Dangerous mixture: which medications should not be taken with tea, coffee and juices

Before or after food? How and when to take the pills

Our expert is a general practitioner, candidate of medical sciences Alexandra Shnurova.

Often, in order to take a pill, we take the liquid that is currently at hand. But in vain. After all, the chemicals contained in various drinks can react with drug components. As a result, the drug may not only lose its effectiveness, but also turn out to be toxic to the body.

Groups of antibiotics according to the method of action on microbes

Why do doctors recommend doing test samples before prescribing antibacterial drugs? Because this is the only way to find out which microbe entered the body and began to produce its own kind.

Depending on this, a drug must be prescribed so that it kills or at least blocks the reproductive system of the pathogenic organism, otherwise the colony of bacteria will gain immunity, and the person will develop a chronic disease.

Interesting fact! According to the survey, almost half of the adult population believes that antibacterial drugs kill viruses, although the name directly states: antibacterial, that is, against bacteria

For example, it is difficult to distinguish a viral disease from a bacterial one. Antibiotics have no effect on the virus, it is useless to take it. An extra dose of medicine can disrupt the immunity in a person’s intestines (most immune cells live there) and he will not be able to resist a viral infection.

Should you mindlessly take medications, especially against a virus? It’s not worth it, because the body itself must pick up protection and strengthen it, only then the disease will subside.

Some drugs are prescribed specifically because a type of bacteria has entered the body against which other antibiotics are powerless. Others do not kill bacteria, but only prevent them from multiplying. Still others are intended for the treatment of severe infections, including peritonitis or sepsis, so drinking them during bronchitis is dangerous.

Tablets and mineral water

It is best to take the tablets with warm boiled water. It is suitable for all types of medications.

Sometimes doctors recommend taking the tablets with warm alkaline mineral water. It is believed that almost all medications are absorbed faster in an alkaline environment. Mineral water used for taking medications must be without gas.

Erythromycin tablets (and similar ones) must be washed down with this water. In its absence, the drug is washed down with a solution of boiled water and baking soda.

Vitamins can be taken with milk, and some sedatives and antibiotics can be taken with sour juices. But only on the recommendation of a doctor!

How antibiotics act on the human body

In addition to sensitivity to certain types of bacteria, this group of drugs reacts differently with food that a person eats:

• Fatty foods retain some types of medications in the stomach, and most of the beneficial properties of the drug are lost.

• Other antibiotics bind to protein and are not absorbed into the blood. The result is that large doses are needed, which is harmful to the intestinal flora.

• Organic acids can completely neutralize some types of antimicrobial drugs, for example, erythromycin or ampicillin, so the treatment does not work.

Based on this, you need to not only contact your doctor for a prescription, but also ask how to take the medicine correctly, what food to combine it with, and what to drink it with.

The biggest problem faced by people who have used antibiotics is intestinal dysbiosis. Diarrhea up to 10 times a day, thirst and dry mouth are symptoms of improper use of medications.

The fact is that this group of medications kills both pathogenic and beneficial flora, so the intestines are temporarily unable to digest food normally. Fluid absorption is impaired, so all the water enters the large intestine and causes watery stools. How does this relate to coffee?

Coffee and bowel function

Coffee is one of those drinks that works as a laxative. This applies to 70% of people who regularly consume natural coffee beans. If you continue to drink strong espresso with caffeine while you are sick and taking antibiotics, the carryover effect will increase.

This is a dangerous condition because the body needs a lot of water to repair and eliminate toxins left by bacteria. At the same time, it is all excreted through the intestines. A person can become intoxicated from several sources:

• toxins as waste products of pathogenic microflora;

• toxic waste after incomplete digestion of food, because digestive juices consist of water and chemicals dissolved in it;

• in the absence of appetite, the body begins to switch to internal reserves - subcutaneous fat, where the body's toxic waste accumulated over the years is preserved.

Instead of recovery, you can get an even bigger problem and take a long time to recover. Whether it is possible to drink coffee while taking antibiotics is up to the patient to decide, since there is no official ban on this combination, but the body can react in its own way, especially if the person prescribed the medications to himself.

It is not caffeine that is to blame here, but chlorogenic acid, which is part of the beans. Black and green tea also contain caffeine, but these drinks do not cause peristalsis. Many were advised to drink strong black tea for intestinal disorders, which normalizes functions.

