Never combine these over-the-counter drugs - your life may be endangered

Monday, February 29, 2016 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: drug interactions, life threatening, pharmaceuticals

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(NaturalNews) Never before in the history of the world has the general public relied so heavily on pharmaceuticals to treat pain, calm nerves, or address a serious medical condition. And with so many different types of drugs, as well as different combinations of drugs available to consumers today, the threat of creating a deadly chemical experiment in your medicine cabinet couldn't be more real.

Most people who take pharmaceuticals probably aren't thinking about how the individual drugs they take might act differently inside their bodies when exposed to other drugs. This phenomenon is called a drug interaction, and depending on the types of drugs being ingested, such an interaction could spell the end of one's life.

The following five examples represent deadly drug combinations that you never want to ingest at the same time if you care about staying alive:

1) Painkillers and anti-anxiety medications. The metabolic pathways inside the body that are affected by opioid painkillers like hydrocodone (Oxycontin) are the same ones affected by benzodiazepines. Both classes of drugs depress certain bodily functions, mainly those that express pain and physical anxiety.

By taking both drugs at the same time, users put themselves at risk of serious illness, not the least of which includes heart failure. Combining opioids with benzodiazepines might increase the intoxicating "high" that comes from the use of both drugs, leading to less pain and anxiety, but doing so could cost you your life!

2) Cold medications and acetaminophen. Since many varieties are sold over the counter, cold medications are considered by many people to be mostly harmless. But the truth is that they contain ingredients like dextromethorphan that, when combined with OTC painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol), can lead to liver failure, also known as death.

Some cold medicines like DayQuil actually contain both ingredients in the same formula, which means they're a recipe for liver failure available right on the drug store shelf. Be very careful when using any of these products, especially if you plan to administer them to a sick child or someone with a compromised immune system.

3) Statin drugs and anti-fungal medications. On their own, statin drugs are a great way to destroy your brain and adrenals. But these cholesterol-lowering drugs are even more dangerous when taken in tandem with anti-fungal medications like clotrimazole (Lotrimin), which dramatically increase one's risk of experiencing kidney failure.

Other serious risks include immune system failure due to depletion of coenzyme Q10, neurological disease, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, and cellular dysfunction in the form of mitochondrial failure.

4) Combinations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). If you're going to take an OTC painkiller to treat that headache or muscle cramp, you're better off sticking to just one. Common drugs like naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and aspirin come with their own inherent risks when taken alone, but they become even more toxic when taken in combination.

Mixing any of these drugs together, even at recommended doses, can increase one's risk of permanent liver damage, so be sure to exercise caution – or better yet, look for a natural alternative like therapeutic cannabis that won't damage your vital organs!

Cough medicine and St. John's Wort. Many OTC cough medicines contain additives that cause the body to produce too much serotonin, a condition known as serotonin syndrome. And this condition can potentially be worsened if you also take the herb St. John's Wort, a natural remedy for depression that also increases serotonin levels.

Too much serotonin in the body can lead to confusion, loss of physical control, chronic pain, problems seeing clearly and even death. Your best bet is to skip the cough medicine altogether if you wish to take St. John's Wort.

Sources for this article include:

FHFN.org

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

ANH-USA.org

Science.NaturalNews.com