Drug Interactions with Food and Beverages

Abstract

In general, for proper administration of medications, patients should follow the label instructions carefully. Some medications should be taken with a full glass of water; some must be taken with food, while others should be taken on an empty stomach. Patients should consult with a physician or pharmacist to determine if there are any foods that should be avoided while taking their medications. Yet for many reasons, patients rarely ask about which foods should be avoided. In some instances, patients will be instructed to take their medication with a particular food or beverage to aid palatability (and hence compliance), minimize local irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, or aid in drug absorption. However, importantly, there are many incidences when the consumption of specific foods in combination with certain medications presents a problem by interfering with the absorption, metabolism, or excretion of these drugs. If these instances go unrecognized, there may be significant divergence of therapeutic drug levels, and hence therapeutic effects and possible drug-related adverse events. This chapter highlights some of the main instances where concomitant ingestion of particular foods or beverages can interfere with medication action and then reviews how a better understanding of these interactions can sometimes be used to aid in patient management.