Interesting! Why don’t such problems arise during hospital stays? Because food is prepared in accordance with the principles of diet, and antibiotics are brought at the hour when they can be taken. For example, an hour before a meal or 3 hours after it

Coffee grounds irritate the intestinal walls during antibiotic treatment, so it is better not to drink Turkish coffee. A machine brewing method with a filter is suitable.

In what cases is it possible

The only acceptable option for combining espresso with medicine is the need to enhance the effect of the painkiller. In this case, it is allowed to drink Paracetamol or Aspirin and coffee at the same time.

The active components of the drug will be absorbed faster, the effect will last for a longer period. However, you should remember about excessive stress on the liver and increased blood pressure . Therefore, you need to navigate the situation and choose the least evil. But the site administration still recommends consulting specialists on this issue.

Antibiotics, caffeinated foods and drinks

When taking antibiotics, it is advisable to follow a diet, since many foods are poorly digested in the presence of antimicrobial drugs. It is better to avoid some additives in coffee until your intestinal flora returns to normal. These are milk and cream, as well as additives based on them.

Protein is a controversial food when linked to disease and antibiotics. It is found in coffee, meat, and plant foods. The cells of the body are built from protein. During illness, it is important to maintain immunity, but immune cells also consist of protein. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the measure - not to give up completely, but also not to eat only meat, otherwise the antibiotics will stop working.

Fat is a double blow to the gastrointestinal tract. During illness, the liver is busy neutralizing drugs and bacterial toxins. If you add fatty foods, you can damage your entire digestive system. The result will be diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and lack of appetite.

Long-term carbohydrates and antibiotics are a good combination. These are cereals, breads and pasta made from whole flour.

When all the beneficial microflora in the intestines has been destroyed, you cannot eat sweets (these are also carbohydrates), as this creates a suitable environment for bacteria to multiply. This can also cause diarrhea and dehydration.

Kefir, homemade yoghurts that contain live cultures of lactic acid bacteria, have a positive effect on the intestines while taking antibiotics.

Just take medications and fermented milk drinks at different times. There are two reasons for this:

• After taking medications, they must be absorbed and pass into the blood.

• The effect of the drug should not be spent on beneficial bacteria that are found in fermented milk products.

Weakened people with long-term treatment with antibacterial drugs are prescribed nystatin to curb the growth of the fungus. In women, this prevents candidiasis (thrush).

Features of taking medications

Those chemical compounds that are the basis of the medicine, when taking the drug, can react with components of food or drink. This can not only reduce their effectiveness, but also lead to the formation of some toxic compounds. Toxins can harm the health of the patient who takes the pills in the hope of healing. Negative reactions such as decreased effectiveness of the drug, allergic reactions and digestive disorders, as well as poisoning are possible. Therefore, before taking medications, you need to think about how and what to take them with. Sweet soda, sparkling mineral water, coffee or tea, and dairy drinks are, for the most part, not suitable for these cases.

What drugs are best not to drink coffee with?

The active ingredients of the medication and the type of antimicrobial drug influence whether you can drink coffee while taking antibiotics.

The penicillin group of drugs should be taken without caffeine. Firstly, because medications reduce the rate at which caffeine is broken down and utilized, large doses of coffee can cause poisoning.

Secondly, medications are poorly absorbed in the presence of an alkaloid, so if it is impossible to completely give up espresso, you should drink it an hour before taking the pills or 2.5 hours after. This group includes all names ending in floxacin: ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and others.

With tetracycline group drugs, it is better to drink plain black coffee once a day. Dairy products cannot be added. These medications are taken with a strict diet that eliminates milk, fat and sweets in the first place. Antibiotics and coffee are compatible if you separate them by time and do not add sugar.

Is it possible to drink coffee while taking antibiotics to treat sexually transmitted infections? It's possible, but it's better not to risk it. The fact is that poorly treated STIs (sexually transmitted infections) can subsequently cause chronic relapses.

In men, inflammation of the prostate, in women - of the uterus and appendages. In order not to undergo treatment for the rest of your life, it is recommended to wait a week and complete the course, following the doctor’s recommendations or the instructions for the antibiotic.

Should I take the tablets with coffee or not?

Doctors do not recommend resorting to such actions. It is best to take medications with still, clean water.

Scientists have not yet fully studied the mechanism of interaction between drinks containing caffeine and medications. There have been no serious studies on this topic. To avoid negative consequences, the medicine should be taken with water, and coffee should be drunk some time after this.

Some drugs are recommended to be combined with milk. Due to this, the effect of taking them is enhanced.

Before starting therapy, you should read the instructions for each medication.

