Doctors issue urgent warning over 13 common meds that could cause deadly side effects during heatwave

Doctors are warning about common medications that could have life-threatening side effects in hot weather amid a brutal heatwave sweeping the US.

Dr Nicholas Dragolea, the founder of UK-based My Longevity Centre, pinpoints 13 types of drugs taken by millions across the country, which could have devastating consequences when combined with temperatures exceeding 86 F.

He revealed to the Daily Mail that certain medicines can affect how well the body is able to handle heat, while they can also cause dehydration and trigger increased sun sensitivity.

Heatstroke is where the body is no longer able to cool itself and a person's body temperature becomes dangerously high due to a long amount of time exposed to direct sunlight.

Common symptoms include confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech, not sweating, loss of consciousness, incoherence, profuse sweating, dry skin, seizures, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, headache and fast pulse.

When heatstroke occurs, the body's temperature can rise to 106 F (41 C) or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.

Heatstroke can cause permanent disability or death if the person does not receive emergency treatment. More than 1,200 people die from extreme heat each year in the US and more than 125 million are set to have extreme heat warnings until this Friday.

Firstly, Dr Dragolea says heart medications prescribed to more than 94 million Americans for high blood pressure, blood clot prevention, and heart support can cause issues in the heat.

Certain medications like beta-blockers (metoprolol, atenolol, carvedilol, and propranolol) can reduce blood flow to the skin, making it harder for the body to cool down.

Additionally, diuretics such as furosemide, chlorthalidone and hydrochlorthiazide can lead to dehydration, which further impairs the body's ability to regulate temperature and can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure.

Dr Dragolea says other heart medications that can have a similar effect on the body include ACE Inhibitors (lisinopril), angiotensin II receptor blockers (losartan and valsartan) and antiplatelets (clopidogrel).

Studies suggest a correlation between some of these medications an increased risk of heart attacks during heat waves as the body is placed under greater stress.

Next up for the 33 million Americans or so on antidepressants, particularly those with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), are warned about an increased risk of heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

TCAs are an older class of drug that are prescribed less often due to more intense side effects, including insomnia, bed-wetting, and chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia.

They prevent the body from cooling down normally, such as by sweating and making you drink more water to compensate. And this heat intolerance affects multiple classes of these drugs.

However, the more common SSRIs can actually make you sweat more. This still leads to heatstroke because when you sweat too much, it can leave you dehydrated.

Some examples of tricyclics approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and protriptyline (Vivactil).

Some of the most common FDA-approved SSRIs are citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).

More than one in 10 Americans use antidepressants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They're more common in women, 18 percent of whom have taken them in the past 30 days compared to eight percent of men.

In addition to heat intolerance, common side effects of antidepressants include nausea, increased appetite, fatigue, insomnia, dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, restlessness, and erectile dysfunction, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Dr Dragolea warns that antipsychotics prescribed for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health disorders can cause the same side effects in hot weather.

Around 3.8 million US adults, or 1.6 percent of the adult population, report taking antipsychotic medications.

Some of the medications in this category he points to as the worst offenders arerisperidone (Risperdal) Quetiapine (Seroquel), Haloperidol (Haldol), and Olanzapine (Zyprexa).

Other more specialized medicines he warns can impair the body's ability to keep cool include central nervous system stimulants prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anticholinergics prescribed for Parkinson's disease and an overactive bladder and dopaminergics, which are also administered for Parkinson's disease.

Along with the more selective drugs, Dr Dragolea flags two extremely common medications that could contribute to heat stroke; antihistamines used for allergies and decongestants used for the common cold.

A survey in 2021 reported, out of the adults with an allergy, half of them took antihistamine pills.

When it comes to allergy pills, Dr Dragolea says the 'older first generation/ sedating antihistamines are the worst ones when it comes to heat'.

If you are taking a medication that can be problematic in the heat, it's a good idea to set aside time to discuss this with your doctor and hatch a plan for hot-weather days.

On top of these, Dr Dragolea says that there are five other drugs that can increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight, making you more prone to sunburn, rashes, and other unwanted side effects.

Along with causing dehydration, sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Certain drugs can increase sun sensitivity because they absorb ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun and then release it in a way that damages skin cells.

This process is called phototoxicity.

The five medication Dr Dragolea flags for potentially exacerbating sunburn are antibiotics (Panmycin, Vibramycin, Cipro, Floxin), antifungals (Gris-PEG), antihistamines (Claritin, Zyrtec), statin cholesterol medications (Zocor, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol) and diabetes medications (Glucotrol and Micronase).

If you are taking a medication that can be problematic in the heat, Dr Heather Viola - who is an internal medicine doctor for the Mount Sinai health system in New York - recommends speaking to your doctor first and hatching an action plan for hot weather.

She told DailyMail.com: 'Always speak with your doctor before stopping or adjusting medication. They may adjust your dose, recommend timing changes, or switch to alternatives.'

Some of her other tips for reducing the risk of heat stroke include 'drinking water consistently throughout the day, avoiding peak heat and dressing smartly in lightweight, light-colored, breathable clothing to help cool the body'.

If you are taking drugs that increase skin sensitivity, sun protection is also an essential safeguard.

'As highlighted, there are many medications that can increase the risk of heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke,' Dr Viola concludes.

'It is also of upmost importance to be vigilant and monitor for symptoms as you go.

'Watch for signs of heat exhaustion - dizziness, nausea, fast heartbeat.'