Extreme heat, medications don’t mix, doctor says

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Extreme heat and medications can be a risky combo because they don’t mix.

Some common medications can make it more difficult for people to regulate their body temperature, and in extreme heat, it can increase their chances of experiencing a heat emergency.

Dr. Kerri Layman, chief of emergency medicine at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said certain medications will become ineffective if it is overheated such as insulin and EpiPen.

“The other ways that medications can be affected is at times, if your blood volume changes. For instance, you start sweating a lot. You’re very hot, you lose blood volume. Then the concentration of the medication in your blood can increase. So you can actually have more medication affecting your system than you normally are used to,” Layman said.

Extreme heat can also intensify side effects of some medicines such as antihistamines like Benadryl.

“It can inhibit your body’s ability to sweat and sweating is a natural way to help us cool off,” Layman said. “Another way is many patients take what they call fluid pills, which we know as diuretics. Probably the most common one is Lasix and those medications are designed to have your body urinate more so that you get rid of extra blood volume.”

Before a summer road trip, check labels for the storage requirements of medications. Carry medicine in a cooler when traveling by car, even if it doesn’t require refrigeration. The car’s trunk or glove box could get too hot for even room temperature storage.

Traveling by plane? It’s always best to keep medications in your carry-on bag in case your checked luggage is delayed or lost, and it can get too cold in the cargo hold.

Prescription medications that arrive in the mail could be damaged by hot temperatures. Mail-order pharmacies are responsible for keeping your medications at safe temperatures during storage and transit.

“Check with your mail-order pharmacy to be sure that they’re packaging those appropriately and also make sure when your deliveries are coming. Many services will provide an update so that they don’t sit in unrefrigerated trucks out on the step waiting for you to come home. So you may want to ask a neighbor or a friend to receive them if you know you’re not going to be home when they come,” Layman said.

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