Who this is for
Anyone who takes a prescription or nonprescription medicine regularly, and family members or caregivers who help someone manage medicines. It is especially useful if you take a water pill (diuretic), a blood pressure or heart medicine, lithium, an antipsychotic, an antidepressant, a seizure medicine, an ADHD stimulant, insulin, an inhaler or an epinephrine auto-injector. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says its own list of heat-sensitive medicines is not complete, so the questions apply to any medicine.
How to use it
- Before the visit, write down every medicine you take, or put all the bottles in a bag. Include vitamins, supplements, and sleep, allergy and pain medicines you buy without a prescription.
- Tick the questions you want answered. You do not need to ask all of them at once; a pharmacist can answer many of them.
- Write the answers in the plan section, or ask your clinician to write them for you.
- Keep the page where you and anyone who checks on you can find it.
Do not stop, skip or change a dose because of heat unless your prescriber tells you to. Stopping some medicines suddenly can be dangerous.
This page is for your own use. Keep it private, and do not post it online.
Questions for your clinician (doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant)
- Do any of my medicines make heat more dangerous for me? Which ones, and why?
- Do any of my medicines add to each other's effects in the heat? (CDC notes that an ACE inhibitor or ARB taken with a diuretic may raise the risk much more.)
- Should anything about my medicines change on hot days? If so, exactly what, on which days, and when do I go back to my usual routine?
- I have been told to limit fluids. How much should I drink on hot days?
- Which symptoms mean I should call your office, and which mean I should call 911?
- Should I check anything at home on hot days, such as my blood sugar or blood pressure?
- Do I need a blood test before or during summer for any of my medicines?
- At what forecast level should I start my hot-day plan? (The National Weather Service HeatRisk forecast runs from 0, green, to 4, magenta.)
- If I get sick with vomiting, diarrhea or fever during a heat wave, what should I do about my medicines?
- For a child or teen: does this medicine change what they should do during sports or long days outside?
Questions for your pharmacist
- Which of my medicines, including the ones I buy without a prescription, can affect how I handle heat?
- Do any of my medicines make sunburn more likely?
- What is the right storage temperature for each of my medicines? Which need the refrigerator, and which must not be refrigerated?
- What should I do if a medicine was left somewhere hot, such as a car? Can I still use it, or should I replace it?
- For insulin: how long can my product stay out of the refrigerator, and at what temperature?
- For an inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector: how do I carry it on hot days without overheating it?
- How do I keep refrigerated medicines cold if the power goes out?
- Can I get an early refill before a heat wave or a planned power shutoff?
My hot-day plan
| Item | My answer |
|---|---|
| Medicines that raise my heat risk | |
| Changes on hot days (only as my prescriber directs) | |
| When to go back to my usual routine | |
| How much to drink on hot days | |
| Symptoms that mean I call the office | |
| Office phone number | |
| Symptoms that mean I call 911 | |
| Where I will go to cool off | |
| Person who will check on me, and how often | |
| Storage notes for each medicine | |
| Power outage plan for refrigerated medicines or devices |
Warning signs to keep in view
Get help now
Call 911 for possible heat stroke: a body temperature above 103°F; hot, red skin that is dry or damp; a fast, strong pulse; confusion or slurred speech; fainting or passing out; or a seizure. Move the person somewhere cooler and cool them with cool, wet cloths or a cool bath. Do not give fluids. If someone may have taken too much of a medicine, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
Get medical help right away for signs of heat exhaustion (heavy sweating; cool, clammy skin; a fast, weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; muscle cramps; weakness; dizziness; headache) if the person is vomiting, is getting worse, or is not better within 1 hour. If you cannot reach care quickly, call 911.
Limitations
- These questions are general. They are not a diagnosis or treatment plan, and they do not replace the instructions you get from your own clinician or pharmacist.
- This page does not tell you whether to change any medicine. Only your prescriber can decide that for you.
- The medicine groups mentioned come from CDC guidance written for clinicians. CDC says its list is not complete.
- Storage rules differ from product to product. The label and package insert for your own medicine come first.
Sources
- Heat and Medications – Guidance for Clinicians — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed September 18, 2025.
- Information Regarding Insulin Storage and Switching Between Products in an Emergency — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of September 28, 2026.
- Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of September 1, 2026.
- Heat-Related Illness — National Weather Service, accessed October 22, 2026.
- Heat-related Illnesses — National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, March 3, 2026.
- NWS HeatRisk — National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center, accessed October 22, 2026.
For the full explanation, including which medicine groups CDC flags and why, see Medicines that can raise your risk in a heat wave, and what to ask your doctor.
Printed from kpsgill.com. Check the page online for the latest version.
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