Never leave your medications in a parked car, even for a brief time. On bright days, temperatures can quickly exceed 70 degrees in a short period of time.
How can we keep tablets, sprays, drops, injectables, and other medications effective during the hot summer months?
Just as we need sun protection, our medicines also require safeguarding from rising temperatures. If not stored or used properly, pills and other medications may change or lose their effectiveness. However, not all medications are equally sensitive to temperature.
Tablets are most robust
The most resistant medication are fixed dosage formulations like tablets. They can withstand a century’s summer when stored at home in a pharmaceutical cabinet. Temperatures between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius are regarded ideal, but they may be somewhat higher in the short term. For around 30 minutes, a tablet can withstand an ambient temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. After that, the situation turns critical, and the concentration of the active chemical may drop.
Attention: Heat sensitive!
Suppositories, lotions, ointments, and liquids are far more heat-sensitive than other types of medications. Suppositories may melt, whereas ointments may divide into liquid and solid components. If you detect any such changes, do not use the medication and contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately to receive a replacement. Patches that release medication over time, as well as sprays, are particularly heat sensitive. Asthma sprays, for example, may lose their dosage precision and potency if stored in direct sunlight or heat.
Cool, but not too cold
Whether solid, liquid, sprayed, or swallowed, all medicines should be kept cool but not too cold. If your roof is not below 35 degrees, seek for a dry spot in the fridge or cellar.
Never leave your medications in a parked car, even for a brief time. On bright days, temperatures can quickly exceed 70 degrees in a short period of time.
A tip for your holiday trip by car or train: keep your medications in a refrigerator bag, but do not place them directly on the ice package. Many drugs are not recommended for storage in freezers. When liquids are frozen, they can lose their effectiveness.
Insulin is one of the medications that should always be kept in the refrigerator. Furthermore, vaccinations, biological therapies for rheumatism, cancer or other ailments, and other protein-based medicines, as well as many herbal medicines, must be kept permanently cooled. The packaging leaflet indicates whether a therapeutic medication requires constant refrigeration. Follow the directions under point 5 “How to Store”.
Medicines can affect the body's heat regulation
Yet, the action of drugs is not only determined by storage. Heat and sunlight have their own effects on the human body. The body’s cooling system turns on increased sweating. Certain medications, however, can interfere with this essential regulation process by suppressing sweating or boosting heat production.
Thyroid hormone preparations, tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, anticholinergic medications, among other all carry a moderate to high risk of hyperthermia or overheating. If you consume products containing these active ingredients and develop a fever, see a doctor immediately.
Medication for your heart and blood pressure: Get medical advice
If you are using high blood pressure drugs such as ACE inhibitors, AT1 antagonists, calcium antagonists, or diuretics, you might need medical attention during extremely hot days. The dose of these cardiovascular medicines may need to be adjusted since the summer heat may increase their blood pressure-lowering effect. Vertigo, circulation problems, confusion, and a brief loss of consciousness are all possible outcomes.
Older persons are especially vulnerable to such side effects since they are frequently unable to compensate for a potentially dangerous loss of fluid and electrolytes by drinking more.
Interactions with the Sun
In addition to heat, there are several interactions between medicines and sunlight. Medications can also make the skin extremely sensitive to light, resulting in sunburn and severe skin irritation. Some antibiotics produce this phenomenon known as phototoxicity. In addition, several anti-rheumatoid treatments, diuretics, heart medications, and the mood-enhancing St. John’s wort plant extract reduce skin tolerance to the sun.
In case of doubt, refer to the package leaflet. Interactions are listed in the paragraph 4 “Which side effects are possible”.
Do not cease any prescription on your own! Always consult your physician or pharmacist if you are worried about your medication or side effects.
