The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
How well a prescribed or over-the-counter (OTC) medication works in the human body often depends on a patient's diet and any other drugs they consume. Patients prescribed multiple therapies need to be extremely aware of potential drug-drug interactions. Mixing medicines can sometimes cause an adverse effect not typically associated with the medication or an increase or decrease in the drug's action. For example, some antidepressants can prevent some hypertension drugs from properly lowering blood pressure. Certain antifungal medications can change the way cholesterol-lowering drugs metabolize in the body.
Drug interactions are typically either pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic in nature. Pharmacokinetic interactions involve one drug's ability to alter a secondary medication's absorption, distribution, metabolism and and/or excretion. Pharmacodynamic interactions relate to the concentrations of both interacting drugs and their response on organ systems and receptor sites.
Drug-drug interactions can result in serious side effects. Many drugs contain powerful ingredients that, when combined, can speed up the heart rate, cause a rapid drop in blood pressure, or create a build-up of deadly toxins that damage the liver and heart. Every year, a number of patients die as a direct result of the unintended mixing of medications. These serious consequences may result from the drugs' chemical-physical incompatibility, a change in the rate or quantity of the drug absorbed by the body, or an alteration of the body's receptors to bind to the medication.
Adverse interactions can also occur when mixing medications with certain foods and beverages. While taking oral medication at mealtime or with a snack is often recommended, some foods can alter the body's ability to absorb numerous drugs. Food can slow the body's absorption of antibiotics such as penicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. Grapefruit juice, for example, can prevent the body from properly absorbing certain blood pressure-lowering and cardiac medications.