Things That Can Affect Your Medication



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Some Things Don’t Mix Well

You may know that some medicines don’t work well together. But what you eat and drink can have an effect on some drugs, too. Before you take a medication for the first time, talk with your doctor or pharmacist to see if there’s anything you should stay away from.





Halved grapefruit

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Grapefruit

This citrus fruit changes the way certain cells in your gut take in and move medication through your body -- it can affect more than 50 drugs. It can make some, like fexofenadine (Allegra) for allergies, less effective and make others too strong, including ones that lower your cholesterol like atorvastatin (Lipitor).





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Milk

This dairy product can make it harder for your body to process certain antibiotics. Minerals in milk like calcium and magnesium are part of the reason, along with the protein casein. If you’re taking antibiotics, make sure to find out about the foods or beverages you should stay away from.





black licorice

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Licorice

Some people use this as an herbal remedy to help with digestion, and others use it to flavor foods. But glycyrrhizin, a chemical in licorice, can weaken the effect of some drugs, including cyclosporine, used to keep people who’ve had transplants from rejecting their new organs.