Finding a balance of medications to support your physical and mental health can be a complex process, especially if medications interact with each other. Some medications that interact can dial down or amplify their effects, potentially increasing the risk of side effects or overdose.

Other medications can interact with certain foods and drinks, like alcohol. Finding alternatives is one way for a provider, like a professional at ReKlame Health, to help you avoid these problems. They can also give you more information about your medication and discuss using it safely with you.

Which common medications have drug or food interactions?

Some common medications have more interactions than others, and some are especially dangerous. A few of these medications that have a risk of interaction are:

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics and lithium, the next item in this list, have some of the highest rates of emergency department visits relative to outpatient prescription rates for adverse drug events. Antipsychotics can cause movement disorder, QT prolongation (a heart rhythm disorder) and neurotoxicity (damage to the nervous system caused by certain toxins).

Lithium

Lithium toxicity is a risk for people taking this medication. Lithium can interact with ACE inhibitors, diuretics and NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen. Additionally, lithium can raise a person’s risk of serotonin syndrome (a rare but life-threatening condition in which serotonin overaccumulates in the body) if it’s taken with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a common group of antidepressants.

Antidepressants

SSRIs, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) antidepressants can interact with some medications. It’s important to speak with your provider about any other medication that you take. Examples of common medications with these risks include citalopram (an SSRI), venlafaxine (an SNRI) and bupropion (an NDRI). Each of these has a notable risk of overdose or drug interaction. Some antidepressant interactions are more dangerous than others.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) have a higher risk of interaction with other medications, including other antidepressants and some cold, allergy and pain medications. Talk to your prescriber before taking new medications or supplements. MAOIs also interact with fermented or aged foods like cured meats, aged cheese and some alcoholic beverages.

Sedative-hypnotics

Sedative-hypnotics like benzodiazepines can interact with a variety of medications, including opioid pain relievers, barbiturates and some antihistamines. They can also interact with alcohol. Sedatives and anxiolytics (medications that help reduce anxiety) are implicated in about 30,707 emergency department visits per year in the United States. If you take sedative-hypnotic medications, consider talking to your prescriber about alternative medications or substances.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) medications

Methadone and buprenorphine, which is one of the two active ingredients in Suboxone, can interact with other medications. These include benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants. They can also interact with opioid agonist pain medications, which may provide less pain relief. You can view a comprehensive list of interactions here or talk to your prescriber at ReKlame.

Learn how you can minimize interaction risks

You can follow a few simple tips to reduce your risks of medication interactions. For example:

• Use only medications prescribed to you.

Maybe you feel under the weather, and a family member or friend offers you their leftover medicine. Maybe someone offers or sells medication for recreational use. Don’t take them up on it. The medication could interact with your own. It could be expired, contaminated or counterfeit.

• Follow instructions carefully.

Thinking about adding something to your routine when you feel like you need it? Without an educated professional’s guidance, this isn’t the safest approach. Talk to your prescriber instead of making a change on your own. They can let you know which over-the-counter or prescription medications you can use safely.

• Consult your prescriber or pharmacist.

If you have any concerns about your medication, you don’t have to tackle them by yourself. You can always reach out to the professional who prescribed the medication or the pharmacist who provided it, even if your question feels minor. They would like to hear “Can I take Benadryl and pain medication together?” and say “No” more than they would like to hear what happened after you did it.

• Check interactions online.

While waiting for a professional’s guidance, you can learn a little from online resources. You can look for interactions with an interaction checker from Medscape or Drugs.com. The information here is neither a go-ahead to use medication nor a substitute for a conversation with your prescriber. However, it may give you an idea of what your prescriber might say when you talk to them.

Do you have questions about your medication and possible interactions?

You can reach out to ReKlame. We offer assistance for people dealing with substance use disorder, including guidance on prescription medications and other substances. You can count on us for information about medication and treatment options.

Give our care team a call today for more information, check your eligibility for free online or book an initial appointment online.