Medications and drinks: The combinations that could harm you
Many people have to take medication daily. We often also take various kinds of vitamins or supplements. As it turns out, not only does the time and dosage matter—it is also important what we drink with the medication. What is convenient may not always be a good choice.
11:24 AM EDT, September 9, 2024
Practically everyone knows how inadvisable it is to combine medication and alcohol. However, you might be surprised to learn that other beverages, which are generally considered healthy and recommended, can negatively affect our medication, specifically in how they behave in our bodies.
For medication to work properly, it must be absorbed into our body and enter the bloodstream. If we drink the wrong beverages with it, they may not only be less effective but can also harm our bodies.
Taking medication? Don’t drink these! these beverages don’t mix with medication
At the top of the list is milk, which provides calcium to our body. Calcium in the stomach interferes with the absorption of medication. Drinking citrus juices or carbonated drinks like cola is a bad idea, hence they increase stomach acidity.
Coffee or tea are also bad choices for drinking with medication. The caffeine and theine in them make it harder for medications, especially painkillers and antibiotics, to be absorbed.
As with cola, energy drinks are a poor choice as well.
The already mentioned alcohol is the worst choice. It not only doesn’t help with the effectiveness of pills but actually increases the occurrence of side effects and can even lead to liver damage.
Half a glass is enough. Reliable for medication
The best choice for drinking with medication won’t surprise anyone. It’s a glass of water—any kind—bottled, filtered, or boiled. It’s also worth remembering that tap water is completely safe to drink in many cities. This helps if, for example, you are outdoors and don't have a bottle of mineral water handy.
Dr. Pradip Shah from Fortis Hospital in Mumbai emphasizes that water neither changes the medication's properties nor interacts with it.
