Medications and the Heat

Some medications make it harder for your body to control its temperature.

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If you are taking any of the medications listed below, you are at higher risk for heat-related illness, especially if you are doing lots of exercise or heavy work and are not drinking enough water. This is even more true if you are taking two or more medications.

Some drugs have different brand names, so check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to be sure.

Psychiatric drugs such as1:

  • chlorpromazine (Thorazine, Largactil)*
  • thioridazine (Mellaril)*
  • perphenazine (Trilafon)*
  • fluphenazine (Modecate, Moditen)*
  • thiothixene (Navane)*
  • trifluoperazine (Stelazine)
  • prochloperazine (Stemetil)
  • haloperidol (Haldol)
  • clozapine (Clozaril)
  • risperidone (Risperdal)
  • loxapine (Loxapac, Loxitane)
  • fluspirilene (IMAP)
  • pimozide (Orap)
  • olanzapine
  • flupenthixol (Fluanxol)
  • zuclopenthixol (Clopixol)
  • reserpine (Serpasil, Serpalan)
  • Lithium (heavy exercise or heavy sweating in hot weather may change lithium levels, so that you may have too much in your system)

1This list is based in part on information from the Office of the Chief Coroner. Please note it is not complete.

*These medicines may make it easier for your skin to burn. Many other medicines may also cause your skin to burn more easily.

To be sure, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Try to stay out of the sun. If you can't, try to get sunscreen and wear a hat and long sleeves.

Antiparkinson drugs such as:

  • benztropine (Cogentin)
  • biperiden (Akineton)
  • ethopropazine (Parsitan, Parisdol)
  • procyclidine (Kemadrin, Procyclid)
  • trihexyphenidyl (Artane, Trihexane)
  • levodopa (Dopar)
  • selegiline (Eldepryl)
  • amantadine (Symmetrel, Symadine)

Antidepressant drugs such as:

  • amitriptyline
  • doxepine (Sinequan)
  • clomipramine (Anafranil)
  • protriptyline (Vivactil)
  • imipramine (Tofranil)
  • desipramine (Norpramin)
  • nortriptyline (Pamelor)

If you also take the medicines below, you further increase your risk for heat-illness:

  • some antihistamines (e.g. Benadryl, Chlortripolon)
  • over-the-counter sleeping pills (e.g. Nytol)
  • anti-diarrhea pills (e.g. Lomotil)

If you are taking any medications regularly, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you need to be extra careful during hot weather.

If you feel ill, faint, have difficulty breathing or feel disoriented visit your doctor or nearest hospital right away.

Last updated July 2011