Don’t Take These Medications In The Morning
Different pills on different hours of an analog clock (Dreamstime)
Don’t Take These Medications In The Morning
The time of day you take your medications is important, say experts. This time may differ depending on what you are taking, but to reap the maximum benefits of the medication, and avoid negative side effects, it is vital to get it right. When you are prescribed a new medicine, always ask your physician the best time to take it, and if it should be taken with food.
According to Eat This, Not That!, there are five classes of medications to avoid taking in the morning. But always check with your healthcare provider to make sure this advice works for you.
Muscle relaxants. Medication that relaxes muscles, such as cyclobenzaprine and methocarbamol, can cause drowsiness and could lead to falls, dry mouth, and constipation. These medications are best taken at bedtime.
Kava. This herbal remedy may help relieve anxiety and stress, and promote sleep. “Kava is a supplement often used for its anxiolytic effects,” says Nima Majlesi, director of medical toxicology at Staten Island University. “Unfortunately, sedation and trouble focusing can be a problem with its use. Avoid taking it in the morning. It is better taken before bedtime.”
Anti-hypertensives. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers to treat high blood pressure are better off taken in the evening to boost cardiovascular benefits and avoid fatigue, one of the potential side effects of these drugs. ACE inhibitors are also best taken at bedtime, says Dr. Junwei Liu, an internal medicine physician at Aurora Wilkinson Medical Center in Summit, Wisconsin, as this timing helps reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Cholesterol medication. Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are better taken at night, says Liu. Statin medications slow your body’s production of cholesterol, so when you haven’t eaten in a while or are sleeping, cholesterol production ramps up. Liu says that some of the new medications to lower cholesterol are longer lasting, so it is less important to take them at night.
Allergy drugs. “Generally, most of these will make people drowsy,” says Majlesi. “Taking them before bedtime makes sense to avoid many of the unwanted side effects during the day.”
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