Dr Oz: Deadly Drug Interactions: Anti-Depressants, Statins & Antihistamines

Dr Oz: Drug Interaction Checker

Doctor Oz’s show “Deadly Drug Interactions: How Your Meds Putting You At Risk?” spoke about the importance of a good Medical Record Keeper and a Drug Interaction Checker. Do you know how mixing medications could be negatively impacting your health? There are 100,000 OTC (Over-the-Counter) medications. Most people are given at least 2 prescriptions every time they go to the pharmacy. Did you know that combining allergy and antifungal drugs may cause you damage or that cheese and processed meats can turn anti-depressants into poison? This was the reason for today’s show. You could be at risk and not even realize it.

Before the show, Doctor Oz had his entire audience enter his studio with a brown paper bag filled with all of the medications they were taking at one time.  His medical unit gathered pills of each person and found that one of the most common drugs was anti-depressants. Dr Oz says that 27 million people take anti-depressants. Dr Oz called down, Sharon, an audience member. Sharon took SSRI (anti-depressant drugs) and had been taking them for 4 years, after her daughter was born. She admitted to not knowing the side effects but was assured by her doctor that the drug was okay. Sharon did, however, read the stickers on the bottle.

Dr Oz: Anti-Depressants & Pain Medication Interactions

Anti-depressant should not be mixed with pain medication. The serotonin in the anti-depressant controls more than just our mood. It also affects the heart, the breathing, and the muscles in our body. When mixing, you may develop Serotonin Syndrome.

To demonstrate, Dr Oz used the game Boggle, which was labeled as the brain. Inside a Boggle game, you had dice with letters on them that formulated words. A normal brain could formulate and make sense of words. Dr Oz then shook up the Boggle game. This is what happens when you develop Serotonin Syndrome. The letters inside the brain become scrambled and didn’t make any sense. According to Dr Oz, 85 percent of doctors didn’t even know how to make a Serotonin Syndrome diagnosis, so therefore it was up to the individual to let their doctor know when there is a problem

Dr Oz: Antihistamines & Anti-Depressants Interactions

Never combine antihistamines with anti-depressants, even OTC herbs such as St. John’s Wort.

Doctor Oz says that 16 million people take diuretics. Denice, an audience member, had one particular diuretic in her bag. Denice stated she had been taking the diuretic for 3 years but had no idea what the side effects were. Dr Oz told her that her diuretic medication could interact with heart medications. Taking diuretics with heart meds may cause a fatal irregular heartbeat. Dr Oz says this is quite common with new meds due to lack of studies. Also, combining decongestants (contained in many cough medicines) with antihistamines may cause issues.

Dr Oz: Statins Drug Interactions

According to Doctor Oz, 24 million Americans take cholesterol pills. Janet, an audience member, was on cholesterol pills for 3 years. She stated that she read the labels but was unaware of some additional side effects. Dr Oz warned Janet that yeast or fungal infection pills interact with statins and may cause damage. Certain drugs may even cause kidney failure when taken with cholesterol pills.

Doctor Oz says that only you can prevent bad drug interaction. Be proactive and speak with your doctor. Understanding OTC and prescription medications may save your life one day!

Dr Oz: Medical Record Keeper

It is crucial that you do a Drug Interaction Checker if you are on medication and that you fill out a Medical Record Keeper to take to your next doctor’s visit.

Dr Oz: Pharmacy Mistakes

In this segment, Dr Oz introduced Nancy Nkansah, Pharm D, who talked about common mistakes people make at the pharmacy. According to Dr. Nkansah, 51.5 million errors are made EACH YEAR when filling prescriptions. (Yes, you read that correctly, each year.) Dr. Nkansah suggested to be proactive when filling your medications. Go to a local pharmacy that has a record of the drugs you take. It’s also good to have a local pharmacy because you establish a relationship with your pharmacist.

Don’t Fill Prescription At Beginning of Month

Mistake 1: Never fill your prescription at the beginning of the month. Medicine errors increase by 25 percent. Also, do not go at noontime. This is one of the busiest times and more errors are likely to occur. It’s best to have your prescriptions filled in the morning or approximately 1 hour before your pharmacy closes.

Ask Pharmacist Side Effects

Mistake 2: Always ask for at least 1 or 2 side effects of the medication and what that medication is for. Your doctor is busy and may not have time to explain the medication to you. Ask your pharmacist these questions so you know exactly how and when to take the medication.

Examine Prescriptions

Mistake 3: Always open the bottle and look at the medication before leaving the pharmacy. If it’s a refill, you know what the pill looks like.

Dr. Nkansah suggested having a list of all of your medications, not just the prescription meds. Keep a list of your herbal supplements, vitamins, and OTC meds. Also, be sure to know the dosages and if there are any side effects. Keep this information in your wallet, next to your identification.