08/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/29/2024 11:43
Key takeaways:
When combined with certain medications, dairy products can affect how a medication works in or is absorbed by your body. In some cases, this can potentially make the medication less effective.
Common dairy product interactions include certain antibiotics, such as tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, osteoporosis medications, and iron supplements. Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Unithroid), lithium (Lithobid), and HIV medications also interact with dairy products.
Taking these medications with dairy products typically results in lower medication levels in the body. This can make your medication less effective.
Talk with your prescriber or pharmacist to get interaction information about your personal medications.
A fairly common question you might have when picking up a prescription is whether or not you can take it with food. You may be surprised to learn that some oral medications should be separated from calcium-rich dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and ice cream. In some cases, the calcium can bind to the medication and affect how it works in your body. This means they may be less effective than intended.
Just because a medication interacts with dairy products doesn't necessarily mean that you can't ever enjoy a dairy product again. In many cases, you may just need to separate your medication dose from dairy for a certain amount of time to prevent the interaction.
Below, we'll review common oral medications that can interact with dairy products and other calcium-fortified foods. We'll also provide the steps you can take to safely enjoy your favorite dairy treat. Keep in mind that this list isn't comprehensive. So make sure to speak with your prescriber or pharmacist about all your medications.
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Tetracyclines are a class of antibiotics that treat a variety of infections, such as skin infections. They work by preventing bacteria from growing. A few examples of tetracycline antibiotics include:
Tetracycline
Minocycline (Minocin)
Doxycycline (Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin)
Antibiotic interactions are particularly concerning since you're taking the medication to treat an infection. The calcium in dairy can bind to tetracyclines, which affects absorption. If your body isn't absorbing as much of your dose, your infection may not be treated effectively or completely.
Drug-food interactions: Besides dairy, there are several other common foods and drinks that can interfere with medications. Here's a list of drug-food interactions you should know, including bananas, aged cheese, and fruit juices.
Caffeine interactions: Did you know that your morning coffee or energy drink can potentially interact with medications you take? Learn more about caffeine interactions and how to manage them.
Take without food: Some medications work best when you take them without food. Here's a list of medications that should be taken on an empty stomach.
Some tetracyclines are best taken on an empty stomach, while others can be taken with food. Either way, you should avoid consuming dairy products at the same time that you take them. In general, it's a good idea to take oral tetracyclines at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after any dairy products.
Fluoroquinolones are a class of antibiotics that are used to treat respiratory tract and urinary tract infections. They also work by preventing bacteria from growing. A few examples of fluoroquinolones include:
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Moxifloxacin (Avelox)
Much like dairy's interaction with tetracyclines, a similar result happens with fluoroquinolones. Again, this means that your infection may not be treated effectively or completely. This can potentially make the germ harder to treat in future infections.
Dairy products can still be consumed while taking oral fluoroquinolones. Just don't take your dose with dairy on its own (such as a glass of milk). But taking fluoroquinolones with food that contains a small amount of dairy is generally OK. For dairy by itself, it's a good idea to separate it from your fluoroquinolone dose by 2 hours before or after.
Bisphosphonates are a medication class used to help prevent or treat bone loss from conditions such as osteopenia (weakening of bones) and osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones). They work by interfering with the process of the body breaking down bone tissue.
Examples of bisphosphonates include risedronate (Actonel), alendronate (Fosamax), and ibandronate (Boniva). All three medications are available as oral tablets, but ibandronate is also available as an injection.
Food, including dairy products, can interfere with how your body absorbs oral bisphosphonates. When you absorb less of your dose, you may not get as much of a benefit. This can put you at greater risk for bone fractures (broken bones).
To manage this interaction, oral bisphosphonates are typically taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. With alendronate and risedronate, you need to wait at least 30 minutes after taking the medication before consuming any dairy products. With oral ibandronate, you need to wait at least 60 minutes. Dairy isn't an issue with injectable ibandronate.
Some people taking bisphosphonates may be instructed to also take calcium supplements to help with their bone health. As with dairy products, you'll want to separate these supplements from your dose.
Iron is an important mineral that's needed for your red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Most people are able to get enough from their diets. But others may be at risk for their iron levels becoming too low. Examples include those with heavy menstrual cycles or certain underlying conditions.
