Medicines and medical devices: Six tips for staying healthy and safe this festive season

From coughs and sneezes to mental health apps, these tips from the MHRA will help you stay safe during the festive season and beyond.

The festive season is a busy time for all of us, our friends and our family.   

As a result, we may forget to look after our health in the clamour to ensure every stocking has been filled, every spud nicely browned and every carrot accounted for.   

As everyone usually has enough on their plate at this time of year (in more ways than one), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has six top tips to help us stay healthy and safe through the festive season and beyond.  

Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA said:   

 The festive season is a time for friends and family, creating treasured memories and sharing traditions.   

 Amongst the hustle and bustle and the celebrations, it's important we keep safe at this time of year, particularly when it comes to using medical products.   

 Acting on these tips will stand you in good stead now and at any other time of the year.  

1. Know which medicines interact with food and drink  

Make sure you have enough medicines supplies for the festive period, especially if you are travelling. Consider the possibility of loss, or disruption to your journey and always have enough with you so you're prepared for the unexpected.  

Keep your medicines in the original packaging, and ensure you have the Patient Information Leaflets (PIL) to hand as these provide important information on how to take your medicine.  

 It is also important to understand in advance which food and drink can interact with your medicines, altering their effects or increasing the risk of side effects.  

Cranberries are often associated with Christmas. If you're taking warfarin, for example, used to prevent and treat blood clots, do not eat cranberry products or drink cranberry juice. This might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.  

Brussels sprouts, broccoli and green leafy Christmas vegetables contain a lot of vitamin K, which is a chemical the body uses to promote blood clotting. Vitamin K counteracts the effects of warfarin and can make it less effective.    

It's important that you eat foods containing vitamin K, so rather than leaving them out of your diet, make sure you eat similar amounts of them regularly. This will mean the level of vitamin K in your blood stays constant and makes it more likely that your blood monitoring level stays stable. 

Alcohol can affect the way your medicines work. Some antibiotics, for example, can have side effects such as feeling sick or dizzy, which might be made worse by drinking alcohol. You should always consult your doctor or pharmacist about whether it is safe to drink alcohol if you are taking medicines.  

If you are being treated with statins, check before drinking grapefruit juice as it can interact with certain statins. It increases the level of the drug in your blood and makes side effects more likely. Some medicines used in the treatment of cancers may interact with grapefruit juice too.  

 One of the best ways to check if your medicine could cause interactions is to read the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with it, or you can ask your pharmacist or GP for advice.    

2. Winter colds and flu usually don't need antibiotics  

Illnesses such as cold and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria, so an antibiotic will not make it go away. A doctor or pharmacist will always consider if antibiotics are needed . 

Antibiotics are important drugs that save lives when bacterial infections overwhelm our bodies, but don't expect your GP to automatically prescribe you an antibiotic if you get the sniffles over the festive period. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), meaning antibiotics can become less effective the more we use them.   

Aways finish the course of antibiotics you are given, if you have been prescribed them, and you should take them to your local pharmacy to be disposed of if you have any left over. Do not throw them in the bin, the sink or the toilet.  

3.  Take painkillers wisely  

Hopefully you'll escape winter colds, flu and COVID-19 over the festive season. But if not, you might reach for your packet of painkillers. If so, always check the dosage instructions.  

Also, if it's aspirin or ibuprofen you are reaching for, it would be wise to take them after the turkey and swallow with a glass of water, particularly if you have a sensitive stomach. 

Some painkillers can interact with other medicines, so if you are being treated with a medicine, make sure to check the leaflet or ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take with painkillers.   

The leaflet that comes with your medicine should say whether you need to avoid any particular foods or drinks. Again, ask your pharmacist or doctor if you're not sure.  

These medicines are safe and effective when taken as instructed. Taking too many painkillers can be dangerous and you may need treatment. For example, too much paracetamol can cause liver damage.  

4. Drive safely during the festive season  

If you're driving home for Christmas, it is important to consider your medicines.  

Check the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL), which comes with your medicine, for how it might affect your ability to drive.   

Do not drive until you know this – it's against the law to drive if your driving is impaired by a medicine. If you are unsure, talk to the doctor or pharmacist who prescribed your medication about whether you should be driving.  

5. Look after your mental health    

The festive season is generally a time for joy and laughter, but it can also be a stressful and lonely time and can be particularly challenging for some people.  

There are numerous apps available to support your mental health, making a wide range of claims surrounding the identification, management and treatment of a spectrum of mental health conditions. However, while there are some apps out there which many will find beneficial and helpful, not all of them have been created with input from healthcare professionals or those with lived experience of mental health.  

Thankfully, there is a way to tell if apps have been registered with the MHRA as they will be CE or UKCA marked, and this should be clearly identified on the website for the app.   

If you are in crisis, speak to the Samaritans on 116 123. 

6. Report any concerns with medicines or medical devices 

Finally, with all the festive indulgence, those with diabetes will want to monitor their blood glucose carefully. Insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring equipment are often used to help manage the condition, for many of the 5.6 million people in the UK living with diabetes. These devices significantly improve the quality of life for people with diabetes, and we want to ensure safety, so we ask patients who use a continuous glucose monitor or insulin pump to report any safety problem with their device, or indeed with any medicine or medicinal product, through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.  

Your Yellow Card report plays a key part in keeping others safe. Your experience can ensure that all healthcare products can continue their positive impact on peoples' lives, by helping the MHRA identify new safety issues as early as possible. 

If you find you need help this festive season and your GP is closed or unavailable, you can call NHS 111. If you feel you need more urgent care, you should go to A&E or call 999.