Healthy Living for Elders: Food Can Affect Your Medicines
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Healthy Living for Elders: Food Can Affect Your Medicines

   

Healthy Living for Elders: Food Can Affect Your Medicines1

Paulina Wittkowsky2

Food can affect the way prescription and over-the-counter medicines work. This can cause unwanted effects. When taking certain medicines, some foods should be avoided.

ALCOHOL

Drinking alcohol when you are taking certain medicines can be very dangerous. Some drugs that are affected by alcohol are: acetaminophen (such as TylenolTM), antihistamines (such as BenadrylTM), and ibuprofen (such as MotrinTM).

• Always ask your doctor or pharmacist if alcohol can affect the medicine you are taking!

GRAPEFRUIT JUICE

Grapefruit juice increases the effect of some medicines. It is best not to take medicine with grapefruit juice.

• Drink grapefruit juice at least two hours after or before you take your medicine.

MILK

Some antibiotics, like tetracycline, should not be taken with milk.

VEGETABLES

Vegetables that contain vitamin K, such as spinach, kale, and Brussels sprouts, can reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners (such as CoumadinTM).

TAKE WITH FOOD

Certain medicines should be taken with food. This can help prevent stomach irritation. Examples of these medicines are ibuprofen (such as MotrinTM) and certain diuretics (such as AldactoneTM).

* Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information on how food can affect your medicines.

Footnotes

1. This is document FCS 8622-ENG, one in a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Publication date: March 2004. This leaflet was developed with funding from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs in partnership with state, county, and local agencies. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2. Paulina Wittkowsky, MS, RD, former education assistant, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Reviewed by Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, professor, University of Florida.

The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.


Copyright Information

This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.