Heart Problems? Avoid These 7 Medications

Heart problems can vary and include arrhythmias, heart failure, heart valve disease, heart muscle disease, aorta disease, vascular disease, heart attack, coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, and Marfan syndrome.

Some medications can cause more harm than good in people with heart problems and should be avoided.

Some over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs can cause harmful and sometimes fatal side effects.

The following list of seven medications and class of medications should be avoided in people with certain heart problems and has been compiled by Cleveland Clinic, the Heart Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.

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Medications That Negatively Impact Various Heart Problems

1. Aspirin

Patients taking blood thinners for stent placement, atrial fibrillation, or angioplasty should avoid aspirin as the risk for uncontrolled bleeding increases when aspirin is combined with antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulants. All three medications prevent blood clots but are dangerous when combined.

2. NSAID pain relievers

Over-the-counter NSAID pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen are also blood thinners and should not be combined with prescription blood thinners prescribed for certain heart problems.

NSAIDs can also increase the risk of death and cardiovascular morbidity.

3. Various antibiotics

Heart problems involving heart arrhythmias could be worsened with certain antibiotics.

Azithromycin (Z-pak) and Levofloxacin have the potential to disrupt electrical activity in the heart and possibly lead to a lethal rapid heartbeat.

In addition, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin can cause problems in people with an arrhythmia. Often, the risk is higher in people who also have heart disease.

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Medications That Negatively Impact Heart Failure

4. COX-2 agents

COX-2 agents such as celecoxib have the potential to exacerbate heart failure and can lead to myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

5. Tricyclic Antidepressants

These have the potential to prolong QT electrical interval which can cause dangerous arrhythmias.

6. Corticosteroids

Sodium and water retention can worsen heart failure and potentially cause arrhythmias.

7. Oncology drugs

Oncology treatments (e.g. anthracyclines, cyclophosphamide, trastuzumab, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors) have the potential to cause heart failure.

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