Drug Interactions with Caffeine

Generally, caffeine is to increase the alertness of the brain and improve mental health. However, regardless of this alerting factor people use caffeine of other uses too. The caffeine is now being used by mouth or rectally in combination with few drugs like aspirin and acetaminophen. Drug interactions with caffeine can range from moderate to severe reaction. Before finding the reaction of caffeine during drug interaction you can learn more about scientific explanation on

• What is Drug Interaction?
• How does drug interaction occur?
• Does drug interaction occur often?
• Why it’s important to check for drug interaction?
• How do I check my drug interaction?
• What should I do if I found drug Interaction?

What is Drug Interaction?

Normally when you take more than one medication or mix the medication with some specific food, beverages or other counter medicines then you are under the risk of a drug interaction. Most of the time it’s not dangerous as mostly drug interactions do not cause serious reactions. However, sometimes it causes severe reactions. So it’s important to understand the possible results and perform precautionary measures before serious issues.

These are the types of Drug Interactions one must know and understand:

• Drug-Drug Interactions: The most common and repeatedly type of drug interaction. In this type of drug interaction when you take more than one medication. The chances of your drug interacting will be higher due to the interaction of one medicine with another one. Drug interaction can cause the effect on decreasing medication will work, increase minor or major unexpected side effects, increase the blood level and also the possibility of toxicity.

• Drug-Food/Beverage Interactions: In your prescription, you sometimes find a portion of special notes where you see the kinds of stuff like “avoid grapefruit juice”. This is because some drugs can interactions can affect the existing medical condition and the way drug works.
• Drug-Disease Interactions: In addition to drug interaction with food and other drugs, these drug interactions can affect the existing medical condition and the way drug works.

How does Drug Interaction Occur?

Drug Interaction can be caused in different ways. These occurrences can be termed as follows:

• A pharmacokinetic interaction: This drug interaction occurs when one drug affects the other drug’s absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion.
• A pharmacodynamics interaction: This occurs when two drugs are given together, act at the same or similar site. This led to either greater effect like additive or can decrease the effect (antagonist).

Does Drug Interaction occur often?

Although major drug interactions are not life-threatening, still one must have serious concerns regarding them. Most drug interactions labeled in the packages are mentioned by the drug pharmacology based upon theoretical research. However, you can also avoid possible drug interactions through the selection of different medications.

Since most people don’t know about the drug interaction of two or more drugs, so it’s a best practice for individuals to check the status of drug interactions through each new drug. Additionally, you can also stop the effect of other drugs within your system by stopping the level of medication. You can also check balance your life saving by proactively taking care of health, checking the drug interactions and also discussing or consulting with the healthcare.

The amount of drug interaction occurs as well as the risk involves in it depends upon numerous factors such as:

• The total amount of medication taken
• Age, liver and kidney functions
• Medical Conditions
• Diet and drug interaction
• Metabolic enzymes in genes and body.

Why it’s important to check for Drug Interaction?

It is a best practice to check the drug interaction. Drug interaction checker is important because they can:

• Help you understanding the effect of your medication and how it’s working by changing the drug level in the blood.
• Keep you in knowledge regarding the risk of side effects and toxicity
• Handle the Worsen medical situation you are currently dealing with.

Drug interaction can be checked through a drug interaction checker. So checking the drug interaction early can drastically improve the chance of less or no problem. Typically, doctors already performed drug interaction checkers before prescribing the medicines, but still, there is always a chance of human error so double-check is important. Also, make sure you review the product interactions or consult the doctor if you are at over the counter medicines like herbal, food supplements or vitamins.

How do I check my Drug Interaction?

The best way of preventing drug interaction can be done by communicating with healthcare. You can also check your drug interaction by keeping an updated list of your medications, counter products; herbals, vitamins, and medical conditions. Additionally, you can share the list with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist so they can also screen your drug interactions.

Furthermore, it’s important for reviewing medication guides, warning labels, perception information and drug facts label along with new prescriptions product. As with advancements, the labeling information about the medication is also improving frequently.

What should I do if I found Drug Interaction?

Most people use drug interaction with caffeine for gallbladder disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Parkinson’s disease, recovery after surgery, muscle soreness from exercise, breathing, low blood pressure, asthma, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), low oxygen levels in the blood due to exercise, memory, cramping, liver cirrhosis, Hepatitis C, stroke, decreasing pain, age-related mental impairment and lung problems in newborns. Furthermore, caffeine is used during weight loss and type 2 diabetes. A high dosage of caffeine with the combination of ephedrine is used as an alternative to an illegal stimulant.

Drug Interaction with Caffeine – Combination

There are around 24 drugs that have major, moderate and minor interaction with the drugs: the Following table stated the drug interactions with caffeine:

• 1 major
• 17 moderate
• And 6 minor drug interactions with caffeine.

Read More: Caffeine Headache Treatment and Withdrawal

FAQs

1. What are the effects of caffeine withdrawal?

After caffeine addictions, it’s hard for anyone to withdrawal. Although caffeine addiction is not bad it can cause severe health issues. Withdrawing the caffeine can trigger these range of symptoms:

• A headache
• Reduced energy and alertness
• Low mood
• Concentration problems
• Irritability
• Tiredness
• Sleepiness

2. Can you take caffeine with ibuprofen?

Some people receive a positive impact in their pain relief when they take a lower dose of ibuprofen with caffeine. Hence you can take caffeine with low ibuprofen dosage consumption but beware of taking it with high dosage.

3. What can be the negative effects of consuming caffeine?

However, caffeine doesn’t affect the body that bad but if caffeine dosage is high, it can create negative consequences.  Mayo clinic state that consumption of more than 500 – 600 mg per day can cause severe:

• Insomnia,
• Restlessness
• Upset Stomach,
• Muscle Tremors.
• Nervousness,
• Irritability,
• Fast Heartbeat

4. What is the example of drug-drug interactions?

Warfarin (aspirin) and Coumadin (blood thinner) use to protect heart attack and prevent blood clots. So these medications together can cause excessive bleeding.

5. What is the example of Drug-Beverage interactions?

Juices like grapefruit prevent some medicines from breaking down into the body. This affects medicine to stay in the system for a longer time. Additionally, alcohol has different effects when interacting with drugs. This can be dangerous when used with sleeping pills, stimulants, sedatives and prescript painkillers.

6. How to avoid drug interaction?

You can avoid the severe effects of drug interaction through:

• Keep your all health care professions updated with your medications.
• Use drug interaction checker manually or online
• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist regarding drug interaction
• Properly read the labels and over the counter perception of all the medicine you take.
• Keep one major pharmacy for your family’s prescription.