The Dr is in: What You're Washing Your Pills Down With Matters

Medication safety gets a closer look as emergency physician Dr. Mitch Shulman breaks down why the liquid you use to take your pills can change how much of the medication actually reaches your bloodstream, and what most people have never been told about it. Grapefruit juice blocks an enzyme in your intestines that breaks down certain medications, meaning you can end up absorbing far more than your dose was designed to deliver. Milk binds to some antibiotics and reduces how well they work. Mineral water's alkalinity interferes with absorption in ways most product labels never warn you about. Unless there is a specific reason to use something else, tap water or filtered water is the safest choice every time. Dr. Shulman also covers when coffee is probably fine, when alcohol is genuinely dangerous, and why your pharmacist is the right person to ask. Topics: medication safety, drug absorption, grapefruit juice and medication, pharmacist advice, prescription drugs GUEST: Dr. Mitch Shulman Originally aired on 2026-06-17