What Time Should I Take My Medicine?

The instructions provided with prescription medications can be very confusing, especially if you don't read the extra information provided by the pharmacist. When they aren't taken correctly, a lot of problems can develop. Here are a few pointers:

Most pills, particularly if they are "one dose a day" types, should be taken at about the same time every day. It's a good idea to choose a time easy for you to remember. That may be as simple as when you get up in the morning or go to bed at night.

Many medications say that the pills have to be taken either with or without food. With food is easy, but how do you know when to take a medication without food? The answer is usually one hour before a meal or two hours afterwards.

When it comes to those medications that have to be taken with food, the problem that could result is a very upset stomach. Some painkillers and antibiotics head that list, and they don't feel any better coming up than they did going down.

There are a few medications that instruct that you take them at bedtime or on waking. The ones taken at bedtime usually cause drowsiness. That's great…at bedtime, but not if you have to concentrate on something.

If you have a prescription that says to take the medication four times a day, that doesn't necessarily mean every six hours. Instead, divide your wake time up so that you get four taken during the day. If the instructions do mean every six hours, it will usually say so.

A few medications require that you take multiple pills at a time. These also may taper down until the prescription runs out. Others require tapering up until you get to the maintenance level for that medication. These can be some of the most confusing of all.

No medications should be taken with bulk fiber or herbs that coat the stomach, such as licorice. This blocks absorption and you won't be receiving the full benefits of the medication. In most cases, you won't absorb any of it.

If you don't understand what the dosing instructions mean, your pharmacist will be happy to explain them to you. He or she can also help make sure there are no drug interactions. You may want to ask how the medication will affect you while you're at it. This can help if the drug could cause drowsiness.