The UK is bracing for a serious heatwave this June. BBC reports that the Met Office has ramped up its Amber Extreme Heat Warning, covering much more of England and Wales, not just the south. If the predictions hold, temperatures could hit their peak next Monday and Tuesday, hitting highs of 33 to 35°C in a lot of places. Some areas could even touch 37°C, which would break the long-standing June record.And now, with the rising heat, pharmacists are urging people to pay attention to their medications.
Health warning amidst the heatwave alert
As the heatwave alert is in full swing, a lot of focus goes to staying out of the sun and drinking more water, but many folks don’t realize that some medicines actually make it harder for the body to deal with high temperatures. These drugs can mess with your body’s natural cooling system, raising your risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heatstroke.Who needs to be careful? Older people, anyone with chronic conditions, and those taking regular prescriptions are especially at risk. The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) points out that heat doesn’t just make medicines less effective if they’re not stored properly — it can also change how your body reacts to them.Manchester Evening News reports that Dipa Kamdar, a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at Kingston University, says there are a few common types of medication that can severely disrupt the body’s natural cooling mechanisms, drastically raising the risk of heatstroke, low blood pressure, and severe dehydration.Per Ms Kamdar, the following are the 5 types of medications that can cause trouble in a heatwave, and those people must watch out for:
Antidepressants
A huge number of people in the UK take antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). The problem with these drugs? They can really mess with your body’s thermostat and the way you sweat. During the heatwave, sometimes you sweat less, sometimes a lot more. If you sweat less, you can easily overheat. If you sweat more and don’t keep up with fluids, you risk dehydration. Antidepressants also have an effect on the hypothalamus, the brain’s control center for body temperature. That makes you more prone to dizziness, headaches, heat intolerance, and serious heat-related illness. According to Dipa Kamdar, a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at Kingston University, both SSRIs and TCAs can make it surprisingly hard for your body to stay cool when it’s roasting outside.
Antipsychotics
Drugs prescribed for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder — the antipsychotics — can also stop the body from regulating temperature properly. They tinker with the signals in the brain that tell you you’re hot or need a drink, which means you might not notice you’re overheating until things get bad. The elderly, or anyone spending a lot of time outdoors, needs to be extra cautious. These drugs can lead to poor sweating, low blood pressure, and dangerous heat build-up.
Heart and blood pressure medicines
If you’re on medicine for your heart or high blood pressure, like beta-blockers, diuretics, or ACE inhibitors, be aware: these can also increase your risk in the heat. Diuretics (“water tablets”) make you lose more fluids through urine, so dehydration can hit fast, especially if you’re sweating too. Beta-blockers can slow down blood flow to your skin and cause heat. Sometimes these drugs even dull your thirst, so you might not drink enough. Keep an eye out for red flags like dizziness, confusion, fainting, or weakness.
Stimulants
Medications like amphetamines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) crank up your metabolism and body temperature and can reduce your sweating. They also make it hard to know when you’re overdoing it in the heat, since stimulants can mask signs of exhaustion. That’s a risk for dehydration, overheating, and even heatstroke.
Insulin
For people with diabetes, dealing with insulin in a heatwave is a different kind of challenge. First, heat can make your body absorb insulin differently and raise your risk of low blood sugar. Second, insulin itself can get damaged if it gets too warm, making it less effective. MHRA also warns that blood sugar meters can malfunction if they get too hot. Watch for signs like dizziness, shaking, or sweating, as these can all be warnings of problems.
What should you do if you’re on these medications?
Dipa Kamdar has some advice to help you stay safe and stick with your prescriptions:
- Always check medicine labels for storage instructions. Don’t leave them in hot cars or windowsills.
- Remember, it’s not just insulin that suffers in the heat; EpiPens and inhalers can too.
- Drink plenty of water, unless your doctor says otherwise, because dehydration can make side effects worse and increase the risks of toxicity from medicines like lithium or even common painkillers.
- Try to stay indoors or in cool places during the hottest hours. Watch for warning signs like dizziness, nausea, confusion, or heavy sweating.
- Don’t suddenly stop taking your medicine. If you feel unwell in the heat or think your medication is part of the problem, talk to your GP or pharmacist first.
