Drug Combinations to Avoid

Living in a country where most drugs are sold over the counter, its very common for people to self diagnose without the help of a health professional leading to drug misuse and ingestion of deadly combinations.


Certain medicine are meant to be “prescription only”, while some others that don’t need proper supervision would fall into “over the counter” drug category.

So to help you stay healthy and prevent you from causing complications brought on by adverse drug combination reactions, here are a few medicine you DO NOT want to mix.

Antibiotics and Birth Control Pills
Although only one antibiotic (Rifampin) is
proven to interfere with the effectiveness of
the Pill, doctors still suggest using a backup
contraceptive while on any antibiotic.

Antihistamines and Sleeping pills
The combination keeps you sedated for too
long and groggy the next day.

Aspirin and Ibuprofen
When taken together, they raise the risk of
gastrointestinal problems.

Certain Antidepressants and Migraine Meds
Some antidepressants, are a bad mix with migraine meds like Imitrix and Zomig. The combination can lead to anxiety and muscle tremors.

Medicines you should not mix with alcohol
- Prescription pain medicines and antianxiety medications can have an additive effect when mixed with alcohol.

- Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) should also not be mixed with alcohol, because it can harm your liver.

- Cough and cold preparations with
antihistamines shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol because they will amplify the sedative effects.

This warning applies to the use of narcotic
pain medications too.

- Be careful mixing alcohol with certain
antibiotics. The main antibiotic-alcohol
interactions are with metronidazole (Flagyl)
and the sulfa drugs — commonly used
antibiotics. An example of a sulfa drug is
Bactrim.

Mixing metronidazole and alcohol can cause nausea, vomiting, flushing, headache and stomach pain.

- Be careful too not to take Paracetamol tablets and a medication that already contains Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) together as this may lead to over dosage and its effects.

Always ask your doctor or a pharmacist (not a drug sales person) for advice before you take any medication. Always read the pack for instructions.

If you are pregnant, always ask your doctor before self medicating.





Ify Aniebo
africanhealthmagazine.com