A synergistic interaction may be beneficial for patients, but may also increase the risk of overdose. On some occasions, it is difficult to distinguish between synergistic or additive interactions, since the individual effects of each drug may vary from patient to patient. Based on pharmacodynamics ĭrug interactions can be additive (the result is what you expect when you add together the effect of each drug taken independently), synergistic (combining the drugs leads to a larger effect than expected), or antagonistic (combining the drugs leads to a smaller effect than expected). regularly use five or more medications or supplements, and 15% are at risk of a significant drug-drug interaction. Over a third (36%) of the elderly in the U.S. The risk of a drug-drug interaction (DDI) increases with the number of drugs used. Therefore, the drugs are more likely to bind to other receptors relative to the intended receptor, causing different effects.įor example, consuming both Zolpidem (i.e., Ambien) and alcohol together, both which affect the GABA A receptors, results in the overstimulation of this receptor, which can lead to loss of consciousness. When freely binding receptors interact with agonist- chemicals that activate receptors - and antagonists- that inhibit/ block activation - the opportunity for selective drugs to bind with the intended receptor cells decreases as most receptors are already accounted for. For example, the binding of acetylcholine to muscarinic tracheal smooth-muscle receptors (M 3) results in smooth muscle contractions. The term selectivity describes a drug’s ability to target a single receptor, rendering a predictable physiological response. This influences drug molecules to bind to secondary targets, which may result in an array of unwanted side-effects. The cause is often inhibition of, or less effective action, of the specific receptors available to the drug. ( February 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)ĭrug interactions occur when a drug's mechanism of action is affected by the concomitant administration of substances such as foods, beverages, or other drugs. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia.
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