When coffee and antibiotics go well together

Caffeine has a stimulating effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Once in the body, it causes increased blood flow and lymph, which is good in the treatment of certain infectious diseases. If you take pills and caffeine correctly, you can speed up your recovery.

Is it possible to drink coffee with antibiotics? You can if you follow the rules:

• Drink only natural black or green coffee.

• Do not add sugar or dairy products.

• Drink in turns, observing a time interval of up to 2 hours.

• Increase water consumption by 2 times. If the usual amount of plain water per day is 1 liter, then during treatment you need to drink 2 liters. Caffeine causes a diuretic effect, which causes dehydration of the body.

To the question whether coffee and antibiotics can be consumed at the same time: you cannot wash down the tablets with anything other than water. One tablet contains at least half a glass.

Doctors in some cases prohibit drinking coffee and antibiotics together. We need to ask why this is necessary. The fact is that the medical community has little interest in modern research, preferring to be content with the information of the past, which contains many unreliable facts that were not studied at that time.

Pills and alcohol

I would like to remind you: when taking medications, you should avoid alcohol. At all! Because when taking many tablets, the effect of alcohol on the body becomes deadly.

Under no circumstances should the following tablets be taken with alcoholic beverages:

• Tranquilizers, psychotropic and neuroleptics.
• "Clonidine" and drugs that sharply lower blood pressure.
• Beta blockers.
• Anticoagulants.
• Insulin and drugs for diabetics.
• Antibiotics.
• Vitamins B, C and folic acid.

Instant coffee and antibacterial drugs

A special warning for instant coffee lovers. Its composition differs in many ways from the composition of natural grains. Manufacturers of instant coffee-based drinks prefer to save on raw materials and add chemicals and components to the granules that have nothing to do with coffee beans.

Instant coffee contains a lot of acids. They are used at different stages of production; technology cannot be avoided. The intestines, which are irritated during antibiotic treatment, are exposed to acid. One course of treatment for a cold can cause gastritis or damage the mucous membrane of the small intestine. Then you will have to be treated for another disease.

Instant coffee should be avoided. Even in a healthy state, buying only expensive varieties is more likely to come across a high-quality, safe product. If we compare the cost of natural grains and instant ones, the former will cost less. In addition, there is little caffeine, which enhances the effect of antibiotics, in soluble granules.

Alcohol and drugs

There are many recipes for coffee with alcohol. If a person is healthy and does not take any medications, then such a cocktail is useful in terms of the combination of components and their effect on the body’s systems. What to do if antibiotics are prescribed? Alcohol must be removed from the diet. Moreover, never take pills with them. Here's the thing.

Drugs of the cephalosporin group of antibiotics interfere with the breakdown of alcohol and its elimination by the body. As a result of the lack of a chemical reaction, a large amount of acetaldehyde accumulates in the blood, which leads to poisoning.

The more alcohol, the more aldehyde. If the dosage is exceeded, severe intoxication and even death of a person can occur if he is not urgently taken to the hospital to install an IV.

A similar effect in some cases is observed when taking metronidazole (Trichopol), which is used to destroy protozoa in the human body and treat sexually transmitted diseases.

All alcoholic drinks cause increased urine production, so in the morning the main symptom of a hangover appears - thirst and the desire to drink everything that is at hand. Coffee is famous for a similar effect.

If you mix all three controversial components - coffee, alcohol and an antibiotic - you will have to stock up on a canister of water to smooth out the unpleasant symptoms of thirst, intoxication with ethylene and waste products of microbes.

Important! For colds, vitamin preparations that contain vitamins A, B and C are often prescribed. It is important to know that vitamin A with alcohol has a strong negative effect on the liver, and vitamin C is destroyed by ethyl alcohol. Money wasted, no use

Why you shouldn't take coffee tablets

Coffee drinks have a weak diuretic effect. Therefore, they are able to provoke rapid elimination of the drug. For example, if you drink a stomach remedy along with coffee, the drug simply will not have time to act.

Caffeine has a stimulating effect and can enhance the effects of certain drugs, which can lead to an overdose.

