Many prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications can cause unwanted side effects. They may also interact with other medications, foods, or beverages.

Medication Interactions
Here are some common medication interaction problems.

• Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can irritate the stomach, so take them with food or milk.
• Alcohol can cause problems with some medications. For example, people who take acetaminophen and drink alcohol are at greater risk for liver failure.
• Chemicals in grapefruit increase the risk for serious side effects with some medications, including carbamazepine, sertraline, and diazepam.

What You Can Do
Here are some steps you can take to make medications safer.

• Tell your doctor which OTC products you take.
• Ask your doctor what you should do if you have side effects.
• Use one pharmacy so that your pharmacist can track your medications.

Find Drug Info Online
Our online drug reference tool lets you find out about the medicines you take. Go to www.paramounthealthcare.com and click on “Better Health for Life,” “Library,” and then “Drug Reference.”