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Timing of Medicines

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Eve | 21:37 Sun 14th Oct 2012 | Health & Fitness
9 Answers
Hopefully someone on here with some medical knowledge like Sqad might be able to help.

I am on a number of medications and am trying to space them out so things are taken at the right time and don't interact with each other. My main issue is cholastagel I take for bile acid malabsorption as I've read it can interfere with the taking of other medications around 4 hours either side and I'm supposed to take it before each meal, problematic too as I take steroids after food.

Other meds I take are: Pregabalin twice a day, first thing and before bed, Omeprazole once a day, Codydramol when needed, Citalopram once a day - am trying earlier for this one rather than before bed, prednisolone one dose a day (am tapering down so less weekly), betahistines 3 x a day, stemetil when needed, an antihistamine (first thing) and will be going on methotrexate shortly.

Am also on and off vitamin D supplements when my level goes low and often on antibiotics for infections. Other stuff isn't oral (symbicort, carmellose, lacrilube and flixonase).

Are there any of the oral medicines which wouldn't be affected being taken with or within a shorter time period than 4 hours either side as it would make my meds a lot easier to space? I really need to get my doses of the cholastagel up (consultant advice) but finding it difficult when I need to take other meds but am then suffering from the effects of the malabsorption getting worse (it's been a lot worse since I had my gallbladder out) and, without going into detail, have been having a few accidents.

Any help welcome, will speak to my GP about it when she gets in touch, hopefully this week, to sort the methotrexate but thought it'd be good to get an idea in advance and have more of a knowledgeable approach to what to take when for the best results.
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Not sure if sqad is about, but if you don't get advice on here, then go and see your local pharmacist - you can book a session with them and they will help you work out a daily plan.
agree with boxtops.

what dosage of citalopram are you taking?
citalopram and other ssri's should always be taken in the morning.
I take mine in the morning and also agree your local pharmacist will help you draw up a daily regime.
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Jenna! jenna! oh I dear....the same old problem..."I have read"...."does it interact?".....should it be with food?"

You know how I feel about interactions and the reading of "instruction slips.

ALL you other drugs can be taken at the same time

In 90% of cases, it matters not one jot when and how you take drugs as the body is pretty good at dealing with any "mishaps"....but i will answer your question.


Cholastagel......no big deal.....just take it WITH your food ...your malabsorption "may" be a problem, but blood tests will monitor it's effect.

ALL the other drugs that you take, can be taken at the same time with a glass of water or just around meal time.

As long as you don't take diuretics last thing at night, then your body is worrying about drug therapy much less than you seem to be.
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Ahh yay, thank all and good morning from a bumpy bus in a rather miserable Manchester, thank goodness for the superhuge Starbucks I have just got for part 2 of my journey to work.

Good to know as kept hearing stuff about not taking things within 4 hours either side which is a major pain with meds mounting up, esp ones like steroids.

Loving the pregabalin, made a big difference! Managed to get some pretty much pain free days at work fibro wise which is just such a relief!

The eye meds are brilliant too, don't think I realised how dry my eyes were, big difference :)
Question Author
20mg Ronnie, sorry, on my phone on the bus so think I will getedsm from big Boots next time and see if I can sit down with a pharmacist. Have switched the citalopram to earlier now after ny other thread, so grateful for that advice.
Cholastagel is recognised for being troublesome to take if taking with other medicines. For this reason, it can be given just once a day. Please speak to your GP about getting your dosage adjusted to this and it should help your problem.

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