Mind the cranberry sauce! The National Medicines Information Centre this month advised doctors to watch out for the potential for cranberry sauce to increase the effects of the blood-thinning drug, warfarin.
A 75-year-old man with a history of cardiovascular disease had taken a set dose of warfarin for years. However, over the holiday period he indulged in his weakness for turkey sandwiches liberally dressed with cranberry sauce.
The result? His clotting time had doubled. A week after giving up the sauce, his blood-clotting time had returned to normal.
But the other kind of "sauce" freely imbibed over Christmas and the new year is alcohol. It has the potential to cause problems by interacting with a wide range of prescribed medicines.
A study of 8,200 adults by US researchers published last September found that one in 20 drank enough to be at high risk for interactions between alcohol and drugs.
In general it's best to take drugs known to interact with alcohol at least two hours before or after having a drink and the safest approach is not to mix alcohol and medication at all.
A wide range of drugs have the potential to interact with alcohol. Antihistamines and alcohol cause drowsiness and impaired co-ordination. A group of antidepressants known as MAOIs cause a sharp rise in blood pressure when taken with alcohol.
Mixing your favourite tipple with certain blood-pressure lowering drugs will drop your blood pressure even more. And calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine increase the intoxicating effect of alcohol.
Certain oral diabetes drugs mixed with alcohol cause facial flushing, vomiting and may reduce blood pressure.
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen can cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines. Mixing them with alcohol increases this risk. Paracetamol and alcohol target the liver; too much of both and you risk liver damage.
Certain antibiotics and alcohol simply do not get on together in the body. Metronidazole (Flagyl) causes nausea, vomiting and flushing. Certain cephalosporins produce the same effect. And erythromycin potentates the effects of alcohol, so you are likely to become inebriated more quickly with this mixture in your system.
But don't let medication spoil your Christmas. Whether it's cranberry or alcohol, moderation with the "sauce" will ensure you avoid any major health problems.