how juices and food affect medications

June 2011

Zyrtec ads that say you can't take Allegra with orange juice are raising questions about how juices and food affect medications.

Juices. Grapefruit juice is well known for INCREASING levels of Zocor, Plendil, and many others...leading to problems and toxicity.

Now we know orange and apple juice may DECREASE levels of certain meds...and possibly making them not work as well.

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Table of Contents

Days' Supply calculate the correct days' supply for fixed-quantity meds
Interactions how juices and food affect medications
Diabetes Meds a new "gliptin" for type 2 diabetes called Tradjenta (TRAD-gen-ta, linagliptin)
Opioids A new Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) will aim to reduce the misuse of long-acting opioid pain meds (OxyContin, etc)
Mood Stabilizers keep all the meds for bipolar disorder straight
Contraceptives use OTC emergency contraceptives (Plan B, etc) repeatedly as a primary contraceptive
Pediatrics Rxs for acid reducers (Prilosec, Nexium, Zantac, etc) for babies and kids can cause dispensing challenges
Fibromyalgia an increase in Lyrica (pregabalin) prescriptions
Blood Pressure HIGHER blood pressure numbers in some elderly patients
Migraine what to use for migraines and headaches now that Midrin and its equivalents are gone
Cholesterol The number of fenofibrate (Tricor, Lofibra, etc) Rxs is at an all time high
Med Reconciliation medication reconciliation or "med rec" programs
Needles & Syringes ensuring the correct needles and syringes are selected for injectable meds