How long before meals should I take medicine?

Everyone gets sick. After getting sick, everyone needs to take some medicine to relieve the discomfort or pain caused by the disease. However, many people do not pay attention to time and other issues when taking medicine. Although the medicine can still be effective, its effectiveness is often greatly reduced. For example, do you know how long it should be before taking medicine? If you don’t know it now, then come and find out!

How long before meals should I take medicine?

Taking medicine before meals most of the time means taking it on an empty stomach, usually half an hour to an hour before meals. The purpose is to allow the medicine to enter the intestines faster, facilitate intestinal absorption, and reduce the adverse effects of food on its bioavailability. But blood sugar medications are different. For example, fast-acting insulin needs to be injected before meals and then eaten immediately.

Do not eat anything or have a meal immediately after taking the medicine. Eating will not only affect the absorption of the medicine, but may also cause the drug's properties to deteriorate. It is recommended to eat half an hour after taking the medicine.

Some medicines are meant to be taken after meals. Generally, medicines that are taken after meals should be taken about 30 minutes after a meal. This can reduce the irritation of the drug to the gastrointestinal tract and is also beneficial to the absorption and utilization of the drug. meal

How long after a meal should you take the medicine?

Nowadays, medicines are divided into those that can be taken before meals or after meals. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the medicine, it is recommended to read the instructions carefully or consult a doctor to choose the right time to take the medicine, which is beneficial to the stomach and intestines and can also ensure the absorption of the medicine.

Generally speaking, taking medicine on an empty stomach is not exactly the same as taking medicine before meals. Taking medicine on an empty stomach means taking it 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals; completely fasting means taking it on an empty stomach in the early morning; taking medicine before meals generally means taking it half an hour before meals.

Taking medicine on an empty stomach means taking medicine without eating, ensuring that only the medicine goes into the stomach. For example, the time before going to bed at night is far away from dinner and breakfast the next day, so it meets the requirement of "empty stomach"!

Taking medicine before meals does not mean taking it 5 minutes before meals, but at least 15-30 minutes before meals. Because if it's too close to mealtime, it will actually get mixed in the stomach. Many people simply understand before meals as before eating a main meal. In fact, taking medicine after eating snacks is also considered after meals.