Check all your possible drug interactions in 10 min.

Hey, JanKnitz, I so know what you mean! I can remember being scripted a 4 x a day antibiotic and trying to balance a good probiotic somewhere in between. You know .... the ole 2 hours before or 4 hours after or some such.

I now flat out tell my docs don't even think of scripting any medication I have to take more than twice a day 'cause it ain't a gonna happen. I'm doing good to remember AM and PM and that is as good as it is gonna get.

Thank you for a great link, M.D.Hosehead !

Bumping to the first page so others can see

Janknitz wrote: But I also have to take my Omeprazole before breakfast and dinner, and they have a possible interaction.

Is there the same interaction between iron and Dexilant? That one is once a day and doesn't have to be timed so carefully.

Ah, SU. Those Dexilant samples my gastro gave me were great - but - my insurance won't pay for them since the first of this year. *sigh*

I have been using Dexilant for a month now.
Works great. I got a card from my doc to register
at their site. I will get it free, for a year.
What my copay does not cover, Dexilant pays for.

http://www.dexilant.com/DEXILANTAdvanta ... %20Savings

It's the drug dealer on the street marketing.
"....hey, kid the first ones free."

I asked my doc how much????
He said $180/mth.

I'm going to enjoy it while I can.

Slinky wrote:Those Dexilant my insurance won't pay for them since the first of this year. *sigh*

Why won't they cover this?

And look boys and girls they have an app you can download to your iPhone/iPod, BlackBerry, and Android so you can have it ready for use anywhere and at anytime. Good Stuff!

I forget for sure, probably have it mixed up w/the cardiology meds - but - our drug plan now insists on a list of drugs w/in certain classes that they will not pay for. Hubby's cardiac med had to be changed and they refused to pay for the Dexilant but will the Prilosec.

Prilosec is cheaper than Dexilant, and they basically do the same thing, so that's probably why your insurance will pay for Prilosec. The nice thing about Dexilant is that you don't have to time it to 30-60" before meals, and it's once a day.

M.D.Hosehead wrote: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.

M.D. Hosehead...this s is such a good thread, that I wonder if you wouldn't mind altering the subject heading a bit to include something about 'medications' or 'drug interactions'. Seeing that in the subject heading my attract more people who are browsing the forum. Maybe like "Drug Interactions....the best thing you can do", or "The best thing you can do for your medications" or something like that. Just a suggestion. Great thread, thanks for posting the link.

This just reinforces what you don't know can kill you and the only person who will look out for you is you. My wife was an RN for 45 years and has been active in checking for drug interactions. She constantly has to inform doctors, dentists and pharmacists about these problems. She has found that there is a serious lack of communication between members of the medical profession so it is no wonder they barely communicate with us.

Thanks! I have 8 interactions, 2 serious but I already get tested for excesses...nice to know.

Re: taking iron pills and having them make you nauseous. I can't take iron pills at all. I don't absorb the iron from pills. I have to have iv-iron administered. The up side is that in 2009 the FDA approved a newer form of iron administering. Giant syringe of iron can now be pumped directly into the IV with this product. Iron is received in seconds, not an hour-long sit and drip method. I suffer from anemia and have to get my blood tested regularly, and take these new treatments in just two sessions where in the past I had to have 8 weeks of hour long iv drip methods. And the effects are that you feel much better the very next day. Pat in OlyWA

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

I noticed that one right away myself...

Medscape is a terrific resource, and that's a great page. Thanks for the tip!

DD

I don't know what I think of this link at all. I have had RA for 20 years now and am on several drugs as well as some supplements. I am now 72 years old. My Pharmacist is excellent at watching for drug interactions. I never take anything over the counter that I do not check out with the Pharmacist for interactions with my drugs and with any of the supplements I take.

One time he caught an antibotic that I was put on as one that would interact negatively with a medication I take for RA and suggested an alternative. Where I live (in Ontario Canada) we can bring all our drugs and supplements (or a list of them) into the Phamacist at any time (actually an appointment is needed) and go over possible adverse interactions and discuss when the best time of day is to take certain meds and supplements as opposed to others and what will and will not interact with what. This is a free service of the Pharmacy.

I used the link and the first two drugs I put in showed a bad interaction, yet I have been on them both for 20 years without any adverse problems. If I followed this link's advise, I could not take most of the very drugs that have kept me going for 20 years with RA and doing really quite well.

For me, I will stick with my Pharmacist's and my doctors (GP and Rheumatologist) counsel.