The People's Guide To Deadly Drug Interactions: How To Protect Yourself From Life-Threatening Drug-Drug, Drug-Food, Drug-Vitamin Combinations [Paperback]

Joe Graedon MS (Author), Sifu Teresa Graedon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1997

Did You Know?

Eating too much broccoli could be deadly if you also take the popluar blood thinner called Coumadin (warfarin)?

Grapefruit juice, when used to wash down certain atihistamines, immune suppressors, or blood pressure drugs, can cause blood levels of these powerful drugs to soar? The result: serious side effects.

Birth control pills might be rendered ineffective by the following substances: barbituates, antibiotics, anti-fungal drugs, tuberculosis drugs, certain anticonvulsants?

Is Your Life In Danger?

Everyone has taken more than one pill simultaneously. Yet every time you combine drugs with prescription medicines, foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs or alcohol you explose yourself to the risk of a potentially dangerous interaction.

Deadly Drug Interactions Can Help You.

Over 200 easy-to-understand charts with information on medications for pain relief, allergies, asthma, arthritis, heart problems, depression, diabetes, contraception, ulcers and much more.

Descriptions of the symptoms of interactions.

Specific concerns of women, children and older people.

Vital information of Lanoxin, Cardizem, Prozac, Mevacor, Ortho-Novum, Tagamet, Coumadin, Dilatin, Cipro, Synthroid, Procardia, and scores of other commonly prescribed medicines.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who would've thought grapefruit juice, licorice, and cheddar cheese could be so dangerous? Well, they are, when combined with certain medications. This book continues the People's Pharmacy franchise with an eye-opening guide to the unexpected, dangerous, and sometimes deadly ways foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and alcohol can interact with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and how those drugs can interact with each other. Obviously, the more medications you take, the more there is to learn from this book. Still, there's something for almost everyone to worry about here.

From Library Journal

Warning readers of the sometimes lethal consequences of prescription drug interactions with other substances, the authors of the best-selling "The People's Pharmacy" series and Graedon's Best Medicine (LJ 2/1/91) explain how those interactions can intensify, diminish, or negate the intended effect of the prescribed medication. The Graedons have selected the drugs that, in their opinion, cause the most common and serious reactions and have placed them in an easy-to-use format with accompanying brief descriptions of the drugs and usage instructions. Warnings are given about stopping or starting any drug without a doctor's supervision, and patients are advised to consult a pharmacist for drug information. There are chapters on drug interaction with foods, vitamins and minerals, alcohol, and over-the-counter products. Although this can be a frightening book for the nervous, it has a valid place in all health collections.?Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Rev Sub edition (April 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312155107
• ISBN-13: 978-0312155100
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are taking medications you MUST read this book..., December 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The People's Guide To Deadly Drug Interactions: How To Protect Yourself From Life-Threatening Drug-Drug, Drug-Food, Drug-Vitamin Combinations (Paperback)

Perhaps one of the most enlightening books I have read this year is this one. Writen by the authors of the multi-million copy seller The People's Pharmacy, this book goes into great details about not only drug-drug reactions, but contains charts, case studies and information about what foods, vitamins and minerals can cause deadly interactions in people. Reading this book not only gave me a renewed horror for the power of the drugs our society has created (prescription AND non-prescription can be just as deadly) but also a renewed respect for these drugs. In this book you find that foods as simple as oatmeal can cause death if you are taking certain drugs, and that a page long list of foods could be fatal to anyone taking MAO inhibitors. Herbs are not mentioned except for licorice, but there is enough information given (in a chart as well) about what vitamins, minerals and other factors effect the medication, that if you had access to information on the content of your herbs (many books will tell you the nutrient content of herbs) then you could cross-reference quite efficiently. If you are taking any medication -prescription or non and are also consuming any food, vitamins, or herbs you MUST read this book. This book review is in the JAN 1999 issue of Herb'n Home newsletter. The editor of the newsletter , Kristie Burns, did an article on combining drugs with herbs and found this book an invaluable reference.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed because book did not list many of my drugs., October 17, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The People's Guide To Deadly Drug Interactions: How To Protect Yourself From Life-Threatening Drug-Drug, Drug-Food, Drug-Vitamin Combinations (Paperback)

I am Diabetic and take Insulin and was taking Rezulin, which were not even listed in book. I also take Immodium AD and Lomotil for bowel problems and these were also omitted. A drug prescribed for sleep - Visteril - was also not listed. Since I also take Prozac, Lasix and was taking Prinivil, information about these drugs was in the book and was helpful. The layout and presentation were better than most in conveying the results of the drug interactions.