Brits have today been warned that the sweltering heat could be silently ruining their medicines – leaving life-saving drugs ineffective. As the mercury soars, health chiefs today, Wednesday, July 8, said there are hidden dangers of leaving medicines in hot cars, sunny windowsills and holiday suitcases.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says everything from asthma inhalers and insulin to hormone patches and EpiPens could lose their potency. Most medicines are designed to be kept below 25°C. But watchdogs warn that cars, buses and trains can effectively turn into ovens within minutes during a heatwave, while even a warm handbag or trouser pocket left in the sun could be enough to compromise vital treatments.
Insulin and certain liquid antibiotics, which must be refrigerated, are said to be particularly at risk, with officials warning they may simply stop working if left out in the heat for too long.
Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, said many people are so focused on enjoying the sunshine that they overlooked the risk.
She admitted medicines left baking in the heat “might not work properly when you need them” – and cautioned that some drugs can also leave patients more likely to burn, feel dizzy or become dangerously dehydrated.
She urged the public to keep medicines somewhere cool and shaded, stay alert to the signs of heat-related illness, and take extra care in the sun if their medication is known to increase the risk of burning.
Worryingly, officials say heat-damaged medicine may not always look any different – though patients are urged to check for tell-tale changes in colour, smell or texture, which can be a red flag that a drug has been ruined.
It is not just pills at risk. Blood glucose monitors used by diabetics can also be thrown off by heat and humidity, potentially delivering unreliable readings at a critical moment.
Dehydration danger for those on blood pressure pills
The warning comes with a caution for the millions taking diuretics, or “water tablets”, such as furosemide, who are already losing extra fluid through sweat and urination so raising the risk of dehydration and dangerous mineral imbalances in extreme heat.
Common blood pressure drugs, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, can also make it harder for the body to regulate its own temperature, officials said, while ACE inhibitors in particular may blunt the body’s natural thirst response, leaving patients unaware they need to drink more.
Those on insulin or metformin for diabetes face a heightened dehydration risk too, while patients taking antipsychotic drugs such as olanzapine and quetiapine, or stimulant medication for attention disorders, may find their bodies struggle to cool down at all.
Dizziness, headaches, tiredness, confusion and dark urine are among the warning signs of dehydration, officials said – problems considered especially dangerous for the elderly, young children and those with heart or kidney conditions.
Sunburn risk from common tablets
Patients have also been warned that a string of everyday medicines could leave their skin far more vulnerable to sunburn, even on a mildly sunny day.
Certain antibiotics, diuretics, antidepressants and acne or eczema treatments are among those flagged, alongside painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen, though officials stressed this risk was more commonly linked to frequent or long-term use.
Particular concern surrounds methotrexate, a drug widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease and cancer, which can trigger extreme sun sensitivity even at low doses. Officials say this can result in painful blistering rashes resembling severe sunburn – and in rare cases has led to serious infections.
Even a short dog walk, a spot of gardening or a sunny commute could be enough to trigger a reaction in vulnerable patients, the regulator warned.
Anyone concerned about their medication has been urged to check the patient information leaflet or speak to their pharmacist, and to report any suspected problems through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
