When a medication has to be taken with food - what constitutes "food"?

[HurdyGurdy19]

I've got new medication (Naproxen) which has to be "taken with food". Does that mean a full meal? Or does, for example, something as small as a rice cake count?

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Anything kitkat sized or more! You don’t need a full on meal just something in your stomach.

I wouldn’t say it has to be a meal, but something substantial that coats your stomach, as the risk is acid reflux. You’ll be more likely to avoid it if it’s taken with a good bit of food. Since you eat 3 meals a day, at least, I would time your doses to coincide with mealtimes or just after (food stays in your stomach 2-4 hours after eating). I used to have to take tablets on an empty stomach and I timed my meals every day around the every 12 hours I had to take them. It just takes a bit of getting used to to start.

When I've been really ill with no appetite, I've taken antibiotics with a couple of plain biscuits like rich tea.

A biscuit or slice of toast is fine

I have medication that has to be taken after food, I'm not a breakfast person but had to adapt, I take mine after an Arla protein yogurt & an Actimel.

envious as Naproxen was great for my joint pain, but I can't take it now due to other medication😢

I take mine for migraines. If.my heads really bad, I don't feel like eating so this is such a pain but I normally make myself eat a couple of crackers with it and that usually does the trick - assuming I have eaten fairly recently. I did take them once with just one cracker as well I could manage and had hardly eaten all day with the nausea and I did get acid so I really try and force them down now!

When I was prescribed naproxen, I was prescribed omeprazole to protect my stomach from it

Dh had naproxen and found he definitely needed more than a biscuit sized snack. Something like a piece of toast would be OK but like PP, he also had anti reflux tablets of some sort to go with them.

I wouldn’t worry too much if you are only taking the tablets very occasionally. If you are going to be taking them long term then do what you can to prevent stomach ulcers occurring. If that’s a risk you will have been prescribed a PPI like omeprazol to take with it and even then take it with a meal not just a biscuit.

Have you been prescribed a stomach protector like omeprazole? If not, you absolutely should have been!

Thank you.

I have been prescribed these as I am having a flare up of rheumatoid arthritis, and no over the counter medicines were touching it. I am due to have,my Rituximab infusions this month, which will leave me symptom free again, thank goodness, but I haven't had the dates from the hospital yet.

I am already taking Lansosprazol, so hopefully, no reflux will occur with the Naproxen.

I can take the evening one with our meal, but it's the morning one I have an issue with, as I don't eat until around 11-11:30am.

I will try a slice of toast and hope that's enough.

Thank you 😊

Milk if you can drink it cold, or have a frothy coffee latte. But any food will be fine.

I’m back again with another piece of advice. I read one of those newspaper columns written by a doctor which recommended taking your PPI 20mins before your naproxen to give it time to protect the stomach. Seemed to make sense to me.

Ohhhh, thank you for that snippet, I'll set another alarm on my phone to remind me to take it early 😊

I have Rituximab infusions too (for RA) and was told by my Rheumatologist not to have Naproxen, as it can mask the symptoms of a fever.

When I’m on the count down to having an infusion, the last month to 6 weeks are horrible and I usually end up getting Oramorph and take it with my Zapain to take the edge off.

Thank you @HelpMeGetThrough . I will try and contact the rheumatology team this morning, and find out if I should keep taking them (they're not doing very much to ease the pain anyway) and also find out when I will be having the infusions.

I found that eating a portion of yoghurt prior to taking Naproxen meant I don't have to take the anti-reflux medication.

I don't understand the risk of masking a fever? I take naproxen alongside methotrexate and I'm fine.

interesting, I don't have yoghurts because they tend to make my acid reflux occur.

I used to take it along side MTX too. For me, I’m doing what I’m told by the Rheumatologist. I’m not too upset as Naproxen used to back me up something awful.

I’m not sure I understand what you mean. I know PPIs are used to treat acid reflux but they are being used for a different purpose here. Naproxen inhibits the stomach from producing a mucus which protects it from its own stomach acid. The PPI is there to protect the stomach from developing ulcers ie to take the role of that absent protective mucus.

A scotch egg