Here we take a look at some of the things that can impact common prescription medications, from the relatively well known to the unexpected.
seek advice from your pharmacist. Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, says: 'Pharmacists are experts in medicines and can offer tailored advice to ensure you’re taking your medicines safely and effectively.'Eat well, live better, stay healthy:1. Grapefruit juice
Grapefruit is known to interact with a number of common medications. Chemicals found in grapefruit juice can block enzymes in the body responsible for breaking down medications.
This means medication stays in the body for longer and can lead to much higher (and potentially toxic) doses than expected, although in some cases it can also hinder drugs from entering your system, reducing their effectiveness.
Common meds grapefruit interacts with:2. Liquorice
Liquorice might not be to everyone's taste, but if you're partial, double-check that it won't do more harm than good: excessive amounts can impact blood pressure and potassium levels, among other things.
Be aware that liquorice can crop up in unexpected places, including some herbal tea blends and other drinks, so it's worth checking the ingredients, even if it's not listed on the front of the packaging.
Common meds liquorice interacts with:3. Herbal supplements
Herbal supplements are generally classed as food supplements unless they make specific health claims, so they aren't required to come with extensive information leaflets. But, while they may be food or nature-based, that doesn't mean they're benign.
Some can impact the way your medication works, especially if in higher doses than what you'd typically eat.
Some supplements, such as St John's wort and ginkgo biloba, are known to interact with some medications and typically carry a warning, but others may not be specific, so it's always best to ask your GP or prescriber if you're taking any supplements, to ensure the combination is safe.
Should you stop taking your supplements anyway?4. Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the more obvious interactants on this list. Drinking to excess is bad for your health regardless of whether you're on medication, but people on certain medications should take special care.
With some medications, you're advised to avoid alcohol altogether, while with others you should just limit your consumption.
If you're taking statins, for example, you shouldn't drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
Avoid if you're taking:5. Strong cheese
t that can also be used for neurological disorders and stroke – t a sudden and potentially dangerous rise in blood pressure from increased tyramine levels – the so-called 'cheese effect'. Avoid if you're taking: From lifestyle changes to stenols and statins, we look at the best ways to lower cholesterol
6. Herbal teas
Depending on the blend, sipping too much of certain types of herbal tea could also impact the effectiveness of your medication.
We've already mentioned that liquorice, found in some herbal teas, could affect your medication. The same is true of some other herbal blends.
Popular herbal teas like green tea and ginseng have been found to affect some drugs in clinical studies.
Avoid green tea if you're taking: - from kombucha to kefir and apple cider vinegar, we look at the evidencesource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/6-surprising-foods-and-drinks-that-could-affect-your-medication-ab9zS1d8oebr