Medication

[Bazile]

Instructions says take tablet four times daily on an empty stomach or one hour before food.

 

1. When is stomach considered to be empty ?

Can I take  the medicationan on an empty stomach and then eat straightaway ?

 

2. If i take a tablet at say 0900 hrs and wait for the hour then have something to eat ,do I then wait for AT LEAST one hour before taking the next tablet ?

 

[ToraToraTora]

when you are hungry take it then wait an hour.

[THECORBYLOON]

From the NHS, 

"As a general rule, medicines that are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach should be taken about an hour before a meal, or 2 hours after a meal.

Forgetting these instructions on rare occasions is unlikely to do any harm, but taking these medicines with food regularly may mean they don't work."

[chelle7272]

s a general rule, medicines that are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach should be taken about an hour before a meal, or 2 hours after a meal.

Forgetting these instructions on rare occasions is unlikely to do any harm, but taking these medicines with food regularly may mean they don't work.

 

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/medicines/why-must-some-medicines-be-taken-on-an-empty-stomach/#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20medicines,mean%20they%20don't%20work.

[ToraToraTora]

"Instructions says take tablet four times daily on an empty stomach or one hour before food" - I don't see how that statement is leaving you confused.

[Ellipsis]

When is stomach considered to be empty ?

If it's been at least two hours since you've ate.

Can I take  the medicationan on an empty stomach and then eat straightaway ?

No, you should wait at least an hour.

If i take a tablet at say 0900 hrs and wait for the hour then have something to eat ,do I then wait for AT LEAST one hour before taking the next tablet ?

Assuming that the next tablet is supposed to be on an empty stomach, you should wait at least TWO hours before taking the next tablet. 

[Bazile]

Shouldn't the instructions therefore be -

on an empty stomach 'AND' an hour before food

Instead of -

On an empty stomach 'OR' an hour before food 

 

[Ellipsis]

Yes, maybe. The idea is that you have nothing in your stomach while the drugs are going into your bloodstream. If you ate soon after, it would be the same as if you'd eaten just before. You need an hour to make sure the drugs have gone into your bloodstream effectively.

[jno]

it can be kind of awkward trying to build a 4-a-day pill regime round a 3-a-day meal regime; you might need to sit down with a  pencil and try to set a timetable.

[Ellipsis]

This might be one regime:

Drugs at 7am

Breakfast at 8am

Drugs at 11am

Lunch at 12:30pm

Drugs at 3pm

Snack at 4:30pm

Drugs at 7pm

Small Dinner at 8pm

[Bazile]

Thanks all

[jno]

could be, Ellipsis, but it gives a 12-hour break between meals, and a 12-hour gap between drugs too: you could compress it to an 8-hour gap, to allow for a good night's rest, as long as you don't literally need the pills every six hours.