When you search “buy medicine online Philippines,” you’ll get thousands of results not just about the medicine itself, but also other medicines that you shouldn’t take with it. For example, you shouldn’t combine ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin. All of these are NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and taking more of them doesn’t increase their potency; rather, you’ll increase the risk of adverse side effects.

However, other drugs aren’t the only things you should think about when taking your medications. You should also watch the food you eat. This is because some foods can counteract the effects of some drugs, or else interact badly enough to cause harmful consequences.

Here are some foods you should avoid eating (or at least minimize consumption of) when you’re taking certain medications:

Bananas With ACE Inhibitors

ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors like fosinopril are popular blood pressure medications, which help open up blood vessels and improve circulation. However, the potassium in bananas can cause arrhythmias or heartbeat irregularities and even heart palpitations. All of these can make your blood pressure worse.

Aside from bananas, you should also avoid other potassium-rich foods like oranges, sweet potatoes, and salt substitutes. That said, ask your doctor about alternatives. After all, potassium is an important nutrient for maintaining the correct fluid levels inside cells and for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles.

Leafy Green Vegetables With Warfarin

Warfarin is an anticoagulant. It is usually prescribed to patients who have suffered health conditions caused by blood clots, such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, and stroke. If you’re taking warfarin, it’s best to limit your intake of leafy green vegetables and foods rich in vitamin K, like

  • broccoli
  • cabbage
  • canola oil
  • kale
  • lettuce
  • seaweed
  • soybeans
  • spinach

Vitamin K reduces the effectiveness of warfarin, so make sure to not exceed the recommended daily intake level: 90 micrograms for women and 120 micrograms for men.

Grapefruit With Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

Statins, like atorvastatin and simvastatin, are popular cholesterol-lowering drugs. To ensure that these medications work well, you must avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. This is because there are chemicals in grapefruit that can prevent the proper metabolization of statins. As such, you may experience a higher risk of side effects.

You should also avoid grapefruit and grapefruit products if you’re taking buspirone for anxiety, quinine for malaria, erythromycin for bacterial infections, or triazolam for insomnia. All of these medications won’t work as effectively because the substances in grapefruit prevent them from getting absorbed by the body.

Some High-Calcium Foods With Antibiotics

Calcium is good for the bones, but it’s bad for you when you’re taking antibiotics like tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin. This is because calcium can interfere with the effects of these antibiotics. Some high-calcium foods you should avoid when taking these medications include milk, cheese, yogurt, and even ice cream. It’s also not advisable to take calcium supplements with these antibiotics.

To be clear, however, you can eat calcium-rich foods and take supplements while you’re taking antibiotics. Just make sure that you avoid them 2 hours before and 6 hours after taking antibiotics. If you aren’t sure that you can get the timing right, just wait until you finish your course of treatment.

Certain Fruit Juices with Certain Antihistamines

If you’re taking an antihistamine called fexofenadine, it’s best to avoid acidic juices like orange juice, grapefruit juice, and the like for up to 4 hours after taking the medicine. This is because the acid in these juices can prevent the fexofenadine from working properly. In short, it’s like you didn’t take the medicine at all! If you want some allergy relief from fexofenadine, make sure to drink non-acidic juices or just drink plain water.

Fiber With a Variety of Medications

If you’re taking any of the medications listed below, it’s best to schedule your consumption of high-fiber foods and fiber supplements at least an hour before or up to 4 hours after your dose:

  • statins, like simvastatin and pravastatin
  • diabetes medications like metformin and glyburide
  • carbamazepine, a seizure medication
  • digoxin, a heart medication
  • tricyclic antidepressants, like amitriptyline, doxepin, and imipramine
  • lithium

Fiber delays the effect or reduces the effects of these medications. That said, because you need fiber for a healthy gut, it’s better to eat them on schedule rather than completely avoiding them.

Alcohol With SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are antidepressants, prescribed for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Combining these medications with alcohol can result in severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Alcohol With a Variety of Other Medications

Aside from SSRIs, alcohol also doesn’t mix well with medications like

  • antihistamines
  • painkillers including paracetamol, morphine, and codeine
  • antibiotics
  • diabetes medications
  • antiviral drugs for HIV/AIDS

Alcohol can either make these medicines less effective or worsen their side effects. Even after only a small amount of alcohol, you may already experience nausea, impaired motor control, drowsiness, memory problems, and extreme stomach upset.

You take medications to treat your condition or at least prevent it from getting worse. As such, it’s best to do all you can to make sure that the medications work as intended. Keep this list in mind so you can avoid or minimize the consumption of foods that can make certain medicines less effective.