Certain ingredients in common Halloween sweets may impact the effectiveness and severity of your medication
Halloween may be great for bringing us lots of sweets – but these treats could pose significant health risks, and it’s nothing to do with sugar content. Mixing certain sweets with specific medications could spark unexpected reactions.
Kiran Jones, a Clinical Pharmacist at Oxford Online Pharmacy, has shed light on people with specific conditions who could be affected. And the risk could come from exacerbating side effects to counteracting the medication’s purpose.
Below we look at eight common conditions he highlights. And for some, foods containing aspartame – which is often used as a sugar substitute in food and drink – are one thing in particular to avoid.
Depression, anxiety and Parkinson’s medications
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame can influence the neurotransmitters that Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors target. These medications are typically used to treat depression, anxiety and Parkinson’s disease and inhibit the breakdown of neurotransmitters.
Pairing these medications with aspartame can lead to an excessive accumulation of neurotransmitters, resulting in side effects like hypertension, headaches, anxiety and insomnia. The pharmacist cautioned: “For those taking these medications, it’s crucial to avoid or limit foods containing aspartame to prevent these potentially dangerous interactions.”
Aspartame and similar artificial sweeteners are commonly found in sugar-free goodies and items like ice cream, jellies, cereals and fizzy drinks.
ADHD, anti-anxiety and blood pressure medications
These can be significantly impacted by caffeine – often found in sweets. This stimulant can intensify the effects of drugs like Adderrall while simultaneously undermining the calming influence of SSRIs.
Moreover, it can negate the benefits of blood pressure medication such as beta-blockers by raising heart rate and blood pressure. This could lead to unpleasant side effects like heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, elevated cortisol levels and even heighten the risk of serious complications like strokes or heart attacks.
The main Halloween treats that contain caffeine are chocolate-based sweets or coffee-flavoured candies.
Heart medications
Those on blood pressure, diuretics and antiarrhythmics medications should be cautious of glycyrrhizin, a chemical found in liquorice sweets. This substance can cause the body to lose potassium and retain sodium, leading to increased water retention and higher blood pressure.
This directly undermines the effects of blood pressure medications, potentially resulting in uncontrolled hypertension even in small amounts if consumed regularly. It can also worsen heart rhythm issues.
Allergy medications
People who rely on antihistamines to manage allergies may need to exercise caution around sweets with food colouring like M&Ms and Skittles. The dyes in these sweets can stimulate the release of histamines, the very substance that antihistamines aim to block.
This can hinder the effectiveness of the medication, diminishing its impact. Additionally, some people may have a sensitivity to these artificial food colourings, which could provoke allergic reactions such as hives, itching and swelling.