Your heart is the most important muscular organ in your body. While we all want ways to keep our ticker healthy and beating properly, sometimes, it’s the little things that can catch us off guard.
So, it may surprise you that certain things designed to protect your health, such as medicines, can actually hurt it. In fact, various common medications can lead to heart failure, where your heart struggles to pump.
While the risks may be minimal for most people, it’s always good to know what’s possible. Just as some people may have severe allergies, some people may suffer severely from various everyday drugs.
Here are six everyday medications that can cause or worsen heart failure.
1. Metformin
A common diabetes drug, metformin is excreted from the body through the kidneys. Unfortunately, for people with kidney issues, their hearts may strain to try to get rid of it.
Remember, your heart is the central pump for all your organs. It provides the blood – your lifestream – wherever needed. If you already have heart issues, diabetes drugs like metformin can affect the way your heart contracts, and may prove toxic.
2. Clonidine
A medicine used to treat high blood pressure and sometimes ADHD, clonidine can alter the way hormones are expressed in your bloodstream. The drug has been linked to various heart-related side effects, including irregular beating, palpitations, and significantly slowed heartbeat.
Your physician may be able to provide you with a different class of medicine for your blood pressure if clonidine isn’t right for you.
RELATED: Heart Attack Vs. Heart Failure: Here’s How To Tell The Difference
3. Ibuprofen
Known as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NAID), Ibuprofen is used widely across the world, for everything from fevers and headaches to joint pain and menstrual cramping.
But did you know this prevalent prescription and OTC drug can damage the heart? While uncommon, Ibuprofen has been linked to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and disruptions in heart rhythms and contractions. This happens because the drug forces the body to hold onto water and salt, which makes your heart work harder to pump blood. In rare cases, Ibuprofen has caused heart attacks and strokes.
4. Vitamin E
While not a typical drug or medication, Vitamin E is a useful supplement for people who are deficient and can’t get it in their diets. With proper doses, vitamin E may benefit cognitive functions and immune system functions, and reduce heart disease risk.
However, at over 400 IUs per day, the vitamin has been linked to increased risks of heart failure. It may be particularly dangerous in high doses to men who previously had a heart attack. As the saying goes, everything in moderation.
5. Sudafed
A well-known nasal decongestant, Sudafed can work wonders when you’re sick and feeling clogged up. However, all that power may come at a price because Sudafed works by constricting your blood vessels. When your vessels constrict in your nasal passages and sinuses, the fluids can drain.
The problem is, this vasoconstriction doesn’t just stop there. It also affects blood vessels in the rest of your body. In some cases – especially if you take way too much – you could spike your blood pressure and even suffer a heart-related event.
6. Prozac
A commonly prescribed antidepressant, Prozac has been administered to tens of millions of people since its launch in the late 1980s. That said, as with any drug, there is always a risk of varied side effects.
Some users have reported abnormal heart conditions, such as increased heartbeats, irregular heartbeats, and the worsening of pre-existing heart conditions. Because antidepressants affect the chemicals in your brain, this can in turn affect how your brain signals to your heart and other organs.
At the end of the day, it’s all about knowing your body and consulting with your healthcare provider. Some people can take a combination of these medications their entire lives and never experience problems. Other people may get on just one drug for a day and have an immediate and severe side effect.
If you are somebody with heart failure, where your heart struggles to pump, explore safe alternatives with your doctor. There are plenty of ways you can manage your health conditions and live a normal, productive life!