At some point, we may have been in the situation of having to swallow a tablet “dry” – almost an impossibility. Not only does it almost get stuck in your throat, but depending on the active ingredient, the stomach lining is not particularly pleased to meet the guest so directly. You have to drink to take your medication – not just to make it slide better.
What do I swallow it with?
For many people, a cup of coffee is the first drink in the morning. But is it also suitable for taking your morning medication? Rather not. The tannins contained in coffee can influence the effect of medication. The same applies to the calcium Chemisches Element Ca mit der Ordnungszahl 20, Mineralstoff, der zu den Mengenelementen zählt. Unter den Mineralstoffen ha... contained in milk. Milk also remains in the stomach for quite a long time. However, if you drink a large glass of water, the liquid passes through the stomach towards the small intestine within a very short time. The rapid utilization of water is an advantage, as it accelerates the onset of action of many medications. But this is not the only advantage of drinking a glass of water in the morning. It also helps us to get the day off to a good start. The first fluid boost gets our metabolism going and makes us look fresher.
Surely this should work just as well with a delicious fruit juice? Fruit juice behaves in the same way as milk: the time it remains in the stomach is about twice as long as water, and the medicine takes effect much later than it could if taken with water. Fruit juices can also influence the effect of medication. We particularly advise against taking it at the same time as grapefruit juice. This can greatly increase the effect of some medications, while others become almost ineffective.
You can’t go wrong with a glass of water. Drinking a large glass of water with the medicine prevents the tablet from getting stuck in the esophagus or on the stomach wall. This avoids the unpleasant feeling of dry swallowing and flushes the medication with a neutral solution medium to its destination, where it dissolves and becomes available to the body through the water.
The right time
According to the package leaflet, some medicines should be taken on an empty stomach. This usually means at least half an hour before or two hours after a meal. If you have drunk a glass of water with the medicine, it will pass through the stomach towards the intestines after 30 minutes at the latest. This is where most drugs are absorbed into the bloodstream.
The half-hour gastric passage time of water also applies if the stomach already contains chyme. This mechanism can be used if a tablet that is actually intended to be taken on an empty stomach is accidentally swallowed together or shortly after eating. It helps to drink more, preferably a quarter of a liter of water in small sips. The chyme is diluted and the active ingredient can dissolve in the water and reach the small intestine more quickly.
Sometimes swimming is not enough
Some preparations should be taken just before or with a meal. These are mostly active ingredients that are hardly soluble in water. For example, they need the fats in the chyme to become available to the body. Such medication can be taken with a sip of water, but you should not drink a whole glass to avoid diluting the chyme too much and thus preventing the tablets from dissolving completely.
Water slide not only in summer
When taking medication, it is important to take it with sufficient and appropriate fluids and not to miss the right time. Water always rinses well, it is a neutral and optimal solution medium and is available everywhere. In addition, we do something good for our body with every extra glass of water – and not just in summer.
