Q: I take a lot of medications, including Zocar for lowering cholesterol. I am about to have extensive dental work including implants, crowns and root canals. Should I be concerned?

A: I remember my old pharmacology professor, Howard Katz BS, DDS, MS, PHD (He had more degrees than a thermometer in Phoenix!) He once said that patients today are walking “pharmacopeias”, or “drug soups”. All health care professionals need to be on top of their game in knowing which drugs don’t mix.

After placement of an implant, we put patients on antibiotics for a week to ward off infection. Patients who are allergic to Penicillin are often prescribed Erythromycin. EXCEPT IF YOU ARE TAKING ZOCAR! This can result in a bad reaction called myopathy (muscular weakness) and rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown). There fore these patients would best be prescribed a “Z”-Pack (azynthromycin) or a cephalosporin.