Take with food
Some medications should be taken with food. Depending on the medication, there are different reasons for this: the medication is absorbed into the body better if there is food in the stomach (e.g., calcium, nelfinavir, sertraline) the medication can cause stomach upset, and food can help prevent this (e.g., dexamethasone, diclofenac, carbamazepine) the medication is […]
Take on an empty stomach
Some medications should be taken on an empty stomach. This is usually because food prevents the medication from being fully absorbed into the body. Medications that should be taken on an empty stomach include: ampicillin bisacodyl cloxacillin didanosine etidronate risedronate sotalol sucralfate tetracycline zafirlukast A number of other medications should also be taken on an […]
Do not take with dairy products, antacids, or iron preparations
Dairy products, antacids, and iron preparations prevent some medications from being properly absorbed into the body. If the medication is not properly absorbed, it may be less effective. Medications that are affected this way include: certain antibiotics (e.g., tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin) certain medications used to treat osteoporosis (e.g., alendronate, etidronate, risedronate) Other medications may also […]
May cause drowsiness
Drowsiness, or feeling abnormally sleepy, is a common side effect of many medications. Drowsiness can affect your ability to drive, operate machinery, or do other things that require alertness. It affects some people more than others. A variety of different medications can cause drowsiness, including: narcotics used to relieve pain (e.g., codeine, morphine) certain antianxiety […]
Take with plenty of water
Certain medications need to be taken with plenty of water. Depending on the medication, there are different reasons for this: the medication could cause you to become dehydrated (e.g., lithium) the medication could damage the kidneys or lead to kidney stones if too much of it reached the kidney at the same time (e.g., cotrimoxazole, […]