FOOD AND DRUG INTERACTIONS
Food and Drug Administration – and I don’t mean the “FDA”. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. Jus as it behooves every physician to tell a patient about a drug’s most likely side effects, patients should have a mental checklist for questions to ask the doctor when given a new drug. And on the first tier of questions should be one about the administering of food with that drug.
Some medications, including some of the new and effective anti-depressants, can stimulate the appetite. Other drugs can depress the appetite, reinforcing the importance of asking the doctor whether a new medication will have any effect on their eating habits.
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^Foods can increase or decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs, and that’s particularly important with blood thinners. Coumadin, especially, can cause more or less anti-coagulation if it’s administered with certain foods or other drugs.
Most people know to ask the doctor about the effect of alcohol intake on a new medication they may be given, though not everybody may be on the lookout for “hidden” sources of alcohol. Alcohol is, after all, commonly found in cough medicines, food flavorings like vanilla or almond-flavored extracts and mouth washes.
The savvy patient then asks the doctor about food and drink when given a new medication. Physicians often anticipate the question by offering advice on the subject in advance, but you’re doing them a favor if they don’t. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, for CBS News.
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Dr. Steve Davis
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