Dear Abby: A few years ago you published a list of foods that people who are taking certain prescription drugs should avoid. At the time I was perfectly healthy, so I paid no attention to it. However, now my husband is taking three different prescribed drugs, and I am taking two, and it occurs to me that there may be certain foods in our regular diet that could change the action of the drugs we are taking.
Abby, you would be doing all of your readers, especially the senior citizens, a big favor if you reprint that information.
L.J.L., Waterloo, Iowa
Dear L.J.L.: Here it is: The Food and Drug Administration, in cooperation with the National Council on Patient Information and Education, has embarked on a program to inform and educate people about the medications they use.
Most people are unaware that there can be an interaction between the prescribed drugs they are taking and certain foods they eat. This interaction can cause some drugs to work faster or slower, or to become totally ineffective.
For example, people who are taking certain prescribed drugs for severe depression or high blood pressure should avoid aged cheese, Chianti wine, pickled herring, yogurt, chicken liver, bananas, avocados, sour cream, and all foods prepared with meat tenderizers.
Persons taking anti-coagulants (blood thinners) should avoid liver and large amounts of leafy vegetables because the vitamin K in those foods tends to promote blood clotting.
People on thyroid medication should avoid brussels sprouts, turnips, cabbage, soybeans and kale.
Dairy products should not be eaten by a person who is taking a specific kind of antibiotic.
Alcohol and even aspirin should not be combined with certain other drugs. Mixing alcohol with a high dosage of Valium or Darvon can be fatal.
The next time you are given a prescription, don`t hesitate to ask your physician, or your pharmacist, the following questions:
1. What is the name of the drug, and what is it supposed to do? (Write it down so you won`t forget.)
2. When do I take it, and for how long? (Does ``three times a day`` mean morning, noon and night? Should it be taken before meals, with meals or after meals? If the instructions say ``every four hours,`` should I get up during the night to take it? Should I keep taking it until it`s all gone?)
3. Are there any foods, beverages, medications or activities I should avoid while taking this drug? (Is alcohol allowed? How about aspirin and antacids? Please be aware that there is alcohol in beer, liquor and wine.)
4. Are there any side effects? And what should I do if they do occur?
5. Is there any written information you can give me about the drug you have prescribed for me?
6. Is there an approved generic version of this drug? (There usually is, and it is much cheaper and no less effective.)
Readers, for a free brochure about prescription drugs, write to: RX Drugs, Consumer Information Center, Department DA, Pueblo, Colo. 81009. No stamped, self-addressed envelope is necessary, but please allow 30 days for delivery. When this hits print, the center will be deluged.
P.S. Tomorrow: What you should tell your physician before he or she prescribes any kind of medication for you. Also, some valuable tips to help you use prescription drugs safely and effectively.
To get Abby`s booklet, ``How to Be Popular: You`re Never Too Young or Too Old,`` send a check or money order for $2.50 and a long, stamped (39 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Dear Abby, Popularity, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, Ill. 61054.