It is also worth considering how the alkaloid interacts with certain groups of drugs:

• Sedatives. Caffeine helps activate all body systems and improves blood circulation. When combined with a sedative, all effects will be negated.
• Heart medications. The alkaloid increases blood pressure and accelerates heart contractions. Hypotonic patients are allowed to drink a cup of espresso instead of a pill, but they should not be combined. The dose will be excessively large, which will lead to a negative effect - the condition will worsen. Hypertensive patients should avoid coffee drinks completely. Naturally, you cannot take medications with them.
• Citramon and Aspirin. The drugs belong to the group of painkillers. People often combine coffee with Aspirin or Citramon, drinking a tablet at work or at a party. You can't do this. Caffeine increases the toxic effects of medications, which causes liver damage.
• Antibiotics. Coffee drinks remove the drug from the body too quickly. It doesn't have the desired effect. In addition, a low dosage leads to bacteria becoming resistant to the active component of the drug. For the same reason, you should not take your tablets with tea.

What is the best way to take medications with you?

The most suitable remedy is ordinary boiled water at medium temperature. For one tablet you will need about a quarter cup. In exceptional cases, half a glass or one glass may be required. Sometimes the doctor discusses such nuances at the appointment or they are spelled out in the instructions.

Carefully! Please note that even mineral water is not suitable for drinking down medications, because... may interfere with the absorption of certain substances.

Recommendations from homeopathic doctors

In medical practice, clinical homeopathy is equal to physiotherapy, surgery and other therapeutic methods of treatment using traditional medicines. Like any treatment, this method requires special attention and strict adherence to all the instructions of homeopathic doctors. First of all, it is necessary to give up bad habits and get rid of coffee addiction as much as possible during the treatment period.

Carefully selected doses and compliance with the conditions for taking homeopathic medicines have a delicate effect on the body as a whole. It is very important during treatment to exclude the use of any extraneous potent drugs from the daily diet. Alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, drugs, energy drinks, even coffee, cocoa and strong black tea can negatively and unpredictably affect the development of such therapy.

Drinking an invigorating drink, we feel a surge of energy and vigor in an exhausted body. And granules of homeopathic medicines have a normalizing effect on humans. Therefore, under the influence of caffeine, the effect of homeopathy is significantly dulled. Excessive coffee consumption contributes to chronic exhaustion of the nervous system. Experts in the field of homeopathy strongly advise their patients to avoid drinking such drinks not only for the period of treatment, but throughout the year.

First aid for a heart attack (heart attack).

A heart attack (infarction) is the death of a section of the heart muscle (myocardium) , caused by blockage of a vessel supplying this section of muscle with blood.

Without blood supply, the heart muscle begins to die and, if help is not provided in time, it dies irrevocably.

The risk of deterioration and death is very high - about 35% , you can’t delay! The life of the victim depends on your quick and clear actions.

Main features:

1. Pressing pain in the center of the chest. A person can hold on to the “heart,” unwittingly showing where the problem is. The pain often radiates to the left arm, left shoulder blade, and neck on the left side.
2. Dyspnea at rest - difficult, frequent, shallow breathing , as after physical activity. May not go away even after rest.
3. Pale skin and cold clammy sweat.

IMPORTANT!

• When diagnosing, focus primarily on 3 main signs! The victim may have other symptoms: dizziness, weakness, nausea, etc. But they occur in many diseases and blur the picture more than they help in diagnosis.
• Call an ambulance even if you have one of the main signs. Don't wait for all 3 to appear. They may never appear all together.

Your actions:

1. Call an ambulance - 103 or 112 from any phone - and clearly, in simple language, describe all the manifestations. For example: a 45-year-old man, sitting, holding his chest with his hand, pale, having difficulty breathing. If the patient refuses to call an ambulance, but looks bad, call him anyway! By law, you do not need the victim’s consent to call an ambulance.
2. Aspirin 325 mg. A simple Aspirin given at the first sign of a heart attack reduces mortality by 15%!!! Aspirin prevents the growth of a blood clot that has blocked a vessel in the heart muscle and preserves the possibility of at least some blood supply.

IMPORTANT!

• The Aspirin tablet should be chewed and not swallowed whole. Instruct the victim.
• under any circumstances exceed the dose of 325 mg!!! This can sometimes have the opposite effect and make the condition worse. Look carefully at the dosage indicated on the package.
• Do not give Aspirin if the person is allergic to this drug.

You don't need to do anything else. Observe the condition of the victim, support him morally, wait for the ambulance.

Not to do!!!

