How to avoid the dangers of drug interactions

Michael Jackson's death has brought a great deal of attention to drug interactions. All drugs aren't the same, and if you take medicines that are not compatible you may end up with serious and possibly life-threatening side effects. For example, mixing sleeping pills with allergy medicine can impair your ability to drive. Taking sleeping pills with too much chocolate can reduce the pills’ sedative effect.

In fact, a study last year found that over 2 million people over age 57 were taking potentially dangerous combinations of drugs.  So here are some things you can do to avoid the possible hazards of drug interactions:

1) Be organized

Keep a record of everything you're taking, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, or even dietary supplements such as herbs and daily vitamins. It helps to write down the number of pills you take and how often you take them, too. Take this list with youwhen you go to the doctor or get a prescription filled. The FDA has a nifty tool called "My Medicine Record" that might help. (A simple notepad might work just as well!)

If you are going to transfer your medication to something other than the container or packaging that it comes in, make sure you have a proper labeling system to avoid confusion.

Also, try to use just one pharmacy for all your medications instead of getting different prescriptions filled at more than one location. That way you can partner with your pharmacist to spot potentially harmful interactions.

2) Read up  

Look for things such as active ingredients, uses, and warnings on drug labels. And, since drug information is constantly changing, be sure to keep yourself updated on the latest changes. If you have any concerns about whether something you see on the news means you might need to alter what drugs you're taking, call your doctor first before you consider changing things up.

3) Ask questions

Your doctor might not always ask you about the other drugs you might be taking. So whenever your doctor tells you to take a new drug, ask him or her the following questions:
- Do I need to be concerned about side effects from any of the other medications I'm taking?
- Do I need to change my diet in any way?
- Does it need to be taken with food or between meals?
- Can I drink alcohol if I'm taking this drug?
- What if I accidentally forget to take a dose?
Your doctor is there to help make decisions about what medications are going to work best for you, but the more active and involved you are as a patient, the more likely you are to get the best results.