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| Coquitlam Connection |
| Directions - Key to a Drug's Success |
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| I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: too many deer were being hit by cars and he didn't want them to cross there anymore. |
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| The liquid you choose to wash down your pills with can profoundly alter the therapeutic outcome. How many times have you received a prescription with instructions to "Take as needed ", or " Take before meals "? Most people don't stop to question such vague directions, assuming that medication will work no matter what they swallow it with. Some examples are: Acidic drinks such as fruit juice and soda pop may chemically destroy certain kinds of antibiotics such as penicillin, ampicillin or erythromycin. Citrus fruit juices may reduce the effectiveness of antidepressants, antihistamines, or major tranquilizers by speeding their urinary excretion from the body. Milk can interfere with a number of different medicines. The laxative Dulcolax (bisacodyl) has a special coating to insure that the drug will dissolve slowly within the intestine. If this medication is taken with milk, which is alkaline, it may dissolve prematurely within the stomach, lose its cathartic action and irritate the sensitive stomach lining. Milk can also block the action of tetracycline. If a doctor did not warn his patient not take this kind of antibiotic within one hour of any dairy product, he might be puzzled to hear that the infection he was treating had not disappeared. Even something as simple as tea (hot or cold) could cause problems. Women given a mineral supplement to treat iron deficiency anemia would probably be surprised to learn that the tannins in tea can undo the benefits of her iron pills. If milk, tea, fruit juice or soda drinks can interfere with the therapeutic efficiency of certain drugs, what's left? If you want to play it safe, you can almost always count on water. Water has no negative effects on the drugs, and does not reduce their effectiveness. But people who swallow their tablets or capsules with one frugal swallow may be asking for trouble. Bulk forming laxatives like psyllium (Metamucil, Moadane, Sullamalt) require sufficient liquid to work efficiently and prevent fecal impaction. And aspirin can be irritating to the stomach unless it is taken with a full glass of water. Antibiotics like amoxcillin or erythromycin are not absorbed well into the bloodstream unless they are taken with a large glass of water. Equally important is the time of day you down those pills. Many drugs are totally inactivated if taken at mealtime, while others can be dangerously irritating to the digestive tract unless taken with food. So the next time your doctor hands you a prescription with instructions such as "Take three times a day ", make sure you know exactly how and when to take it. Via Metro Maryland Association & Montreal's Ileo Info & Okanagan Ostomy News |