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Foods That You Should Avoid During the Course of Prescription Medicines

no Medicines

Being on medications is not very uncommon nowadays given the kind of urban lifestyle we follow. It is not just serious illnesses or growing age that requires you to be on drug medications, but even common issues like an occasional cold or fever. Pharmaceutical drugs require you to take certain precautions when consuming them, mainly because of their constitution. There are certain foods that you should completely avoid and certain others that you must consume in excess quantities when your body is undergoing the effects of medication.

The number and type of foods that you are expected to exclude from your diet depends largely on the kind of medication that you are upon. They may intensify side effects, or worsen your condition further. The following is a list of items that should not make way into your diet when you are on certain prescribed medications:

Green leafy vegetables:

vegetable

These vegetables contain vitamin K in excess, which is known for its blood clotting capability. When you are on blood thinning medications, it is best to keep away from vitamin K and green leafy vegetables as much as you can, lest you want it to interfere with the effects of your medicines.

Milk:

Milk

Dairy products and their lactose content interfere with the functioning of antibiotics. Even food, in general, disrupts their functioning and hence, antibiotics should be taken 2-3 hours before or after meals. Professionals always advise against consuming antibiotics with a glass of milk.

Coffee and chocolate:

chocolate

The caffeine content in these foods might get in the way of drugs used to treat conditions like ADHD. Ritalin is one such drug which does not work well if excessive quantities of caffeine are administered to the patient simultaneously. An occasional cup of coffee does no harm, but high amounts of caffeine may produce side effects like sleeplessness and anxiety in some people.

Lemon:

Lemon

When on cough medicines, it is best to stay away from lemons and anything lemony. Drugs that are known to cure cough and cold are easily and adversely affected by lime during their breakdown in the gut. By not consuming lemon, you can be assured that your medicines are working perfectly fine, since their functioning will not be affected in any way.

Grapefruit:

Grapefruit

Another citrus fruit that falls into this category is grapefruit. Statins are substances used to lower blood pressure, and grapefruit contains chemicals that prevent the breaking don of statins. So, if you are prescribed statins, you’d better not be consuming grapefruit, its products, or anything that can hinder the functioning of statins.

Alcohol:

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol or any product that contains alcohol has been proved to get in the way of drugs that work to fight diabetes or pain. This simply pressurizes your liver into breaking down the drugs and alcohol simultaneously. This may, in turn, intensify side effects like drowsiness and worsen your condition further. Avoiding alcohol is the best way to allow your anti-diabetic drugs and pain killers to carry out their functions without adversely affecting your body in any way.

Food supplements:

shake

The contents of some food supplements like protein shakes, vitamin pills and other minerals may interfere with the composition of drugs that you are currently upon. It is advised to stay away from synthetic and chemical supplements since they have a pretty high chance of turning these meds against you. You can continue their usage once you are off your medications, but till then, it is best to refrain from synthetic food supplements.

Using drugs and medicines should never be done without professional prescription; and along with prescription one should make sure to enquire with the doctor about eating habits during the course of the medication. It is important to be crystal clear about the types of foods to be consumed or avoided during this period. Follow your doctor’s prescription and diet suggestions extremely seriously in order to have your medicines working to your ultimate benefit.

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