Health News
- Spring-clean The Cabinet And Dump Your Drugs Saturday, April 27
Dump your unwanted prescription drugs this Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which in the past has coordinated with local law enforcement to haul in more than than 2 million pounds or 1,018...
- Pharmacy Student Takes Time To Point Out The "top 10 Things You Didn't Know Your Pharmacist Could Do For You"
Imagine yourself hip deep in pharmacy school. You are sweating bullets over classes in pharmokinetics, chemotherapy and biostats. What, ho! You see the calendar reads October and you realize it's American Pharmacists Month and you graduate in 2014...
- Study Finds 'the Link Between Cholesterol And Cancer Is Clear'
University of Rochester Medical Center scientists have verified a link between cholesterol and cancer with new genetic evidence, raising the possibility that cholesterol medications such as statin drugs could be used for cancer prevention or to augment...
- April 28 Is National Drug Take-back Day; Three Kentuckians Die Each Day From Prescription Drug Abuse
April 28 is National Drug Take-Back Day, with Kentuckians encouraged to dispose of the expired, unused and unwanted drugs in their medicine cabinet at locations set up by law enforcement across the state. The national effort comes on the heels of...
- Fda Approves New Weight Loss Drug
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom In a long awaited move, the FDA approved a ?new? weight loss drug, Qnexa, this past July 18. Renaming it Qsymia (cue-sim-ee-a), it?s actually a lower-dose combination of two drugs already on the market. Not for casual weight...
Health News
Don?t Mix These Meds with Grapefruit!
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
Grapefruits are one of nature?s perfect fruits ? low in sugar, rich in fiber, and a great source of vitamin C. But this fruit also contains a compound that can interfere with the activity of some prescription medications. A new study published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reveals that the number of these drugs has significantly increased over the past few years. Researchers estimate that there are 43 drugs (26 having been introduced to the market in the past 4 years) that have been shown to cause serious harm in susceptible individuals when mixed with grapefruit.
There are three major categories of drugs that can have serious negative effects when combined with grapefruit:
- Cholesterol lowering statins
- Some heart drugs, like beta-blockers
- Some antibiotics
While food and drug interactions are printed on every label and stated on package inserts, many people do not take these warnings seriously. The best step is to talk with your doctor, or stop in and speak with the pharmacist where you fill your prescriptions to see if grapefruit (or other foods) interact with your medication. For some medications, grapefruit can increase the apparent dosage substantially due to grapefruit?s impact on drug metabolism. Grapefruits contain compounds called ?furanocourmarins? that inhibit the normal metabolism of a medication, producing higher levels of medication in the bloodstream.
This is of particular concern for seniors, who generally take more medications and cannot tolerate higher dosages.
Importantly, most drugs do NOT interact with grapefruit, so it?s important to know which medications might put your at risk.
And all citrus is not created equal when it comes to medicine interactions. Oranges appear to have an effect, but to a much lower degree. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist for all food and drug interactions that might impact on your overall health.
- Spring-clean The Cabinet And Dump Your Drugs Saturday, April 27
Dump your unwanted prescription drugs this Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which in the past has coordinated with local law enforcement to haul in more than than 2 million pounds or 1,018...
- Pharmacy Student Takes Time To Point Out The "top 10 Things You Didn't Know Your Pharmacist Could Do For You"
Imagine yourself hip deep in pharmacy school. You are sweating bullets over classes in pharmokinetics, chemotherapy and biostats. What, ho! You see the calendar reads October and you realize it's American Pharmacists Month and you graduate in 2014...
- Study Finds 'the Link Between Cholesterol And Cancer Is Clear'
University of Rochester Medical Center scientists have verified a link between cholesterol and cancer with new genetic evidence, raising the possibility that cholesterol medications such as statin drugs could be used for cancer prevention or to augment...
- April 28 Is National Drug Take-back Day; Three Kentuckians Die Each Day From Prescription Drug Abuse
April 28 is National Drug Take-Back Day, with Kentuckians encouraged to dispose of the expired, unused and unwanted drugs in their medicine cabinet at locations set up by law enforcement across the state. The national effort comes on the heels of...
- Fda Approves New Weight Loss Drug
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom In a long awaited move, the FDA approved a ?new? weight loss drug, Qnexa, this past July 18. Renaming it Qsymia (cue-sim-ee-a), it?s actually a lower-dose combination of two drugs already on the market. Not for casual weight...