Drug Interactions

[SheffieldJane]

I googled drug interactions as I was becoming concerned about the different medications I was being prescribed and their possible interactions. I found a tool designed for US patients but it recognised all my drug names. You put in everything you are taking and it flags up the interactions between them.I was alarmed to find one red light severe interaction amongst them ( e.g coma, seizure, death) and several moderate adverse interactions. My recently prescribed Sumatriptan for painful eyes was a real no no with blood pressure meds for instance.

I thought I'd flag it up because clearly no one is going to do it for us. Not quite sure what to do with the information now.

[Mai45]

Thanks Jane, all these things are so helpful!

On a smaller scale, my surgery texted offering me appts for both the flu jab and the shingles vaccine. I phoned to check about the latter, as I'd had shingles previously. Put through to a Practice Nurse, I was assured "I should have it anyway". Quite why I then decided to look up contra- indications I don't know, but there they were in black and white; auto-immune illness / steroids.

Medical staff are only human, she didn't have my notes at the time I phoned, and I'd like to think that those questions would have been asked before actually injecting me but even so - the more facts we can find out (as opposed to googling scare stories) the better!

[SheffieldJane in reply to Mai45]

The Shingles vaccine is live isn't it? That's a no no for people on Pred with suppressed immunity.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

They claim it's OK at low-moderate doses. However, PMR is listed as an adverse event...

[1Purplecrow]

Thanks SJ, I have long believed that we must be our own advocates, and share our knowledge with our loved ones, and our forum friends!

The pharmaceutical industry is in business to make money. (Period!!!) And regardless of harm to the "few" will relentlessly market to the masses.

Doctors have no time to research every drug promoted by well paid "detail men" who bring newest (most expensive) compounds from pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, we, the consumer, need to be skeptical, and relentlessly challenge the safety of drugs being handed to us. Read the literature ahead of time, BEFORE you have paid and removed the drug from the pharmacy.

My dear old mum always said " be wary of strange men giving you drugs". I think that advice is still solid today, since most of us dont know our medical providers except for accelerated one-issue appointments.

What is the name of the resource you discovered, please...

Thank you, Jerri

[SheffieldJane in reply to 1Purplecrow]

Drugs.com

Know more.

Be Sure.

A free drug interaction tool that took me a couple of minutes to enter my drugs and obtain a result.

I would post a link but I'm not sure how to do that on here with an iPad.

No wonder we feel generally rough even though the original symptoms may be gone.

Pred actively works against blood pressure meds.

Maybe the deadly fatigue we all get but cannot be explained is exasperated by drug toxicity ?

[1Purplecrow in reply to SheffieldJane]

Wow! Concept there!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

Not necessarily in the case of PMR - I had the deadly fatigue even when on no medication at all.

[SheffieldJane in reply to PMRpro]

Actually so did I. Creeping off in the afternoons for a sleep, telling no one.

[SheffieldJane in reply to SheffieldJane]

I mean exacerbated but iPad knows best. 🤔

[Jackoh]

Thank you for for this information. I seem to remember someone else mentioning something similar a long time ago( how vague can you get!!! Think it might be Heron??) but really good to be reminded of this app and note it down and log it which I obviously didn't do before! Best wishes Jackie x

[Mai45]

Thanks again Jane. I just entered my list of scrips; the process couldn't have been simpler. I was luckier than you, in that my only warnings are 'Moderate' and tell me that long term Prednisolone might weaken the effects of the treatment for hypertension, which my GP had already said. I check my BP reasonably regularly anyway (well, I do when I remember). That's really useful, great find!

[Sandy1947]

Thanks for the information that helps us become better equipped to deal with our health.

[jinasc]

We have advised, time and time again during the past 10 years on Forums and at meetings and published in the 'Living with PMR & GCA', in the Tips and Tricks section.

Before you take any prescribed medication or buy Over the Counter or Homeopathic remedies, you talk to your Pharmacist. They know more about drugs than anyone else, the training in the UK for Pharmacists is 7 years and the 7th year is spent working under a Pharmacist who is licensed to train. Then they are let loose on the public.

Without Lara, twice I had been prescribed by my GP a medication, Lara just looked at it, phoned and said ' this is a no no' and the one needed is etc'.

So the Mantra is 'check with your Pharmacists, not the person behind the counter', the actual Pharmacist and make them your best friend. My pharmacy does a six monthly check on medications issued and once a year, we have a chat..........not only me, this is for all their regulars.

Me: GCA 5 years Remission 6 years.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is actually worse than you think SJ - the interactions are designed for pairs of drugs, there is no concept of what multiple drug interactions there might be...