What are the consequences if you take medication using soda? : function, dosage, side effects, how to use

Almost all medicines taste bitter. Therefore, many people use various methods to neutralize the bad taste on the tongue. Many ways are used, for example putting medicine in a banana, eating something sweet after taking medicine, maybe even planning to take medication using soda. So, before you take medication using soda, first find out the facts in the following review.

Is it okay to take medication with soda?

Have you ever been or plan to take medication using soda? Hold on. According to Dr. Rajni Pathak, a coordinator of health checks and disease prevention at Fortis Hospital Mohali, India, says soda is acidic. The acidity of this soda can reduce the antibacterial performance of the drug.

In fact, when combined with certain medications, soda can cause allergies or unwanted side effects in some people. Soda can also limit iron absorption. Therefore, taking supplements or drugs that contain iron can be useless.

The same thing was also expressed by Katrina A Bramstedt, Ph.D., a bioethicist at the Luxembourg Agency for Research Integrity, Europe, who stated that you should not take drugs with soda. The reason is, several types of drugs can be damaged in the mouth.

Therefore, you should stick to drinking water to prevent negative reactions from the drug to soda. Although not all drugs react negatively to soda, to be safe you should still take medication with plain water.

Other drinks that can react negatively to drugs

According to the medical toxicologist dr. Lesile Dye, FACMT, besides soda there are several other drinks that can reduce the effectiveness of the drug and threaten health. Among them are:

Pomegranate juice

Although fresh and appetizing, pomegranate has enzymes that can break down certain blood pressure medications. For that, you should avoid taking medication with pomegranate juice and preferably replace it with plain water.

Milk

Milk contains calcium which can inhibit the effectiveness of thyroid medications. Therefore, you should not take medication with milk. In fact, you need to wait four hours after taking your medication if you want to drink a milk-based product.

Caffeine

Caffeinated drinks are quite dangerous if consumed with drugs that are stimulants. Therefore, do not take medication with coffee when taking ephedrine (appetite suppressant), asthma medication, and amphetamines (Adderal).

Sports drinks

Potassium in sports drinks is very dangerous when combined with drugs. This mineral usually reacts negatively when you use it to take medications for heart failure or hypertension.

Green tea

Taking medications with green tea can decrease the effectiveness of blood thinners such as coumarin or warfarin. This is due to the content of vitamin K in it.

Wine (alcohol)

If you take antidepressant drugs with wine, aka wine, the risk is quite high. This combination can cause hypertension, headaches, increased heart rate, and strokes.

The rules for taking medicine are good and right

Not with soda or tea, the medicine should be drunk with plain water. Plain water does not contain substances that delay drug absorption or react negatively. Therefore, doctors usually strongly recommend that you take medicine with plain water.

Apart from not having any negative effects, plain water also helps to swallow drugs more easily and prevents them from getting stuck in the esophagus. Medicines stuck in the esophagus can usually cause inflammation and irritation. Therefore, you are advised to drink a glass of water while taking the medicine so that the pills enter perfectly.

Also, do not take medication while lying down. Even if you feel very weak to sit up to stand, push it and ask someone else to help you get up. Lying down increases the risk of choking.

Try not to stick to bedtime medications. You need to take it at least 15 minutes before bed to give time for the medicine to travel down the esophagus and into the stomach.