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Instead of treating drugs, they can be harmful if taken inappropriately. Meanwhile, every second patient does not take them in accordance with medical recommendations. It is important at what time of the day we take the tablet, what we drink it with and what we eat earlier for dinner.
Patients in Poland do not know how to take medications, because the average time of a patient’s visit to a doctor’s office under the National Health Fund insurance does not exceed 15 minutes, and the patient has one minute to ask the doctor questions. As a result, 60% of patients forget their doctor’s recommendations after leaving the office, and 30% look for additional information on the Internet. The consequences are that in 3 out of 10 cases, the chronically ill does not take even one package of the drug. – So why such a visit – wonders Dr. Wojciech Łuszczyna, spokesman for the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products. – Most likely, it is about verifying the opinion obtained from the “doctor google” or from advertising – he adds. Dr. Łuszczyna warns against treatment on the basis of recommendations from the Internet. – You can often find information that is “black” PR of pharmaceutical companies.
Adverse drug reactions
The consequences of misuse of drugs can be devastating. Medications that are taken wrongly may not be effective or have side effects. – Improperly applied therapy can even cause death of patients – says Dr. Jarosław Woroń from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University. The drugs may be influenced by diet, smoking and alcohol consumption. Eating fiber, dairy products, corn starch, and coconut oil reduces the absorption of many medications, while high-fat foods increase. It is also important to follow a fruit and vegetable diet, which can change the effects of drugs. Tyramine, found in e.g. avocados, bananas, chocolate, yellow cheese, fish, peperoni sausage, Vermouth wine and soy sauce, in combination with antidepressants, may cause a hypertensive crisis, and broccoli and Brussels sprouts rich in vitamin K may reduce the effects of anticoagulants.
With what to drink medication
– We should not wash down our medications with juice, especially orange, grapefruit or chokeberry – appeals Dr. Woroń. Grapefruit juice in people taking medication for cardiovascular diseases can cause life-threatening arrhythmias or drops in blood pressure. Tea is also not suitable for washing down tablets. The tannin contained in it captures iron and prevents its absorption. Milk also makes it difficult for healing substances to be absorbed. It is best to drink medications with water, but not with mineral water.
Relationships between medicinal preparations
When taken by many people in tablets, magnesium and calcium can also influence the effect of drugs. For example, calcium may increase the risk of kidney failure due to calcification. Women who take additional doses of calcium as part of the prevention of osteoporosis must be especially careful. The daily dose of calcium should not be higher than 1,2-1,5 g per day from all sources.
– Eating fast food makes you need to use medicines that reduce acid secretion more often. Meanwhile, over-the-counter omeprazole preparations inhibit the absorption of acetylsalicylic acid, reducing the anti-sclerotic effect of aspirin, explains Dr. Woroń.
What time to take medication
The time of taking medications also influences their therapeutic effect. Statins are more effective when taken in the evening, while beta-blockers are more effective when given in the morning. Local anesthetics are more potent in the early afternoon. It is also important whether the drug is taken after or before a meal. – The easiest way to check in the leaflet is when you need to take a pill. During a medical visit, tell the doctor what vitamins and other dietary supplements you are taking. It is best to ask the doctor to write down the method of taking the drug on a piece of paper or to write it down yourself – advises Dr. Woroń.
Text: Halina Pilonis