When you take medications, they can interact with certain foods, vitamins and herbs. Product labels can help you learn the safe and correct use of medications. Check for interactions in the “Warnings” section. When you get a medicine:

• Learn how to take it. Know how much to take; whether to take it with food or water; how to take it with your other medicines; what to do if you forget a dose; and what foods, drinks and activities to avoid. Check the expiration date, too.
• Learn to recognize it. Know your medicines by shape, color, size or the name on the pill. If it is hard for you to tell different medicines apart, your physician may be able to prescribe a pill that is easier to identify.
• Get help. Ask your pharmacist to print medication labels in large print if you have trouble reading standard type.

If you take a prescription medication, check with your physician or pharmacist before you take any herb, vitamin or nonprescription medication.

You can also visit our Web site at www.HorizonBlue.com/Pharmacy to learn more about interactions. Click on “Reference Tools.” Select “Drug-to-Drug Interaction” from the drop-down menu. You can use the search tool to enter the name of a medication and learn how it may interact with foods, supplements and more.

Known Troublemakers
Certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and products can cause problems for people who take heart medications. For example:

• Herbal supplements, such as Saint-John’s-wort, can interact with blood thinners that are used to treat heart disease. Ginseng and ephedra can raise blood pressure or interfere with blood pressure medicines.
• Decongestants, such as those found in cold and allergy medicines, can raise your blood pressure. This can affect your treatment plan.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can cause you to retain water, which may increase blood pressure.
• Vitamin K, which is found in legumes and green, leafy vegetables, can make certain blood thinners less effective.