August often brings some of the hottest, most humid days of the year. While most of us know to drink water, seek shade, and avoid prolonged exposure to extreme heat, there is another summer health consideration that is easy to overlook: your medications.

Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect the way your body responds to heat. Some may interfere with sweating, reduce thirst, contribute to dehydration, or make it harder for the body to regulate temperature. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that medications and heat can interact in ways that increase the risk of heat-related illness.

How Your Body Normally Handles Heat

When your body becomes warm, it relies largely on sweating and increased blood flow near the skin to release heat. When this cooling system cannot keep up with environmental conditions, body temperature can rise.

Hot weather can be particularly challenging for older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, people who work or exercise outdoors, and individuals taking medications that affect the body’s normal response to heat.

Which Medications May Affect Heat Tolerance?

Many commonly used medications can potentially influence the body’s response to hot weather. According to CDC guidance, examples include certain:

• Diuretics, which may contribute to fluid or electrolyte loss
• Blood pressure and heart medications, which may affect blood pressure, circulation, thirst, or sweating
• Antihistamines, particularly medications with anticholinergic effects, which may decrease sweating
• Some antidepressants and psychiatric medications, which may interfere with sweating or temperature regulation
• Stimulant medications, which can affect the body’s regulation of heat
• Some pain relievers, particularly when dehydration is already present

This does not mean that people taking these medications should stop using them. Medication needs vary considerably from person to person. The CDC recommends that decisions about medications during hot weather be made with a healthcare professional after considering the benefits and risks.

Never Change Your Medication on Your Own

If you take a medication that could potentially affect your heat tolerance, do not skip doses, reduce your dosage, or discontinue the medication without speaking with your healthcare provider.

Instead, ask your doctor whether there are specific precautions you should take during periods of extreme heat. A physician can review your medications, medical history, hydration needs, and other individual risk factors.

This conversation can be especially valuable for older adults. The National Institute on Aging explains that older adults may have more difficulty adjusting to temperature changes and are more likely to have medical conditions or take medications that affect temperature regulation.

Know the Warning Signs of Heat-Related Illness

Pay attention to how you feel when spending time in the heat. Symptoms such as excessive thirst, dizziness, weakness, nausea, headache, heavy sweating, or feeling faint can indicate that your body is struggling with the temperature.

Confusion, fainting, unusual behavior, or a very high body temperature can signal heat stroke, which is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also warned that certain medications can significantly impair sweating and temperature regulation. This reinforces the importance of recognizing unusual overheating symptoms and discussing medication-related heat risks with a healthcare professional.

Simple Ways to Stay Safer During Hot Weather

You don’t need to avoid summer entirely. A little planning can make hot days safer.

Try to schedule outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day, spend time in air-conditioned or shaded environments when temperatures become extreme, drink fluids regularly unless your healthcare provider has placed you on fluid restrictions, and take breaks when exercising or working outdoors.

Most importantly, pay attention to changes in how your body responds to heat.

Make Medication Awareness Part of Your Summer Wellness Routine

Summer wellness involves more than sunscreen and staying hydrated. Your age, medical conditions, medications, activity level, and environment can all influence how well your body manages hot weather.

If you take prescription or over-the-counter medications regularly, consider adding one simple question to your next medical visit:

“Do any of my medications change how my body responds to heat?”

Knowing the answer can help you enjoy the remaining weeks of summer with greater confidence and a plan tailored to your individual health needs.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institute on Aging.