Taking Pills with Food/Water: Why and How?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the reasons for taking certain medications with food or water, exploring the implications for absorption and potential side effects. It includes considerations of how food interacts with medications and the physiological processes involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that certain medications can cause stomach upset if taken without food, while others argue that food can enhance the absorption of some medicines.
  • It is noted that some medications may be absorbed better without food, and participants emphasize the importance of following prescription instructions regarding food intake.
  • One participant raises the question of whether hormones released when the stomach is fuller contribute to better absorption of medications.
  • There is mention of fat-soluble compounds being better absorbed when taken with food, although this point is repeated by different participants.
  • Some participants discuss the idea of consuming lemon to reduce fat, questioning its relevance to the topic and expressing skepticism about the method.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views regarding the interaction between food and medication absorption, with no clear consensus on the mechanisms involved or the necessity of taking certain medications with food.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the effects of food on medication absorption are not fully substantiated, and there are unresolved questions regarding the physiological processes at play.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals seeking to understand the relationship between food intake and medication effectiveness, as well as those curious about the physiological aspects of drug absorption.

Mk
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Why do I need to take some pills with food or water? Are they too strong for the stomach or something? How? All that hydrochloric acid in there doesn't eat through.
 
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Some medicines will make you feel ill unless taken with food, but will otherwise still work properly. On the other hand, some foods can actually prevent the absorption of some medicines. Some medicines cannot be taken with milk, for example.

- Warren
 
There are two reasons:
1) the medicine can cause a stomach upset if you take it without food.
2) food will make the medicine be absorbed better into the body.

Some medications are absorbed better without food, so you need to follow what the prescription says. One example would be that the medication reacts with something in food, an other example is that the medication has an enteric coating that does not dissolve until it gets into the intestine (the presence of food will make the uptake slower).
 
Are there some hormones released when the stomach is fuller that allow for better absorption?
 
It are the fat-soluble compounds that are better absorped when taken with food.
 
Monique said:
It are the fat-soluble compounds that are better absorped when taken with food.
u can swallore some lemon to reduce fat. I heard some people does it
 
Rotan72 said:
u can swallore some lemon to reduce fat. I heard some people does it
And why would you want to do that?
 
Rotan72 said:
u can swallore some lemon to reduce fat. I heard some people does it
Oh my god! What is your esophagus's diameter!? I can swallow a lot of things but not some lemons!
 
Mk I don't think he ment whole. Lol.

I'm with Monique. Why would you want to do that?

~Kitty
 

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