Doctors share warning about how impact extreme summer heat can interact with everyday medications
As temperatures continue to rise across Georgia, doctors and pharmacists are issuing a reminder about mixing medicine with extreme heat. It can pose serious risks when paired with standard prescription and over-the-counter medications.
From common pain relievers like ibuprofen to daily blood pressure pills, the combination of hot weather and certain drugs can affect your body's ability to regulate temperature and even degrade the effectiveness of the medicine itself.
Health officials say certain medications can directly impair how your body naturally cools itself down.
"There are some common medications for the heart and for blood pressure," says Andrew Wilson of Dunwoody Pharmacy. "One that we see a lot of times is beta blockers. If you take a beta blocker, it could reduce your ability to sweat in extreme temperatures. If you can't sweat, then you can't cool down your body, so taking that drug would prevent you from cooling down from the heat."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other commonly prescribed medications that increase heat-related risk include high blood pressure medicine, diuretics, anticholinergic agents, and certain psychotropic medications
Medical experts warn that when these drugs interfere with sweating and fluid regulation, it significantly increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
Beyond internal heat regulation, several common drugs and topical treatments make your skin far more sensitive to sunlight and quick to burn.
"Some common ones that can cause this are going to be antibiotics, some hormones, and even some antidepressants," explains Dr. Sujatha Reddy with Northside Hospital. "Products like retin-A products, and some glycolic acid or chemical peels will also make you much more sensitive to the sun and sunburn."
Reddy notes that while prescription drugs typically come with sun exposure warning labels, people taking routine medications for chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure often forget how vulnerable the sun can make them.
"The best thing to do to protect yourself against any medication sensitivity, or what we call photosensitivity, is to use the same precautions we should all use as far as preventing sunburn and preventing skin cancer," Reddy advises.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends seeking shade, especially during peak afternoon hours, applying broad-spectrum sunscreen regularly, and wearing protective clothing and sunglasses.
It's not just your body that suffers in the heat; your medications themselves can spoil if left inside a hot car.
"The biggest reason is chemical degradation," Wilson says. "As those drugs sit in the heat, the chemicals will start to break down, and it either won't be as effective, or it could produce another harmful chemical. In addition, it increases the risk of contamination. We really want to avoid leaving our medications out in the heat."
If you need to carry your temperature-sensitive medication with you during a hot day, travel smart: Keep your medicine in an insulated thermal cup with a small ice pack to protect it from extreme heat.
