Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.
Show your gratitude to a nurse this National Nurses Week by nominating them for a DAISY Award. terbinafine hcl
AARP MEMBERSHIP — $12 FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR AUTOMATIC RENEWAL
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
Your Personalized Guide to Fitness
Ways To Improve Your Hearing
Tools and Explainers on Brain Health
A Retreat For Those Struggling
View and Report Scams in Your Area
Get Your Finances Back on Track
How to Protect What You Collect
Freelance Jobs You Can Do From Home
Online Courses to Boost Your Career
31 Great Ways to Boost Your Career
Tips to Enhance Your Job Search
Get More out of Your Benefits
When to Start Taking Social Security
9 Biggest Changes Under New Rx Law
Quick Answers to Your Top Questions
Understanding Basics of LTC Insurance
Assistance and Services in Your Area
How to Develop a Caregiving Plan
How to Cope With Grief, Loss
Plan Ahead for Summer Travel
25 Ways to Save on Your Vacation
Best Reality TV Shows for Grownups
Robert De Niro Reflects on His Life
Spice Up Your Love Life
Navigate All Kinds of Connections
Couple Creates Their Forever Home
Caregiver’s Guide to Smart Home Tech
The Possibilities, Perils of AI
Join Free Tech Help Events
Soups to Comfort Your Soul
Your Ultimate Guide to Mulching
How to Keep Your Car Running
Assess Your Loved One's Driving Skills
Building Resilience in Difficult Times
Tips for Finding Your Calm
Cautionary Tales of Today's Biggest Scams
7 Top Podcasts for Armchair Travelers
Jean Chatzky: ‘Closing the Savings Gap’
Quick Digest of Today's Top News
AARP Top Tips for Navigating Life
Get Moving With Our Workout Series
You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
It’s routine to ask your doctor or pharmacist if a new prescription drug could interact with other medications you’re taking. But have you inquired about potentially problematic foods?
It turns out, a handful of commonly consumed fruits, veggies, snacks and drinks can affect the way medicines are absorbed or metabolized by the body.
“It’s an issue that’s not on a lot of people’s radar screens. Honestly, it’s not on many doctors’ radar screens, either,” says Bethanne Brown, a professor of pharmacy practice at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati. “This information can be found in the packet you receive when you pick up your prescription from the pharmacy, but it can get lost in all the written information provided.”
AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
It’s especially important for older adults to be aware of potential food-drug interactions. Research from the Lown Institute shows that 42 percent of U.S. adults 65 and older take five or more prescription drugs per day and nearly 20 percent take 10 or more, complicating matters when it comes to remembering how to take each medication.
In some cases, consuming a specific food could make a particular drug less effective or potentially increase blood levels of the drug. In other instances the combination could trigger bad, or even dangerous, side effects. That’s why it’s important to always ask your doctor or pharmacist if there are any foods that can interact with the medicines you’re taking.
In the meantime, here are some commonly used medications and the foods and beverages that could create a problematic pairing.
With antibiotics in the tetracycline class (including doxycycline and minocycline, which are prescribed to treat bacterial pneumonia and other infections) and ciprofloxacin (from the quinolone class, also prescribed for pneumonia and other infections), the calcium in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt could inhibit drug absorption, which could compromise the medication’s ability to treat your infection effectively.
Your best bet is to avoid calcium-containing foods an hour before, or two hours after, taking one of these antibiotics, Brown says.
testosterone powder Among the most well-known food-drug interactions is the anticoagulant warfarin (brand names Jantoven and Coumadin) and foods containing vitamin K, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, seaweed and other leafy greens. Certain vegetable oils also contain large amounts of K. These vegetables can reduce the effectiveness of the commonly prescribed medication, thus inhibiting its ability to stop or prevent blood clotting, explains Dima Qato, an associate professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy and a senior fellow at USC’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.