Drug Interaction

It is important to understand how drugs react with other drugs. When several are taken, there are possibilities of changes in their reactions. With each new drug purchased, there are instruction sheets that should be carefully read to see how that particular drug acts when taken at the same time another drug is being taken. This applies to all drugs, OTC (over the counter) for symptomatic relief as well as prescription drugs.

Some drugs, especially those that dissolve blood clots will have their action enhanced with aspirin, which in itself is a blood thinner. That is why patients are cautioned not to take aspirin if they are on coumadin or some other blood thinning medication. With aspirin there is always a danger of bleeding.

Aspirin is a true miracle drug and has been around for a long, long time. But precisely because it so effective in many instances, it also can be dangerous. It should not be given to children because it has been known to cause Reyes' syndrome in children. Also, because of its blood thinning properties, it should not be taken if one has stomach ulcers or if one bleeds easily.

The more drugs one takes, the chance of having a drug interaction that you didn't expect, increases. Buy your drugs from the same pharmacy. This ensures that all your mediciations are listed and the druggist will be on the alert for drug reaction problems. It is absolutely impossible for your doctor to keep up with all this information.

Learn which drugs are antagonistic and could cause reactions and which drugs enhance the action of either. Both of these conditions need to be known since they were not what the doctor ordered. Its a no, no, where Warfarin -- blood thinner -- and NSAIDS, Sulfa drugs, are concerned.