Bledidoc Answers

How many hours without food is considered an empty stomach?

All prescription medicines have labels or instructions about how to take them. Some of them should be taken with food and others on an empty stomach.

"Take with food" means the medicine may upset an empty stomach or that food may improve its absorption. In this case, your child should eat a snack or meal right before or after taking the medicine

"Take on an empty stomach," in this case your child should take the medicine 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal because food may prevent the medicine from working properly or may delay or reduce its absorption. Some medicines interact only with certain foods or nutrients, such as dairy products, so be sure to check the label for other instructions.

If you are not sure if your child should eat before taking the medicine, check with your child’s doctor or the pharmacist. ¹

Dr Bassam Ghanem

Pediatrician

¹https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/medication-safety.html

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1 https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/medication-safety.html

¹https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/medication-safety.html