Extreme heat and some medications can be a risky combination for your health. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Extreme heat can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and can silently threaten health by amplifying the side effects of many common medications.
Hot weather can also damage medications like insulin that require refrigeration. Inhalers can explode. Epinephrine injectors like EpiPens can malfunction. Medications sent through the mail can have a reduced quality.
Common problems and solutions related to heat and medications: What medications can be affected by heat exposure?
Blood pressure pills, which reduce fluid in the blood, can cause dehydration. Beta blockers for heart patients can reduce blood flow to the skin and make you less aware of the dangers of excessive heat.
Some antidepressants can inhibit your ability to stay calm. Aspirin and other over-the-counter pain relievers can lower fluid and sodium levels in the body, making it harder for patients to adapt to the high heat stress.
In addition, the combination of drug side effects and the effects of hot temperatures can cause mild headaches and falls (due to loss of balance).
Bradley Phillips, a pharmacist at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, said the alcohol in the drugs amplifies the dangers of the drugs' side effects.
You can learn more about how to store and the side effects of your medications on the National Library of Medicine's website, MedlinePlus.
Or talk to your doctor or pharmacist, Phillips says. Ask how much water you should drink if you're taking medications that can increase dehydration as a side effect.
She recommends drinking enough to keep your body hydrated, and “don't wait until you feel thirsty.”
Some medications, such as antibiotics, antifungals and acne medications, can increase sensitivity to the sun, causing rashes and sunburn. If you’re taking these medications, use an umbrella or wear sunscreen and sunscreen, said Dr. Mike Ren, a family physician at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
“You might take antibiotics, not think much of it, go to the beach and then come back with a sunburn,” Ren says.
How should you store medicines during travel?
Medications should be stored in a cool, dry place, unless they require refrigeration. That can be a challenge when traveling.
Before traveling in the summer, check the labels to find out how to store your medications. Bring them in a special refrigerated container. (cooler) when traveling by car, although the medication does not need to be refrigerated. The air temperature in the trunk or glove box of a car can become too hot even for storage at room temperature.
Traveling by plane? It's best to always have some medication in your carry-on bag, just in case your luggage is delayed or lost, and the temperature in the cargo hold can get too cold.
What about prescriptions sent by mail?
Mail order pharmacies are responsible for keeping your medications at a safe temperature during storage and transit. The best practice is to ship sensitive medications in special packaging with ice packs and temperature monitors.
But that’s not always the case. Or the delivery can come at an inopportune time, said Ren, who recently helped her vacationing mother by bringing supplements to her Houston home as the region faced soaring heat.
“If you know you’re going to be working all day, or if you’re going on vacation, and your medications are being delivered, you don’t want to be sitting outside in the 100-degree sun,” Ren said. If you think your medication order has been damaged by the heat, call your pharmacy to report the problem.
Is more research needed?
Yes. Researchers in the US and Australia say some common warnings about heat and medicines lack scientific evidence. Ollie Jay of the University of Sydney found support for only four of the 11 categories of medicines listed by the World Health Organization as concerns about high fever.
He recommends behavioral changes, not medications, such as staying out of hot weather. “Just be careful,” he said.
Renee Salas, an emergency room physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, said as climate change accelerates, there is a need to know which drugs are most at risk in hot weather.
“We don’t have the answer yet, and this is one of the answers we need to find as soon as possible,” Salas said. (es/ft)
