Health. Extreme heat: Which medications can increase the risks?

Our bodies have sophisticated mechanisms to combat heat, starting with sweating. Unfortunately, many everyday treatments can interfere with these vital processes.

Diuretics, often prescribed for hypertension or heart failure, increase water excretion through the kidneys. During heat waves, this additional water loss can quickly lead to dehydration.

Other very common medications directly disrupt kidney function. This is the case with anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, high-dose aspirin, but also certain treatments for hypertension, diabetes, and even simple antibiotics.

Furthermore, certain neuroleptics, antiparkinsonian drugs, antidepressants, vasoconstrictors or thyroid hormones can aggravate thermoregulation problems.

Other headache-fighting medications, particularly antimigraine medications, prevent blood vessel dilation or reduce sweating. Finally, sleeping pills or anxiolytics reduce alertness and therefore the ability to adapt our behavior to combat the heat.

The mistake to never make

Faced with these observations, the temptation might be great to interrupt your treatment during the heatwave. Yet this is the worst solution. The French Health Insurance firmly reminds us: " There is no justification for stopping treatment on your own initiative, or even reducing or interrupting it for a few days ." And in the same vein, " it is strongly recommended not to practice any self-medication, even occasionally, without consulting your doctor or pharmacist. "