- be aware of how much vitamin K you take in. It can make the blood thinner less effective and put you at higher risk of a dangerous blood clot. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, parsley, and spinach are some of the most common foods high in vitamin K. Try to eat the same amount of these foods every day so the level of warfarin in your blood stays the same.

Things That Can Affect Your Medication
 

Things That Can Affect Your Medication











pill box

12 / 16

Some Things Don’t Mix Well

You may know that some medicines don’t work well together. But what you eat and drink can have an effect on some drugs, too. Before you take a medication for the first time, talk with your doctor or pharmacist to see if there’s anything you should stay away from.





Halved grapefruit

12 / 16

Grapefruit

This citrus fruit changes the way certain cells in your gut take in and move medication through your body -- it can affect more than 50 drugs. It can make some, like fexofenadine (Allegra) for allergies, less effective and make others too strong, including ones that lower your cholesterol like atorvastatin (Lipitor).





glass milk

12 / 16

Milk

This dairy product can make it harder for your body to process certain antibiotics. Minerals in milk like calcium and magnesium are part of the reason, along with the protein casein. If you’re taking antibiotics, make sure to find out about the foods or beverages you should stay away from.





black licorice

12 / 16

Licorice

Some people use this as an herbal remedy to help with digestion, and others use it to flavor foods. But glycyrrhizin, a chemical in licorice, can weaken the effect of some drugs, including cyclosporine, used to keep people who’ve had transplants from rejecting their new organs.





dark chocolate

12 / 16

Chocolate

Dark chocolate in particular can weaken the effects of drugs meant to calm you down or make you sleep, like zolpidem tartrate (Ambien). It also can boost the power of some stimulant drugs, like methylphenidate (Ritalin). And if you take an MAO inhibitor, used to treat depression, it can make your blood pressure dangerously high.





iron supplement pills

12 / 16

Iron Supplement

This can lower the effects of levothyroxine (Synthroid), a medicine that gives you thyroid hormone when your body doesn’t make enough (a condition called hypothyroidism). If you take this medication and a multivitamin, check to see if the vitamin has iron in it. If you need an iron supplement, ask your doctor about taking it and your medication at different times.





Pill bottle

12 / 16

Alcohol

This makes certain drugs less effective or even useless, including some blood pressure and heart medicines. It also can make others stronger than they should be or cause dangerous side effects.





drinking coffee

12 / 16

Coffee

It can weaken antipsychotic drugs like lithium and clozapine, but boost the effects -- and side effects -- of others. Those include aspirin, epinephrine (used to treat serious allergic reactions), and albuterol (taken by inhaler for breathing problems). It can also make it harder for your body to take in and use iron.





Doctor and patient

12 / 16

Antihistamines

These help with the sneezing and runny nose caused by allergies, but some of them can make medication for high blood pressure less effective and raise your heart rate. Talk to your doctor about other ways to manage your allergies if you take blood pressure medicine.





Reading drug label

12 / 16

Anti-Epileptic Drugs (AEDs)

These control seizures in people who have epilepsy. But AEDs can make birth control pills less able to prevent pregnancy, and early research shows they may make other drugs stronger and cause potentially serious side effects.





broccoli

12 / 16

Vitamin K

If you take the drug warfarin -- used to treat and prevent blood clots -- be aware of how much vitamin K you take in. It can make the blood thinner less effective and put you at higher risk of a dangerous blood clot. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, parsley, and spinach are some of the most common foods high in vitamin K. Try to eat the same amount of these foods every day so the level of warfarin in your blood stays the same.





ginseng root tea

12 / 16

Ginseng

This can lower the effects of warfarin, too. And it can make you more likely to have internal bleeding if you take the blood thinners heparin or aspirin, as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen. If you take MAO inhibitors, ginseng can cause headaches, sleep problems, hyperactivity, and nervousness.

St. John's Wort

Sometimes used to help people with depression, this herbal remedy isn’t a proven treatment for that or any other health condition. It can make your liver release enzymes (things that boost certain chemical reactions in your body) that can weaken some medications. Those include cholesterol drugs like lovastatin (Altoprev and Mevacor), the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil (Viagra), and digoxin (Lanoxin), used to treat certain heart conditions

Ginkgo Biloba

Some people use this herb to help with or prevent high blood pressure, dementia, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and other conditions, but there’s no research that shows it does any of that. It can weaken the effect of drugs used to control seizures, including carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, and Tegretol), and valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote, and Stavzor).

Take as Directed

Only about 50% of medication is taken as it’s prescribed. People often take less than they need, take it at random times, or leave big gaps between doses -- all of which can weaken the effects. Make sure you understand your treatment plan and follow your doctor’s instructions.

Stretch Marks Are Scars

If your skin is stretched farther than it’s used to in a short period of time -- during pregnancy or a childhood growth spurt, for example -- the elastic fibers in your skin can tear. Those damaged areas make long, thin scars called stretch marks. They can show up as pink, red, or purple streaks.

