Summer is here, and with it, the heat! While the sun feels great after our Canadian winter, please remember to protect yourself and your medicines from the heat.
Medications & Heat
Certain medications can make a person heat-sensitive and/or more prone to dehydration and accompanying side effects.
- When you’re taking a drug that increases the likelihood of overheating, stay alert for warning signs such as headaches, lightheadedness, nausea, and weakness. If you experience any of those symptoms, get out of the sun and drink water or a rehydration solution.
- In the event of a severe reaction such as confusion, fever, or fainting, contact your doctor or call 911.
Medications & Sun
Some medications can make a person’s skin more sensitive to the sun, making it easier to be sunburned or have rashes and skin flare ups.
- Reduce your time in direct sunlight, especially during the most sun-intense periods from 11am – 3pm.
- Protect the delicate skin on your face, ears, back of neck and scalp with shade from a wide-brimmed hat.
- Use sunscreen with SFP30 or higher, even on cloudy days.
Summertime Medication Storage & Travel Tips
Excess heat and moisture can degrade medicines and make them less potent or even ineffective.
- Store room temperature medicines in a cool dry place such as a cupboard or drawer. Do not keep room temperature medicines in the bathroom or fridge where extra moisture can affect them.
- If you are travelling with medicines that are supposed to be refrigerated, take them in a cooler bag or insulated container en route. If you need, add or replace ice or an ice pack during the trip until you can transfer them to a fridge as soon as you reach your destination. Note: Don’t add so much ice that the medicine gets too cold and freezes.
Your LMC Pharmacist
Wondering whether any of your medications have dehydration cautions or might make you more heat- or sun-sensitive? Book an appointment with the LMC Clinic Pharmacist. Our medication assessments, education and training are available to LMC patients at no charge. And you don’t have to change your home pharmacy!