If your elderly loved one is on medications, like many senior citizens are, then you need to learn all you can about the drug and food interactions for these medications. There are numerous foods that interact negatively with certain medications. Many people know about how alcohol and other medications interact negatively with specific prescriptions. However, there are also foods that could cause problems when your elderly loved one is taking certain medications.
Medications and Grapefruit Juice
Elderly Care Liberty, TX: Drug and Food Interactions
There are some medications that will interact negatively when someone is taking those and drinking grapefruit juice. This is because grapefruit juice causes the body to absorb the medication quickly. This means that the body can get too little or too much of the medication at once. Some of the medications that interact negatively with grapefruit juice include blood pressure medicines, antihistamines, birth control, cough suppressants, thyroid replacement medicines, and acid-reducing medicines.
Blood Pressure Medications and Bananas
Bananas can also negatively interact with blood pressure medications. In fact, there have been some people who were taking blood pressure medicine that experienced heart issues when eating bananas. Research shows that eating bananas while on blood pressure medications can cause severe and dangerous heart flutters and palpitations. This goes the same for when someone eats other foods that are filled with potassium while taking blood pressure medications.
Anticoagulants and Garlic
Garlic is another food that can cause negative interactions with certain medications. If your elderly loved one is taking anticoagulants, you and their elderly care providers should make sure they aren’t eating garlic or taking any garlic supplements. If your elderly loved one does eat garlic while taking these types of medications, they could develop blood clots. Some of these blood clots could even be life-threatening.
Conclusion
If your elderly loved one is on any medications, you should always check with their doctor to see what other medications and foods they should avoid. Unfortunately, this may mean that your elderly loved one has to give up certain foods that they like. However, it is worth it, to keep your elderly loved one healthy and safe. If your elderly loved one isn’t going to remember not to eat these foods when taking certain medications, you or their elderly care providers may have to remind them daily.
If your elderly loved one avoids these foods, but is experiencing negative symptoms or side effects when taking their medication anyways, you should speak to their doctor about possibly changing the medication.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elderly Care in Liberty, TX please contact the caring staff at Viv Health Care Services today at. (832) 871-4223
Sources