Stop Taking Drugs With Soft Drinks, Expert warns

Ilorin - A pharmacist, Busayo Idowu of the
Department of Pharmacy, University of Ilorin
Teaching Hospital (UITH), warned on Saturday that
taking drugs with beverages such as soft drinks could have adverse effects.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin, Idowu
said that drugs, if taken with soft drinks might affect the absorption
of the drugs. The expert
noted that most soft drinks were acidic, which could decrease the anti
bacterial action of tetracycline as they contain carbonates. Idowu
warned further that such acidic drinks when combined with drugs could
cause adverse reaction to patients.
According to him, absorption of some drugs such as aspirin,
ketoconazole and phenytoin could be affected also when taking with
acidic beverage. He added that such drugs were best absorbed at highly
acidic levels when taken orally. "Acidic beverages delay the
absorption rate and
action of Erythromycin", he said. He advised that
drugs should preferably be used with water as it had the properties
capable of eliminating unwanted effects.