Where You Get Them

You won’t get stretch marks on your face, hands, or feet, but they can be almost anywhere else. They’re most likely to be where your body stores fat, like your belly, hips, thighs, breasts, and buttocks. You also might notice them on your lower back or the backs of your arms. Genetics may play a role in stretch marks. For example, if your mother got them on her thighs during pregnancy, you may be more likely to have them there

Stretch Marks: Causes and Treatment
 

Stretch Marks: Causes and Treatment



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fingers by stretch marks close up

3 / 16

Stretch Marks Are Scars

If your skin is stretched farther than it’s used to in a short period of time -- during pregnancy or a childhood growth spurt, for example -- the elastic fibers in your skin can tear. Those damaged areas make long, thin scars called stretch marks. They can show up as pink, red, or purple streaks.





hip with stretch marks close up

3 / 16

Where You Get Them

You won’t get stretch marks on your face, hands, or feet, but they can be almost anywhere else. They’re most likely to be where your body stores fat, like your belly, hips, thighs, breasts, and buttocks. You also might notice them on your lower back or the backs of your arms. Genetics may play a role in stretch marks. For example, if your mother got them on her thighs during pregnancy, you may be more likely to have them there.





stretch marks on teens back

3 / 16

Anyone Can Get Them

An estimated 50% to 90% of women have them, but men can get them, too. It’s also common for teen girls (breasts, thighs, hips, or buttocks) and boys (lower backs or hips) to get stretch marks during growth spurts

16

Anyone Can Get Them

An estimated 50% to 90% of women have them, but men can get them, too. It’s also common for teen girls (breasts, thighs, hips, or buttocks) and boys (lower backs or hips) to get stretch marks during growth spurts.





senior couple at the beach

4 / 16

They Don’t Go Away

Like any other scars, stretch marks are permanent. But in time, they usually fade and become a little lighter than the rest of your skin -- they may look white or silvery. If you feel self-conscious about them, remember, more than half of adults have them.

Cause: Weight Gain

You can get stretch marks when you’re young and your body is changing quickly. The more weight you gain and the faster you gain it, the more likely you are to have stretch marks. Putting on lots of muscle mass quickly, as bodybuilders sometimes do, can also cause them

Cause: Pregnancy

They’re most common during and after your sixth month. Your body expands as your baby grows, but that might not be the only reason for stretch marks. Changes in your hormones during pregnancy can affect your skin and make it more likely to “tear.”

Cause: Pregnancy

They’re most common during and after your sixth month. Your body expands as your baby grows, but that might not be the only reason for stretch marks. Changes in your hormones during pregnancy can affect your skin and make it more likely to “tear.”





birth control pills close up

7 / 16

Cause: Medication

Some drugs can cause weight gain, swelling, bloating, or other physical changes that stretch your skin and lead to stretch marks. Hormones (like birth control pills) and corticosteroids (which ease inflamed areas of your body) are two that can do this. If you take a medication and are concerned about stretch marks, talk to your doctor about things you can do about them

Cause: Medical Conditions

Any health condition that leads to weight gain, sudden growth, or skin problems may cause stretch marks. Some medical conditions lead to physical changes that can bring them on. For example, problems with your adrenal glands, like Cushing’s disease and rare conditions like Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (which affect the tissues that connect body parts), can make you more likely to get them

Can You Prevent Them?

Experts think genetics play a role in stretch marks, but if your parents had them, that doesn’t mean you will, too. One of the best ways to prevent them is to keep your weight steady. Drinking plenty of water may help prevent damage when your skin stretches. And foods that keep your skin healthy may cut your odds, too. Eat foods rich in zinc, like nuts and fish, and ones with vitamins A, C, and D, like citrus, milk, and sweet potatoes.

See a Dermatologist

A board-certified skin specialist is the best person to talk with about skin issues, including stretch marks. She can tell you about the best treatments for your skin type, and ways to lower your odds of getting more. Be sure to tell her all the medications you take (including vitamins and over-the-counter drugs) and if you’ve had any other health problems

What May Help: Retinol Products

Retinol, which comes from vitamin A, may help make stretch marks less obvious. It makes your skin cells shed, or “turn over,” faster and may make new skin grow faster, too. The catch: You have to start using it soon after stretch marks show up, and then use it regularly for it to work. And the type of retinol that’s been shown to work (tretinoin) is only available by prescription. Talk to your dermatologist about whether you should try it

What May Help: Laser Therapy

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says laser or light therapy can make stretch marks less noticeable -- light triggers skin changes that help stretch marks blend in. Research shows they’re most effective for medium-tone skin. Laser treatments can be expensive, and it can take 20 sessions to see results. If you go the laser route, see a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon who has worked with your skin tone

What May Help: Self-Tanning Products

These lotions and sprays can darken your stretch marks and make your all-over skin tone look more even. That can make them less obvious, especially if they’re white or very light in color. You may have to try different products and shades before you find one that works best for you

Not Likely to Help: Exfoliating

Ads for exfoliating treatments may claim that they make stretch marks less noticeable. Scrubs, buffs, and microdermabrasion (this removes the top layer of skin with a tool) can make your skin smoother. But there’s no proof that any of these treatments actually help -- and some dermatologists think microdermabrasion may make stretch marks worse

Not Likely to Help: Exfoliating

Ads for exfoliating treatments may claim that they make stretch marks less noticeable. Scrubs, buffs, and microdermabrasion (this removes the top layer of skin with a tool) can make your skin smoother. But there’s no proof that any of these treatments actually help -- and some dermatologists think microdermabrasion may make stretch marks worse.





rubbing moisturizer on belly

15 / 16

Not Likely to Help: Most Lotions and Creams

Many skin products claim to fade stretch marks. But there’s little evidence that over-the-counter products can fix the torn elastic fibers that cause them. And experts don’t know if rubbing oils or cocoa butter products will prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, either. They may make your stretching skin less itchy, though, which can make you more comfortable