Meds Not to Mix: Your Guide to Taking OTC Drugs Safely

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Meds Not to Mix: Your Guide to Taking OTC Drugs Safely

Milk and Ciprofloxacin or Levofloxacin

Many women treat urinary tract infections with ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin, but taking the drug with milk, yogurt, or even calcium-fortified orange juice could result in mistreating the infection completely. Milk and other calcium-enriched liquids can bind infection-fighting Cipro in the digestive tract, preventing it from being absorbed into the bloodstream. "In terms of 'dangerous' drug-food interactions, most drug-food interactions reduce the absorption of drugs," says Bertino. Mixing these liquids can reduce the amount of drug absorbed into the blood so much that the antibiotic will not clear up the infection and the bacteria can even become resistant to those antibiotics. It's suggested that people wait a few hours between ingesting medicine and consuming dairy.