What Medications Should Be Taken With Food?

Some medications work best when taken with food, while others are more effective on an empty stomach. Knowing the difference matters, as taking medicine the wrong way can reduce its effectiveness or increase side effects. This guide explains which common medications should be taken with meals and why following your prescription label is so important.

Why Some Medications Should Be Taken With Food

Taking certain medicines with food can help reduce side effects like nausea, improve the medicine's absorption through increased blood flow, and/or protect the stomach lining from irritation by acting as a buffer. 

For example, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen with food or milk can reduce the risk of nausea and protect the stomach lining. There are certain cancer drugs to take with food because they are absorbed better and cause fewer side effects.

Note: The presence of food in the stomach can reduce the absorption of some drugs and lead to reduced bioavailability. Always check the instructions that came with your medicine and take it as directed, either with food or on an empty stomach.

What Medications Should Be Taken With Food?

Some of the types of medications to take with food include:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 

Taking NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen on an empty stomach can irritate the stomach lining, causing GI side effects like peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, and colitis (inflammation in the stomach and large intestine), gastrointestinal bleeding, disruption of the gut microbiome, and decreased blood flow to the gut.

Food or milk in the stomach acts as a buffer and lowers the risk of these gastrointestinal side effects.

2. Corticosteroids 

Steroid medications such as prednisone and dexamethasone should be taken with food as they can irritate the lining of the stomach. Taking these medicines on an empty stomach increases the risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as gastritis (stomach inflammation), stomach ulcers, and GI bleeding. 

Unless your doctor or pharmacist has given you different instructions, it’s best to take prednisone as a single dose in the morning after breakfast. If you need to take prednisone more than once a day, be sure to eat something with the other doses as well.

3. Some Antibiotics

Food does not affect the absorption of amoxicillin, so you may take this antibiotic with or without food. However, some people report that taking amoxicillin before a meal or snack can help reduce gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, and an upset stomach.

On the other hand, if you’re prescribed a combination of amoxicillin and Augmentin (clavulanate potassium), it is advised that you take it with food for maximum absorption. 

Other antibiotics that should be taken with food include:

• Cefpodoxime

• Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

• Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid) 

4. Diabetes Medications

Sulfonylureas (glipizide, gliclazide, glibenclamide, and glimepiride) are prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to reduce blood sugar levels. Take these medicines around 30 minutes before a meal to avoid the risk of significant hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). 

Other medications used to treat type 2 diabetes, such as acarbose, should be taken as soon as food enters the stomach (with the first bite of a main meal) to maximize effectiveness. 

Metformin, a widely studied and prescribed diabetes medicine, should be taken with meals to reduce stomach and bowel side effects.

5. Certain Antifungals

Medications used to treat oral thrush or mouth ulcers, such as miconazole gel or liquid nystatin, should be used after meals. Taking them before meals can make the medicine ineffective because eating food washes the medicine away. 

Always read the prescription label for specific instructions. For example, consider the oral suspension of the antifungal medication posaconazole, which is high in fat content. A high-fat meal increases the absorption of the drug from the stomach and small intestine into the systemic circulation after oral administration. On the other hand, posaconazole oral tablets are fine with or without food.

6. Antacids

Antacids treat acid reflux. You should take antacids with food or shortly after eating, as this is when symptoms of heartburn are most likely to occur. 

7. Gout Medications

Medicines such as allopurinol that treat gout should be taken with or after meals to avoid an upset stomach. It’s also important to drink plenty of fluids while on this medicine to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

8. Enzyme Supplements

People with chronic pancreatitis often take enzyme supplements, such as Creon and Pancreaze, among others. These supplements are best taken with meals because they help the body process the meal. 

9. Bromocriptine

Bromocriptine is used to treat some types of menstrual problems, infertility, and abnormal milk production. Taking it with food can help to lessen nausea.

10. HIV Medications

Certain medicines used to treat HIV, such as ritonavir, should be taken with meals because food allows the body to absorb the medicine better. 

11. Dietary Supplements 

Certain supplements, such as iron, potassium, and fat-soluble vitamins, should be taken with food to ensure optimal absorption. 

While iron supplements are absorbed better on an empty stomach, taking them with food can reduce side effects such as stomach upset. 

Similarly, taking potassium supplements with food or immediately after a meal can lessen stomach upset and diarrhea (laxative effects). Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) are absorbed best when eaten with a high-fat meal.

Risks of Skipping Food With These Medications

Increased Side Effects

As mentioned, food acts as a buffer and prevents medicines from irritating the gut lining. Taking certain medicines on an empty stomach can therefore lead to more severe gastrointestinal adverse effects such as nausea, stomach pain, heartburn, and upset stomach.

Reduced Effectiveness

Some medicines are less effective when taken in a fasting state. Food helps the body absorb these medicines.

Long-Term Risks 

Long-term use of certain medications can have serious side effects. For example, an increased risk of GI bleeding with NSAIDs and steroids. Taking these medicines on an empty stomach increases these risks. 

Tips For Safely Taking Medications With Food

Eat a Light Snack

Unless the instructions specify the amount of food, a snack or light meal is often acceptable when taking medication with food, such as a few crackers, some applesauce, a sandwich, a granola bar, or some yogurt. 

In terms of beverages, take your medicine with water or milk as recommended by your healthcare professional. Avoid alcohol intake and citrus juices as they can cause stomach irritation.

Timing Matters

Your doctor may provide you with specific instructions on timing your medication to avoid a food-drug interaction. Follow these instructions carefully to get maximum benefits.

Drug-Drug Interactions

Potential interactions between two medicines can also put you at risk of serious side effects. For example, taking steroids and NSAIDs together puts you at a significantly higher risk of GI adverse effects compared to either drug alone. 

Provide your doctor and pharmacist with a complete list of all your medications, including prescription, over-the-counter, dietary, and herbal supplements, to minimize the risk of drug-drug and herb-drug interactions.

Food-Drug Interactions

Your health professional may give you specific instructions to avoid certain foods and beverages while on a particular medicine. 

For example, eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while on certain medicines can increase the risk of adverse events. Eating green leafy vegetables with a high vitamin K content can lead to an increased risk of bleeding in people on warfarin therapy. Combining drugs called monoamine oxidase inhibitors with foods high in tyramine can lead to dangerously high blood pressure.

Check Labels Carefully

Read the prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s not clear whether to take a medicine with or without food. 

Remember, even medications from the same class of drugs may need to be taken differently, some with food and others without food. For example, statin medications - lovastatin is better absorbed with food, rosuvastatin is better absorbed without food, and other statins, such as pravastatin, simvastatin, and fluvastatin, work well with or without food.