Why should some medicines be avoided with specific food?

There are some medicines which we should not take with that specific food material. Some medicines are not allowed with specific food material as it can lead to unwanted interactions or adverse effects by interacting with each other. It is called a food-drug interaction. It can affect the absorption of that particular drug which will ultimately affect its intended effect.

Either it will decrease absorption of a particular medicine or decrease absorption. Both are harmful and won’t give you therapeutic effects. That’s why we need to take care while having some medicines. We should avoid them with that specific food material; otherwise, it won’t give you the desired effect.

Examples of medicines that are not allowed with specific food material:

There are certain medicines which we should not take with specific food material:-

• Milk and Milk products contain calcium- Calcium can form complexes with drugs like tetracycline and Ciprofloxacin by interacting with each other, leading to a decrease in its absorption. It will ultimately affect its intended effect.
• Foods that are high in vitamin K like green leafy vegetables, egg yolk, citrus fruits or which enhance vitamin K production by intestinal microorganisms can reduce the effectiveness of warfarin, an anticoagulant. That’s why this kind of food should be avoided with drugs like warfarin.
• Statins are cholesterol-lowering agents– Grapefruit juice can increase the number of statins in your blood and increase the side effects. Drugs like simvastatin, Lovastatin should be avoided with grapefruit Juice. Otherwise, it can cause adverse effects.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, for example, phenelzine, should be avoided with Tyramine rich food like banana, cheese, red wine, chicken. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors suppress the metabolism of Tyramine. It can cause the release of norepinephrine and result in increased blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, hypothermia and cerebral haemorrhage. That’s why Monoamine oxidase inhibitors should not be taken with Tyramine rich food.
• Alcohol should be avoided with acetaminophen because it can cause liver toxicity.
• Antithyroid drugs should be avoided with iodine-rich foods like seaweed, fish ( tuna, cod), milk products and milk, iodized salt.
• Paracetamol should be avoided with carbohydrates because it can lead to slow absorption. It will ultimately affect its therapeutic effect.
• We should avoid Quinidine with milk, nuts and most vegetables. If we take Quinidine with milk or nuts, it will decrease the renal clearance and lead to toxic reactions.
• Digoxin is the medicine that is used in heart failure. It should be avoided with milk products. If we take digoxin with milk, it will decrease its absorption, and it won’t give you a therapeutic effect.
• Antihypertensive drugs should be avoided with liquorice. Otherwise, it can lead to sodium retention. So it will ultimately increase blood pressure, and it won’t give you the intended effect.
• Antibiotics like erythromycin should be avoided with acid fruit juices. If we take erythromycin with acid fruit juices, it can lead to the decomposition of erythromycin, and it won’t give you therapeutic effects.
• Astemizole should be avoided with grapefruit juice. It will reduce its absorption and won’t give you the intended effect.
• Ampicillin should not be taken with the food because it can reduce absorption in the presence of food, and it won’t give you the intended effect.
• Bisacodyl should not be taken in the presence of food. If taken in the presence of food, it dissolves its enteric coating and won’t give you a therapeutic effect.
• Isoniazid should be avoided in the presence of food. It can cause hepatotoxicity with alcohol. It can reduce its absorption and won’t give you the intended effect.
• Methotrexate should not be taken in food because it can reduce its absorption and won’t give you the desired effect; it can cause hepatotoxicity with alcohol.
• Omeprazole should be avoided in the presence of food because it can lead to delayed absorption, and it won’t give you a therapeutic effect.
• Penicillin G should be avoided in the presence of food because it can reduce its absorption and won’t give you the intended effect.

We should be careful while having some medicines. As I have described above, there are some medicines which we should not take with specific food material. The reason behind it is most of them show the effect on its absorption, or it shows adverse effects. Absorption is essential and is the first step for getting the therapeutic effect of particular medicines. If absorption is reduced, it won’t have a therapeutic effect. If absorption is increased, it will show adverse effects. So we need to take care while having certain medicines.