Feb 6, 2008 11:04 am US/Central
Common Beverages Make Medications Less Effective
NEW YORK (CBS News) ―
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Orange juice can reduce the effectiveness of some types of allergy medications. (File)
CBS
Most people know drinking alcoholic beverages can be risky if you're taking certain anti-depressants or pain relievers.
But consuming some everyday drinks, such as coffee, tea, milk, and orange juice, is also potentially troublesome if you're on some common medications.
Lisa Freeman, editor in chief of ShopSmart Magazine, sorted it all out for "Early Show" viewers Wednesday.
Some drink-drugs combinations could prove troublesome because compounds in the drinks interact with the medicines, or interfere with the enzymes in your body that would break down and process the pharmaceuticals.
The breakdown:
COFFEE Don't drink it with: Osteoporosis drugs Alendronate, Fosamax
The risk: Sharply reduced bone-building effect
COFFEE AND TEA
Don't drink them with: Antidepressants Isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
The risk: High blood pressure
GRAPE JUICE Don't drink it with: Antidepressant Doxepin, oral solution Sinequan
The risk: Reduced control of depression
GRAPEFRUIT JUICE Don't drink it with: Sedatives, including benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium) and triazolam (Halcion)
The risks: Confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, and other side effects
Also don't drink it with: Cough suppressant Dextromethorphan (Benylin, Pertussin, Robitussin)
The risks: Dizziness, drowsiness, and restlessness
ORANGE JUICE Don't drink it with: antihistamines Fexofenadine, Allegra
The risk: Less allergy control
MILK Don't drink it with: Laxatives Bisacodyl, Dulcolax
The risk: Gastrointestinal irritation
SOY MILK Don't drink it with: Cancer drugs Tamoxifen, Nolvadex
The risk: Reduced tumor-fighting effect
Freeman stressed the importance of reading the labels on medications before taking them, pointing out that many medications have warnings about what not to drink them with.
Many people take their medications with coffee or milk, but that's not a good idea because of possible negative interactions. Take them with water instead.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
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