While there are many helpful medications and supplements for us to take, certain combinations of them can lead to dangerous issues. Even organ damage is on the table if someone unknowingly takes certain medications and supplements at the same time.
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According to The Healthy, there are many helpful meds and supplements that can counteract each other when taken together. This means that taking the two together can make them both ineffective. Other than these combinations, others can be more toxic than you may realize.
Avoid Taking These Supplements Together
Take rest yeast rice and niacin. Both of these supplements can help lower your cholesterol levels if you have high cholesterol.
Dr. Todd Sontag, a family medicine specialist from Orlando, Florida explained how it's better to simply take one or the other instead of both: "Doubling up doesn't increase the benefits and may be harmful to the liver."
Even if you take niacin on its own, it's important to be aware of experiencing niacin flush. This is a side effect of consuming too high a dose of niacin. Niacin flush can lead to pain and discomfort, so experiencing these symptoms should give you the hint to take less niacin.
Another dangerous supplement combination is fish oil and ginkgo biloba. According to Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, taking fish oil supplements like omega-3 alongside ginkgo biloba, a blood-thinning herb, can prevent clotting and cause uncontrolled bleeding.
People typically take omega-3 supplements to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, and improve their mood, amongst many other reasons. Dr. Cooperman suggests that you split fish oil and ginkgo biloba by at least two hours to be safe.
St. John's wort with antidepressants is another hazardous duo of medications to take together. This is according to Dr. Robbert Glatter, an assistant professor of emergency medicine in New York City.
"This can cause serotonin syndrome and in severe cases, it may lead to muscle rigidity and seizures," said Dr. Glatter. Since both of them increase serotonin levels, it's dangerous to consume both at the same time.
CoQ10 and diabetes medications should also not be taken together. CoQ10 is a chemical compound that can help people with heart conditions and diabetes.
As you can imagine, doubling up on two supplements together that have the same effect can be deadly. In this specific case, it could lead to dangerously low blood pressure.
"CoQ10 can also lower blood sugar, and if you are taking other diabetes drugs, you run the risk of developing low blood sugar," Dr. Glatter explained.
Finally, taking garlic alongside any over-the-counter or prescription blood thinners is a bad idea. This is because garlic is a type of food that thins your blood. Avoid having garlic alongside medications like Tylenol and aspirin.
Garlic isn't the only supplement that can cause internal bleeding if taken with your blood-thinning medications. As we stated before, ginkgo biloba and fish oil react the same way. Tumeric, ginger, and vitamin E also help thin the blood.
Dr. Glatter said that it could "cause bleeding episodes after a fall or injury, and there's a high risk of internal bleeding."
Overall, the main link between all of these combinations is taking two different types of medications or supplements together that have the same effect. Doubling up on any medication can be dangerous, so speak to your family doctor before taking multiple medications together.
