Watch What You Take with Medications
The People's Pharmacy
Watch What You Take With Medications
LA Times
Question: Some of my friends don't seem to know that beverages might
interact with medications, and when I watch them take pills with a sip of
coffee, grapefruit juice or milk, I cringe. Could you give us some updated
information?
Answer: Avoiding food and drug interactions is more complicated than many
people realize. A woman who takes her antibiotic (tetracycline, Cipro or
Noroxin) with milk or calcium-fortified orange juice might not get over a
urinary-tract infection or bronchitis, for example, because calcium
interferes with absorption of the medicine. Cipro can also boost the
caffeine effect.
Grapefruit juice can interact with dozens of medications. Foods that might
affect certain medicines include cheddar cheese, broccoli, avocado, oat
bran, cabbage, licorice and watercress. When in doubt, swallow pills with a
water.
Q: I understand that eating licorice lowers testosterone levels in men. Will
it have the same impact on testosterone levels in women? Could this hormonal
effect be a solution to eliminating unwanted facial hair in women?
A: An Italian study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Oct.
7, 1999) suggests that men who eat licorice have lower circulating
testosterone levels. Although this herb might also lower testosterone levels
in women, the risks might be too great.
Licorice has a number of potential side effects, including high blood
pressure, fatigue, mineral imbalance and loss of libido.
There are better options for controlling facial hair in women, but they
require a doctor's prescription. The diuretic spironolactone has long been
used for this purpose. Vaniqa cream is also effective.
Q: I keep reading that tea might have benefits over coffee because of its
antioxidants. I prefer decaffeinated tea. Does decaffeinated tea retain its
antioxidant potency?
A: Recent studies demonstrate that tea drinkers are less likely to suffer a
heart attack and less likely to die if they do have a heart attack.
Researchers speculate that antioxidants in tea are responsible.
Both green and black tea contain caffeine, although the dose per cup is
substantially lower than that in coffee. Decaffeination does seem to remove
many beneficial antioxidant compounds.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical
anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Send questions to People's Pharmacy,
King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, or e-mail
them at pharmacy@....