Don’t combine these drugs, foods and herbs to avoid potentially dangerous interactions:
Lipitor + Grapefruit
Eating grapefruit while taking the cholesterol lowering medication Lipitor is not a sweet combination. The interaction between the two are believed to slow the activity of the enzyme the body uses to metabolize Lipitor. This could lead to heightened levels of Lipitor in your body which increases your risk of developing myopathy, a neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle weakness, and rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which the muscle fibers break down and kidney failure is possible.
Warfarin + Dong quai
Medicinal herb Dong quai is found in many women’s supplements and is used to relieve menstrual cramps, regulate periods and even ease symptoms of menopause. It has blood-thinning effects , so beware when adding the drug Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) to the mix. Warfarin is a blood thinner prescribed to prevent heart attack and stroke. Taking products with Dong quai in them along with Warfarin can increase your risk of bleeding.
MAO inhibitors + Tyramine
Pass by the Chianti wine, chicken liver, aged cheeses and other foods and drinks containing high levels of tyramine if you are taking MAO inhibitors like Nardil, Parnate and Marplan. Combining the MAO inhibitors with tyramine could lead to extreme high blood pressure because the MAO inhibitor blocks monoamine oxidase, the enzyme that also metabolizes tyramine. With the monoamine oxidase suppressed, tyramine levels in the body can build up, increasing blood pressure to potentially fatal levels.
Digoxin + High-Fiber Foods
Taking Digoxin to help regulate your heart function? Then be sure to not consume large quantities of foods high in fiber like oatmeal and bran muffins. Fiber may impair your body’s ability to absorb Digoxin into the bloodstream, diminishing the drug’s effectiveness.