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When
taken together, drugs can interact with one another and produce
desirable or undesirable results. Some drugs have an additive
effect-that is, they increase the effect of other drugs. For
example, alcoholic beverages intensify the drowsiness-producing
effect of some sedatives. Drugs that displace, or take the
place of other drugs present in blood proteins, make the displaced
drugs more active in the body, increasing their effect. Other
drugs have a reducing effect-that is, they interfere with
the action of drugs already present in the body. For example,
antacids prevent antibiotics from being absorbed by the stomach.
Some drugs combine with other drugs to create a substance
that has no medical benefit. In some cases, however, drug
interactions can produce desirable results. Doctors have found
that using three drugs to fight AIDS is more effective than
one drug used alone.
Drugs are most effective when properly prescribed by physicians
and taken correctly by patients. Missing doses, taking drugs
at the wrong time of the day or with instead of before meals,
and stopping drug use too soon can markedly reduce the medical
benefits of many drugs.
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