As high temperatures can diminish or accentuate the undesirable effects of some drugs, Swiss pharmacists urge special caution.
According to pharmacists at the University Center for General Medicine and Public Health (Unisanté) in Lausanne, during extremely hot weather, “special attention should be paid to the side effects of certain medications.”
This is all the more important for the elderly and pregnant women, but everyone is potentially at risk.
That’s because some treatments “alter the body’s reactions to heat and worsen symptoms caused by high temperatures.”
In such cases, the body becomes fatigued, its temperature rises and it becomes dehydrated, losing too much water and minerals.
This reaction can occur even with the most common and widely used types of medications.
For instance, diuretics and laxatives can promote dehydration, while some antidepressants, neuroleptics, or opioids may disrupt body temperature regulation. Blood pressure meds and beta-blockers can also complicate the body’s adaptation to high temperatures.
What medications should you pay special attention to?
You should consult your doctor if you regularly take neuroleptics, opiates, antidepressants; laxatives diuretics, blood pressure meds, beta-blockers, blood thinners, sleeping aids, and/or muscle relaxants.
You may not necessarily have to stop taking these drugs, but their dose of frequency may need to be adjusted temporarily, if your physician believes this would be more beneficial.
Last but not least, the pharmacists stress that dehydration is one of the main causes of drug malfunctions, so it is important to stay hydrated at all times.
READ MORE: How to keep your cool during Switzerland’s heatwaves
