Treatment of diseases with medications has long become commonplace. When we habitually pop a pill into our mouth for a headache, heaviness in the stomach or cough, we don’t always think about how to take the pill correctly depending on the meal, what to take with it, and what to combine it with in order to get the desired effect quickly and without side effects.
What should you pay attention to?
Each medicine comes with a leaflet that clearly states how to take the medicine. If the tablets are prescribed by a doctor, then a specialist will give similar recommendations.
However, hand on heart, we can say that in the case of self-medication, the instructions are not always read and followed.
What should you pay attention to?
- Number of medication doses per day - frequency;
- Dependence of treatment on food intake;
- Compatibility with other drugs;
- The need to take pills, what and in what quantities;
- Method of taking the medicine
Number of doses and what time is best to take the pills
This rule applies to drugs that are taken not once to get rid of a symptom, but in a course, for example, antibiotics, antifungals, vitamins, immunomodulators, and so on.
The main goal of treatment is to maintain the concentration of the drug in the body necessary to achieve the effect. Therefore, you need to take tablets at regular intervals, including at night, if required. Through which ones the instructions will tell you:
- Two doses - every twelve hours;
- Three doses - every eight hours, regardless of the time of day;
- Quadruple - a break of six hours between doses, and so on
Regardless of how many times a day you need to take pills, you should do it at the same time.
The time for taking medications can be selected as conveniently as possible, starting from the first tablet.
A common mistake is to refuse medication after relief of the condition.
You should know that if the course is designed for 7 days, then you need to take the pills for a week, even if the disease does not bother you at all.
The pathogenic flora against which the action is directed will not be completely destroyed in 3-4 days, however, it will not only survive, but will also develop its own immunity against a specific drug.
And next time it will not be effective, there will be a need to use stronger drugs.
How to take pills - before or after meals?
Modern pharmacology offers tablets that act:
- Regardless of meals
- On an empty stomach, before meals
- On a full stomach, after or during meals
These points seem unimportant at first glance, but the effectiveness of treatment depends on them:
- pills that can be taken without connection with food do not raise any questions, they are taken at the appointed time;
- The tablets are taken on an empty stomach before meals. In some cases, it is enough not to eat any food (including candy, fruits, vegetables, sweets) for half an hour to two hours, in others it is important that the patient does not eat anything at all the day before taking the medicine. We are talking about tablets that are destroyed in an acidic environment under the influence of gastric juice. Therefore, it is important that the stomach is empty.
- take enzymes and drugs that improve digestion during meals;
- After eating, on the contrary, it is recommended to take medications that affect the gastric mucosa; sorbents.
Compatibility with other drugs
This point is always indicated in the instructions, but attention is not always paid to it. The recommendations did not arise out of nowhere; some of the medications can enhance or reduce (neutralize) the effects of each other, enter into chemical interactions, and, among other things, form toxic substances.
- Acetylsalicylic acid combined with wafarin can cause heavy bleeding, since both have a blood thinning effect;
- Taking diuretics and antihypertensive drugs can provoke a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
- Taking phenobarbital as a sedative negates the effect of medications that affect blood clotting;
- Caffeine neutralizes the effect of certain substances and reduces the harm caused by paracetamol;
- Antibiotics should be combined with other medications with caution (for example, with long-term use of antihypertensive drugs)
What should I take with my medications?
What is the best way to take pills? Some people believe that water or other liquid is needed only to facilitate the penetration of medicine into the stomach, and therefore you can use what you have on hand.
Food products and drinks can interact chemically with drugs, changing the effect on the body:
- Acid in dairy products and fruits destroys tetracycline;
- Acetylsalicylic acid cannot be combined with orange and grapefruit juice;
- Do not take heart medications (verapamil, nifedepine) with grapefruit juice;
- Nootropics and psychotropic substances require avoiding heavy cream, beer, wine, cheese;
- Taking antidepressants cannot be combined with raisins, yoghurts, cheese, and eggplants;
- Alcohol in combination with antibiotics can cause skin flushing, nausea, tachycardia, and reduce or enhance the effect of the drug;
- It is not recommended to drink coffee and cola with stomach medications and antibiotics; the result will be upset stool, pain, and diarrhea;
- Analgin and ibuprofen enhance the effect of alcoholic drinks and slow down their elimination from the body;
- Alcohol and antidepressants, sleeping pills, antihistamines are not compatible! Concomitant use can be fatal;
- It is not recommended to drink tea with oral contraceptives (increases the likelihood of unwanted pregnancy), heart and stomach medications, antidepressants and sedatives;
- It is strongly recommended to take certain medications with milk.
What tablets are taken with milk?
- Calcium gluconate
- Vitamins
- Heart medications
- Indomethacin
- Iodine preparations
- Fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K, D)
In other cases, it is better not to experiment. Water-soluble vitamins - B 6, C, K and others are washed down with water.
- It is generally not recommended to get carried away with sweet carbonated water; when taking medications, it should not be taken with antibiotics, diuretics, or medications to improve digestion;
- Do not take antibiotics with milk and kefir, since the absorption rate and effectiveness of the effect are reduced;
- Erythromycin, aspirin, biseptol, analgin, tetracycline are washed down with alkaline mineral water;
Is it possible to take tablets with holy water?
This is a matter of personal attitude and a person’s Faith; holy water will not cause harm, just like ordinary boiled water.
Amount of water
The amount of liquid in some cases is of fundamental importance. For example, a valerian tablet can be taken with two sips of water, and mucaltin requires at least a glass.
The instruction to “drink plenty of water” should be taken literally.
Taking medications correctly will bring benefits, while violating the instructions leads to unpleasant and dangerous consequences.
Now you know why tablets are taken with water if there are no special recommendations on how to relate them to meals and combine them with each other.
