Weekly
Health Tips for the month of November
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November 5, 2006- Time Your Juice
About to take an
antibiotic? Don't wash it down with calcium-fortified OJ.
To get the most
from infection-fighting meds, wait two hours before consuming anything
that's rich in calcium -- and today that means not only milk, cheese,
yogurt, and ice cream, but any of the many calcium-fortified foods now
available. Although it's known that the calcium in dairy foods
interferes with certain antibiotics, particularly tetracycline, there's
evidence that calcium-fortified orange juice may interfere, too.
Dairy products
and other high-calcium foods -- whether nature enriched them or food
scientists did -- aren't the only edibles you have to watch if you're
taking medications. Grapefruit juice may interact with some drugs,
including certain kinds of antihistamines, cholesterol-lowering statin
drugs, and calcium channel blockers (basic blood pressure treatments),
as well as some psychiatric medications. When in doubt, down your meds
with water. Then call a doctor or pharmacist in the morning to be sure
about what not to take with what.
Source: Journal
of Clinical Pharmacology, ©2006
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