Check all your possible drug interactions in 10 min.

M.D.Hosehead · Post by **M.D.Hosehead** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:19 pm

Coming off another thread:

viewtopic/t68121/Numbers-good-feel-bad- ... -Meds.html

Many have posted here about feeling bad despite adequate xPAP therapy. Of course, they could have an undiagnosed condition, and should inform their doctor. But they could also be suffering side effects of meds and supplements. Moreover, they could have interactions among the various things they ingest.

I am a doctor, yet I've had episodes of toxicity due to interactions among drugs my well-meaning doctors prescribed. They didn't check everything ahead of time, and neither did I. Pharmacy software should detect potential interactions, but the pharmacy has no way of knowing what OTC drugs or nutritional supplements patients take, or whether they use more than one pharmacy.

There's no good alternative to being proactive in your own self- interest.

Go to:

http://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker

Enter every drug you take, including OTCs, vitamins, nutritional supplements, caffeine and meds you only take occasionally. (One of my drug interactions involved Tums. Vitamin C also had a small effect)

Let us know what you found.

Edited Sep 9 to change heading. Thanks, ameriken.

Mary Z · Post by **Mary Z** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:47 pm

Good site. I found two serious interactions which will have to be dealt with, many significant ones, and several minor ones. Many of my drugs (I'm on a long list) interact with each other in opposite ways.

MsBea · Post by **MsBea** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:55 pm

One really does need to be proactive in their healthcare. I learned that the hard way and am very aware now and tell others to be as well.

ems · Post by **ems** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:08 pm

Thank you for this link! Saved in my bookmarks for future reference. So far, not too much to be concerned with.

Lizistired · Post by **Lizistired** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:26 pm

Great link. Who'd a thunk calcium would mess with a bp med. Thanks

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:43 pm

Thanks, MD Hosehead. I found out WHY we are having such a time stabilizing my INR and coumadin dosage!

My Pentasa (mesalamine) for Crohn's disease decreases effects of warfarin by unknown mechanism. Significant - Monitor Closely.

Since my Crohn's has been in total or symptomatiic remission for the last 4-5 years w/only mild symptoms of disease activity returning after a 20 year remission after resection I'm not real religious w/the Pentasa dosage (w/my gastro's permission).

My scripted dosage is 1g 4 x daily. From time to time I cheat and take 1g only 2 x daily which I can get away w/for 3-4 months. And sometimes I cheat and don't take ANY for a month or 2 at a time. (Hey, its no fun taking 16 capsules a day and the 500 mg capsules are too big for me to take comfortably). The Imuran (azathioprine) can not keep me in remission by itself, it needs the Pentasa. And the Pentasa can't quite do it by itself and needs the Imuran.

I see now that I have to forewarn my cardiologist's nurse when I "adjust" my Pentasa dosage so we can also adjust my coumadin dosage or change the frequency of the INR draws to monitor for the change.

ameriken · Post by **ameriken** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:15 pm

M.D.Hosehead wrote:
http://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker

What a great link, and very easy to use.

Can the link or thread be permanently pinned somewhere?

I didn't have anything to be concerned about, however it confirmed something I heard before...that aspirin and ibuprofen is a no-no.

Since doctors and pharmacists don't know or won't tell you about the interactions, I highly doubt that if you have a bunch of different scripts in a pharmacy that they are checking to see if there are interactions. A great way for us to keep on top of things, I hope the owners of this site could pin the thread or the link so we can easily find it anytime, especially if we get a new prescription.

Thanks for posting this.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:23 pm

GOOOOOOOOD suggestion, Ameriken!!!!! I second that motion. I "think" all someone needs to do is PM or e-mail the suggestion to Johnny Goodman.

ameriken · Post by **ameriken** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:30 pm

Slinky wrote:GOOOOOOOOD suggestion, Ameriken!!!!! I second that motion. I "think" all someone needs to do is PM or e-mail the suggestion to Johnny Goodman.

Done, I sent a PM.

fuzzy96 · Post by **fuzzy96** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:31 pm

thanx for the site . i sent it on to some others too. only thing that i'm concerned about is all the drugs ,growth hormones etc that is in our food. these residuals surely must have some effects

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:41 pm

YEAH! Especially the antibiotics and hormones. And we wonder why our young girls reach puberty so early now??

ThirdOutOfFive · Post by **ThirdOutOfFive** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:13 pm

I have listed the PDR as my best friend for seventeen years. I have fibromyalgia, diabetes type 2, recurrent depression, supra=ventricular tachycardia, and, now OSA. I carry a current list of all my meds attached to my health insurance card, in case I'm in need of emergency help and can't speak for myself.
Thanks for the link. It will make my task easier.

mars · Post by **mars** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:29 pm

ameriken wrote:
What a great link, and very easy to use.

Can the link or thread be permanently pinned somewhere?

Hi Everybody

Every now and then a we get a post that deserves to be permanently on view, and there is no current way of doing that.

As far as I can see the only method currently available is for someone to bump the post every so often, giving newcomers and others who missed it, a chance to see it.

But as Ozij would no doubt point out, that may well bump a current post off the first page, and consequently the person may not get the answer they need.

So the bumper would have to weigh up the pros and cons pertaining at that time.

A first page which fits more posts might, in part, alleviate this problem. But that is a major software change that is unlikely.

cheers

Mars

Janknitz · Post by **Janknitz** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:39 pm

Great link, Thanks!

Now I have a dilemna. I have to take 4 Slow FE pills daily to get the right dosage, but I can't take 2 at once because it makes me nauseas. So I take one before breakfast and one after, one before dinner and one after. But I also have to take my Omeprazole before breakfast and dinner, and they have a possible interaction. There just aren't enough hours in the day to work this all out--GRRRR. Maybe I should just suck on some iron bars!!!!!!!!!

jnk · Post by **jnk** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:44 pm

Please note that the way to enter "alcohol" at the link is to type "ethanol."

Check all your possible drug interactions in 10 min.

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