1. Nitroglycerin - do not give! It can greatly reduce blood pressure and even kill the victim before the ambulance arrives. If the patient wants to take it, you can help him take his own Nitroglycerin. In this case, it is his decision and his risk. You are not responsible for the result. If you “prescribe” him your drug yourself, then in the event of a tragic outcome, you risk being charged. Prescribing prescription medications is not your responsibility and is not part of First Aid.
2. There is no need to give Validol, Valocordin, Corvalol. Validol is a placebo and has no real effect on the heart at all. Valocordin and Corvalol are sedative drops that do not have a strong effect on blood circulation in the heart muscle, but they cause a drowsy state, which makes it difficult for doctors to diagnose. Especially in case of an overdose, which is carried out by “rescuers” out of “generosity” and fear.

Any knowledge is useless if it does not lead to action.

And here’s what you need to do right now so that knowledge does not remain just knowledge:

1. Tell everyone in your family what you learn about the heart attack. Just tell it in your own words. Firstly, by passing on information to others, you yourself will remember it even better. Secondly, you create a safe environment around yourself that can help you if you suddenly become a victim.
2. If you have children, make sure they know how to call 911. They may be the only ones near the victim, and the salvation of parents and grandparents will depend on their timely call for an ambulance.
3. Make sure you have Aspirin in your home medicine cabinet . Look carefully at the dosage to understand how many small tablets to give or how many pieces to break a large tablet into. For simplicity, buy Aspirin in a dosage of 325 mg.
4. If you don’t have Aspirin at home , be sure to buy it at the pharmacy . Immediately take Aspirin at a dosage of 325 mg. It can be used not only for a heart attack, but also for any situation such as headache, fever, hangover, etc.
5. If you have family members with heart disease , make sure you know exactly what medications they are taking and why. What allergies do they have? This is important to know in case their condition worsens and they are unable to instruct you about treatment. Prepare in advance!
6. If you yourself suffer from heart disease , be sure that your immediate family, including your children, know what pills you are taking and what they should do if you suddenly feel unwell.

Be prepared and may you never need it!

Author: Artyom Kharchikov

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The effect of coffee on blood pressure

Does caffeine affect blood pressure? Discussions on this topic are still ongoing. Of course, coffee can have a certain effect on blood pressure, but not in the way that many people think.

To understand how coffee affects blood pressure, scientists around the world have conducted various studies for decades, during which it was found that caffeine, when introduced into the body, raises blood pressure for just a few minutes. After which it decreases and gradually returns to normal. It has been experimentally proven that giving up the drink reduces the indicator by only 1 unit, while constant drinking of coffee keeps the pressure normal or increases it by several units.

But coffee does not always affect blood pressure. A healthy person can use it completely calmly. Even drinking a few cups of coffee will not significantly affect your blood pressure. If the indicators were somewhat inflated, then they will remain at the same level or increase slightly. That is why it is necessary to drink coffee with caution if you have hypertension.

For people suffering from hypotension, this drink can provide invaluable benefits. Drinking coffee with low blood pressure helps get rid of symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and loss of energy.

How do caffeine and blood pressure interact? After studying a group of people, it was found that coffee has completely different effects on blood pressure. During the experiment, the following patterns were revealed:

• For healthy people, caffeine increases blood pressure slightly or does not change the indicators at all.
• Drinking coffee for hypertension can significantly affect blood pressure, even to dangerous levels.
• It turns out that coffee lowers blood pressure for some people, not increases it.
• With regular consumption of the drink, the body gets used to caffeine, as a result of which blood pressure remains normal.

Why medicine cannot be taken with dairy products: enzyme problems

Antibiotics, especially the tetracycline group, as well as enzymes taken to improve digestion, are not combined with milk. In addition, dairy drinks slow down the absorption and inhibit the activity of many other drugs. It’s not for nothing that milk is recommended by traditional medicine for poisoning: its components are capable of binding many chemicals, including drugs. In addition to reducing enzyme activity, milk also interferes with the action of antacids (which bind stomach acid), potassium and iron supplements.

It is forbidden to drink tablets and enzymes that have acid-resistant capsules with milk drinks; milk is capable of dissolving these shells, which prevents the drug from reaching the intestines.

Aspirin for weight loss: how to take it correctly

There is no strict dosage for taking the medicine; each person decides for himself. There is information on some forums that daily use of Aspirin will help you lose at least five kilograms in a month, but there is no exact confirmation of this fact yet.

Of course, before starting a diet, you need to consult a doctor , but if this is not possible, remember one rule: you should drink Aspirin only after meals, since it irritates the stomach walls and can cause the development of ulcers.

You should not drink Aspirin with tea, or a few sips of a drink, but only 200 ml of clean, still water. This is necessary so that the tablet dissolves well and does not stick to the stomach.