I am concerned about drug interactions?

Question

I am taking 450mg of Lyrica a day, 60mg of Baclofen a day, 1100mg of Naproxen a day, 200mg of Provigil a day, 10 mg of Uroxatral a day, 385mg of aspirin a day and was given a prescription of 500mg Hydrocodone to take 2 as needed for pain. I haven't taken any of this because I am concerned with the interactions it may incur. I have acute Multiple Sclerosis and a pinched nerve in my lumbar. Can anyone tell me?

Answer 1

If you get all your prescriptions for the same pharmacy your Pharmacist will inform you of any interactions. If you get them at different pharmacies (not a good idea) then take all your meds to the pharmacist and he(or she) can tell you if there are any potential problems. You can call as well. Make sure to include any herbal remedies and over-the-counter things that you take.

Answer 2

Mixing lithium with antipsychotic drugs might cause neurotoxicity. The feature was first noticed over 20 years ago, and some canadian psychiatrists "disproved" the interaction by a flawed retrospective statistics. The trouble with their study was that in order to prove an interaction occurred the person had to die. They could operate in a cloud and it would not have been noticed by the nurse enough to question a possible interaction. Since then there have been not trials done to find out how it works, not even in animals. Even if a study showed no change in blood levels that does not mean an interaction does not exist, as for example alcohol and narcotics added together can kill without changed blood levels. Duplicate therapy to promote serotonin syndrome exists with the amitriptyline and paroxetine (dose cannot be correct), also no reason for duplication of antipsychotic drugs risperidone and zyprexa. These atypical antipsychotics promote weight gain and diabetes. Commonly the prescriber does not check for hemoglobin A1c or glucose levels to monitor adverse blood sugar changes (not their departiment?).

Answer 3

You absolutely need to talk to your pharmacist and show them this list of drugs, and confirm what I found. Then, take the findings to your doctor and ensure that the interactions are acceptable and, in the case of Baclofen and naproxen, will be appropriately monitored.

I found three potential drug interactions:

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- ALCOHOL may interact with ASPIRIN

Both aspirin and alcohol (ethanol) can cause stomach irritation and may potentially damage the lining of the stomach. In some cases, this damage may be so severe that it causes a bleeding ulcer. When aspirin and alcohol are used at the same time, the risk of developing a bleeding ulcer may be increased for up to 36 hours after the dose of aspirin is taken. To minimize this risk, avoid using aspirin for 12 hours after alcohol has been consumed. If it is not possible to allow this much time to pass, consider using either enteric-coated aspirin, extended-release aspirin, or a buffered, effervescent aspirin product. You may want to ask your healthcare provider about this potential interaction if you think you are having problems.


- ASPIRIN may interact with NAPROXEN

Naproxen is broken down by the liver and removed from the body in the urine. If this happens too quickly, then potentially less naproxen would be available for the body to use and blood levels could become too low. This could make naproxen less effective. Aspirin may cause naproxen to be broken down at a faster rate than normal. Based on information from a number of studies, this does not appear to have a significant impact on the therapeutic effect of naproxen. However, both of these drugs can cause stomach irritation and may potentially damage the lining of the stomach. The risk of experiencing these side effects may be increased when aspirin and naproxen are taken at the same time. You may want to ask your healthcare provider about this potential interaction if you think you are having problems.


- BACLOFEN (in Baclofen Oral) may interact with NAPROXEN

Naproxen may interfere with the kidneys' ability to clear baclofen from the blood. This could lead to increased blood levels of baclofen that could cause side effects like confusion, disorientation, blurred vision, and a slowed heart rate. If these drugs are used together, your doctor may want to monitor you closely to make sure that your kidneys are functioning properly. You may want to ask your healthcare provider about this potential interaction if you think you are having problems.
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These three interactions are considered to be minor in severity. Still, if you are concerned, please speak with your pharmacist and doctor about the combinations of these drugs.

HTH

(Disclaimer: This information is provided only for your education and for you to discuss with your healthcare provider. PLEASE do not take action solely based on this information.)