scared of accidentally ingesting heated medication?

[eastofeden]

I have a really odd phobia when it comes to medications. I'm very ocd about storing them at the right temperature, their interactions/chemical reactions etc.

Basically just now I put some pizza in the oven. While waiting I took my medication (a beta blocker called propranolol, and without water, so it was kind of hard to swallow and stayed in my mouth for a few minutes - stupid I know, but I'm lazy sometimes) then a couple moments later I took the pizza out of the oven, I ate some, mostly the topping, played about with it for a few minutes then realized it wasn't cooked enough. So I put it back in for a final blast for about 5 minutes.

Basically now I'm worried traces of the propanolol that were in my mouth were on my fork (highly likely) and were mixed in with the topping and got heated up in the oven. I ate a bit more of it then realized this, so I threw the food away. I'm really scared that heating propranolol may have altered the chemicals or produced some kind of fumes and could be toxic. I can't find any medical literature on what happens to beta blockers when exposed to high temperatures, so I'm freaking out. How can I calm down?

[Shazamataz]

It's most unlikely to be an issue. Remember it goes into your body and it's warm in there. The amount, if any, that would have been on the pizza will be almost nil.

You will be perfectly fine.

Hope this helps, even a little.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Those licenced for use in the UK can be found here:

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/spc-pil/?subsName=PROPRANOLOL%20HYDROCHLORIDE&pageID=SecondLevel

On the next page you have to tick the disclaimer to get to the .pdf's. Just remember, that will also include all the stuff in the leaflets like the side effects. To be honest, this may tell you nothing anyway.

I'm guessing your med is a tablet, since it wouldn't matter about a capsule in the mouth. Bare in mind that tablets can be "film-coated". It will say this if you find the licencing info above but it should also say it on the box, if the pharmacy haven't broken them up for repackaging, and in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL).

If they are film-coated, perhaps just the coating came off and that will be something very harmless. Film-coating is often just to keep it from being chipped away. A lot of meds have the same film-coating as the many vitamins & minerals out there.