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August 13, 2020 11:57 AM

Can medications increase the risk of heat-related illness?

The risk for heat-related illness and death may increase among people using the following drugs:

  1. psychotropics, which affect psychic function, behavior, or experience (e.g. haloperidol or chlorpromazine);
  2. medications for Parkinson’s disease, because they can inhibit perspiration;
  3. tranquilizers such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, and thiozanthenes; and
  4. diuretic medications or “water pills” that affect fluid balance in the body.