If you don't have enough iron in your body, it can result in iron-deficiency anemia. In this case, your healthcare team may have you take an iron supplement to help restore your iron levels. Examples of iron supplements include ferrous sulfate and ferrous gluconate.
The calcium in dairy products can prevent you from absorbing as much iron from your dose. That's why it's recommended to wait at least 2 hours after consuming dairy products before taking your iron supplement.
Thyroid hormones help regulate how your body uses energy and can affect nearly every organ. Hypothyroidism is a condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's needs. In this case, you may be prescribed medications to help replace and normalize your thyroid hormone levels.
There are a few medications that can help treat hypothyroidism, including levothyroxine (Synthroid, Unithroid), Armor Thyroid, and liothyronine (Cytomel). Levothyroxine and liothyronine are also available together in one tablet.
All thyroid medications should be taken on an empty stomach. But levothyroxine, in particular, has been shown to interact with dairy, resulting in less of it being absorbed. This means that you may not be getting enough thyroid hormone from your dose. If this happens, you may experience hypothyroidism symptoms, such as fatigue.
Thyroid medications should be taken on an empty stomach - 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast. However, you should wait 4 hours before having calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products.
Lithium (Lithobid) is a medication that treats bipolar disorder. The manufacturer doesn't specifically say to avoid milk or dairy products with lithium. But there are a few considerations to know about.
For example, long-term use of lithium can lead to a buildup of calcium in the body. This can cause health problems if you have too much calcium. This may be worsened if you take calcium supplements or get a large amount of calcium in your diet (such as from dairy products).
What's more, your salt (sodium) intake can affect lithium levels. This is because of how your kidneys remove lithium from your body. Consuming more salt in your diet can lower lithium levels. Some dairy products like cheese may contain high amounts of salt. And some foods (including dairy products) have lithium in them. In these cases, consuming large amounts might have an effect on your body's response to your lithium medication.
Your prescriber will likely be monitoring your lithium levels during treatment. Talk with them if you have questions about consuming dairy products while taking lithium.
The HIV medication dolutegravir (Tivicay, Dovato) can be affected by calcium supplements. The manufacturer has specific recommendations for how to time your dose around them. There isn't information regarding dairy products. However, it may be a good idea to follow the same precautions as with calcium supplements, unless directed otherwise.
If you're taking dolutegravir on an empty stomach, it should be taken 2 hours before or 6 hours after dairy products or calcium supplements. But when dolutegravir is taken with food, supplements or vitamins that contain calcium can be taken at the same time. This is because food increases dolutegravir absorption, counteracting the issues caused by calcium.
Talk to your healthcare team for specific recommendations about dairy products if you take dolutegravir.
Some antibiotics, such as tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, shouldn't be taken with milk or dairy products. But others can be taken with milk or dairy products.
The manufacturers of cefdinir, cephalexin, and azithromycin (Zithromax) don't caution against taking these antibiotics with milk. Similarly, the antibiotics amoxicillin (Amoxil) and Augmentin (amoxicillin / potassium clavulanate) can be taken with milk. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist if you need to avoid dairy products while taking your antibiotic.
Yes, you can take trazodone with milk. Trazodone should be taken shortly after a meal or light snack. This can include dairy products. There's no known risk of taking trazodone with milk or dairy products.
Yes, Tylenol (acetaminophen) can be taken with milk. There aren't any known risks of combining Tylenol with dairy products. Tylenol can be taken with food or on an empty stomach. It should be taken with a full glass of water.
There aren't any significant interactions between prednisone and dairy products. In fact, your healthcare team may recommend taking prednisone with milk (or food) to lessen certain side effects. That said, ice cream may not be the best choice while taking prednisone, especially for people with diabetes.
Prednisone increases your blood glucose (sugar). Adding a sugary food like ice cream on top of that could increase your blood glucose even more. For this reason, it's a good idea to minimize eating ice cream while taking prednisone, especially if you have diabetes.
Dairy products include milk, cheese, and ice cream, among others. These products may be delicious. But they also have the potential to interfere with your medications.
Certain antibiotics, osteoporosis medications, and thyroid medications can interact with dairy products. This is also the case for lithium (Lithobid) and HIV medications. But there may be an option to take these medications and still enjoy your dairy product of choice. You may just need to wait a bit before or after your dose.
Talk with your prescriber or pharmacist to get information about your personal risk for medication interactions. Make sure to share all medications, including vitamins or supplements, that you're taking with them.
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