Bad Meds in the Armageddon Pharmacy—Deadly Drug Combinations

TL;DR:  Make sure to disclose to your doctor everything you are taking—prescriptions, OTCs, and supplements.

Like many of you, I foresee a time when access to medical care is restricted or completely unavailable.  Or perhaps doctors are still around, but they no longer have access to their digital references.  Or the pediatrician is going his best to advise cardiac patients.  Life is wonky, people are stressed, medication options are limited.  And people start taking chances with medications.

A few years back, 24/7 Wall Street published an article on the 25 most dangerous drugs in the US.  The illicit drugs were no surprise and won’t be reviewed here; however, if you’d like to read that article, you’ll find the address below.  On the other hand, included in that list of dangerous drugs were several pharmaceuticals that many of us store for the interesting times ahead.  They’re relatively safe when taken alone; however, when combined with other pharmaceuticals, the result can be deadly. 

1.  Alcohol of all types and percentages of alcohol content can be deadly when combined with benzodiazepines and many other drugs (but not listed in the article).  While the original article notes that death due to impaired motor function is a risk with alcohol consumption (something we all know), the other risks to be reminded of are liver damage and failure.

2.  Clarithromycin can cause fatal heart complications if combined with calcium channel blockers or statins like Lipitor.

3.  NSAIDs like ibuprofen and aspirin may become deadly when combined with other blood thinners, increasing the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and Reye syndrome.

4.  Statins like Lipitor, Lescol, and Crestor should never be taken with fluconazole as they will result in muscle weakness and may cause kidney damage or failure.

5.  TMP/SMX, also known as Bactrim or Sulfatrim, is a commonly stocked antibiotic that can become deadly when combined with anti-hypertensive (anti-high blood pressure) drugs by increasing the risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the body). 

A couple of weeks ago, in response to the article on one of the off-label uses of Pepto-Bismol, Exile 1981 recommended the practice of researching one’s own prescription medications to learn of any off-label uses.  After being diagnosed with congestive heart failure, my husband was prescribed spironolactone to be taken on a daily basis.  He’s been taking it for a couple of months now and feels much better. 

So I looked it up and didn’t find anything noteworthy regarding off-label uses.  What I did find was that people taking spironolactone should not take aspirin, ibuprofen, or meloxicam.  Aaron loves meloxicam.  It’s the only thing he’s found to calm the pain in his thumb joint.  He was kinda devastated to learn that.  Now, did Aaron share with the cardiologist that he was taking meloxicam?  I was there at the appointment, but I don’t recall it being discussed.  It’s entirely possible that he wasn’t taking meloxicam at the time.  He only uses it for short periods.  And he’s never had a problem using it, so he likely didn’t think about any possible drug interactions.  I know I didn’t.  I do know that the doctor didn’t mention anything about not taking aspirin (which he is already on to prevent heart attacks) or ibuprofen.  Is it because there really is no concern?  Or because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?  I don’t know.  Aaron’s now got a question he needs to get answered. 

I also have to make a salve that he will be much more open to trying now that his precious pills are contraindicated. 

References:

https://247wallst.com/special-report/2019/07/25/25-most-dangerous-drugs-3/

Links to related posts:

Fluconazole (Diflucan) for Yeast Infections 

Preventing and Preparing for Unintentional Acetaminophen Overdose