'I'm a nurse - here are five foods, drinks and medications you shouldn't mix'
It's normal to speak to a doctor about whether a new medication you've been prescribed can react with some you're already taking, but what about food? Some foods and medications should never be mixed because they can cause delayed, decreased or enhanced absorption.
There are many different foods and drinks that can affect your medication, but one medical professional has shared five important ones you should be aware of. Nurse practitioner Lorrie Pool took to CLS Health's TikTok page to share the information, although she stated that it should only be taken as informational, and not medical advice. You should always speak to a medical professional for recommendations tailored to your specific situation.
However, in general, Lorrie said eating leafy greens can affect blood thinners. According to the NHS, foods containing vitamin K, such as green leafy vegetables (including broccoli, spinach and lettuce) affect Warfarin, an anticoagulant medication known as a blood thinner. Other foods include chickpeas, liver, egg yolks, mature cheeses, avocado and olive oil. Rather than leaving them out of your diet completely, you should make sure to "eat similar amount of them regularly", which will "mean the level of vitamin K in your blood stays fairly consistent".
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Next she mentioned statins, which are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. According to the NHS, grapefruit juice can affect some statins and increase the risk of side effects. Speak to your doctor, as they might advice you to avoid it completely, or they might advice you consume only in small quantities.
If you're taking certain kinds of antibiotics, Lorrie said you might want to avoid dairy. According to the NHS, dairy products (like milk or yoghurt), or food/drinks with added calcium, may reduce how well certain antibiotics, such as Ciprofloxacin and fluoroquinolones, are absorbed by the body. You should take your fluoroquinolone at least one to two hours before, or four hours after. If unsure, speak to your doctor.
Those taking diabetes medication might want to avoid drinking alcohol, according to Lorrie. According to Diabetes UK, you can still drink alcohol when you have diabetes, unless you've been advised not to. However, it's important to know that alcohol interferes with your blood sugar levels. And if you use insulin, or some other diabetes medications like sulphonylureas, you're more likely to have a hypo, otherwise known as low blood sugar or hypoglycaemia. Drinking alcohol can add to this because it reduces the body's ability to recover when blood sugar levels are dropping. If you'r enot sure whether your medication can cause hypos or are affected by alcohol, speak to your doctor.
Alcohol should also be avoided if you're taking a pain reliever, according to Lorrie. The NHS says drinking a "small amount of alcohol" while taking paracetamol or ibuprofen is usually safe. However, drinking too much can if you've taken ibuprofen, or any other steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, irritate your stomach.
As previously stated, this should only be taken as informational, and you should contact your healthcare provider for information about your specific circumstances.