Why do I have to take some medications with meals?

Have you ever been told to take your medication with food and wondered why? Maybe you wondered if you really needed to?

There are various reasons, and sometimes convoluted scientific and chemical bases, why it may be recommended to take medications with food.

To complicate matters, some similar medications should be taken differently. For example, the antibiotic amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (sold as Amoxil Duo Forte) is recommended to be taken with food, while amoxicillin alone (sold as Amoxil) can be taken with or without food.

Different brands of the same medication may also have different recommendations for taking it with food.

Food affects the absorption of drugs

Food can affect how quickly and how much of a drug is absorbed into the body over time. 40% of medicines taken orally.

When you have food in your stomach, the composition of your digestive juices changes. This includes things like fluid volume, density, pH (which becomes less acidic with food), surface tension, movement, and the amount of salts in the bile. These changes can impair or enhance the absorption of the drug.

Eating a meal also delays the rate at which the contents of the stomach move into the diminutive intestine – this is known as stomach emptyingThe diminutive intestine has a enormous surface area and a wealthy blood supply – and this is the main site of drug absorption.

Eating a larger meal or one with a lot of fiber delays stomach emptying more than a smaller meal. Sometimes health experts recommend taking a medication with food to facilitate the body absorb the medication more slowly.

However, if the medication can be taken with or without food – like paracetamol – and you want it to work faster, take it on an empty stomach.

Food can make medications better tolerated

Have you ever taken a medicine on an empty stomach and felt nauseous shortly after? Some medicines can cause stomach upset.

For example, metformin is a drug that lowers blood glucose levels and treats type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. It usually causes gastrointestinal symptoms, with one in four users affectedTo combat these side effects, it is recommended to take the medication with a meal.

The same advice is given with corticosteroids (such as prednisolone/prednisone) and some antibiotics (such as doxycycline).

Taking some medications with food makes them better tolerated and increases the chance of taking them for the prescribed period of time.

Can food make medicines safer?

Ibuprofen is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter medications, with one in five Australians admitting to using it within two weeks.

Although ibuprofen is effective in treating pain and inflammation, it may affect the stomach by inhibiting protective prostaglandins, increasing the risk bleeding, ulceration and perforation with long-term employ.

But there there is not enough research to show that taking ibuprofen with food reduces this risk.

Long-term employ may also affect kidney function, especially in people with comorbidities or dehydration.

This Australian Drug Manualwhich provides guidance to doctors on the employ and dosage of medications, recommends taking ibuprofen (sold as Nurofen and Advil) with a glass of water – or with a meal if it causes stomach upset.

Systematic review published in 2015. Food has been found to delay ibuprofen’s transport to the diminutive intestine and absorption, which delays the therapeutic effect and time to pain relief. Taking low courses of ibuprofen without food has also been found to reduce the need for additional doses.

To reduce the risk of ibuprofen damaging your stomach or kidneys, employ the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible, stay hydrated, and avoid taking other medications. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the same time.

For people who have been taking ibuprofen for a long time and are at greater risk of developing side effects in the digestive tract (e.g. people with a history of ulcers or the elderly), your doctor may start your treatment with proton pump inhibitora drug that reduces the secretion of gastric acid and protects the gastric mucosa.

How much food do you need?

When it is necessary to take medication with a meal, what dose is sufficient?

Sometimes with medications like prednisone/prednisolone, a full glass of milk or a few crackers will suffice.

However, most head-to-head studies that compare the effects of a drug “with food” and “without” typically employ a hefty meal to define “with food.” So a cracker may not be enough, especially for people with sensitive stomachs. A more substantial meal that includes a mix of fat, protein, and carbohydrates is generally recommended.

Your doctor can advise you on which medications should be taken with meals and how they affect the digestive system.