You start your day with a hot cup of coffee and go to the bathroom like most Americans. This is a common caffeine effect.
Coffee may stimulate your stomach, speeding up digestion, according to research.1 Your morning coffee may interact with drugs and slow their absorption into your system.
That implies drinking coffee with your prescription may affect its efficacy. In 2020, researchers examined how coffee affects many drugs. Coffee “significantly affects the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of many drugs.”
Medication for osteoporosis
Your bones become weak and fragile with osteoporosis, increasing your risk of breakage. Women, especially postmenopausal women, experience osteoporosis in millions.
Because coffee reduces the efficacy of osteoporosis drugs like risedronate and ibandronate, they should not be taken together. Take these drugs before eating or drinking and wash them down with water. Thus, your body will maximize drug absorption. Coffee can impair the efficacy of some drugs by more than half.
Antidepressants
One in 10 youths and adults take antidepressants daily, per the CDC. They are the most prescribed medications for 20- and 30-year-olds, and their use has skyrocketed in recent decades. They can treat depression, a mood condition that affects mood and function.
Coffee affects how your body uses antidepressants. Coffee can alter the metabolism of fluvoxamine, amitriptyline, escitalopram, and imipramine, especially in significant concentrations. Coffee reduces drug absorption.
In instance, fluvoxamine increases coffee adverse effects, according to studies. This can cause heart palpitations and sleeplessness. Take your prescription and avoid coffee for a time.
Antipsychotic Drugs
Antipsychotics aid schizophrenia, mania, major depressive disorder, and other mental health conditions. Four million Americans take these drugs annually. Antipsychotics block brain receptors or neurotransmitters.
Psychosis medications include phenothiazine, clozapine, haloperidol, and olanzapine. If you wait until morning to drink coffee, your body absorbs less drugs. Coffee alters the metabolism of many of these drugs, according to research. Instead of coffee, take your prescription with water for maximum impact.
Blood Pressure Drug
Tens of millions of Americans have uncontrolled hypertension, according to the CDC. Hypertension raises heart disease and stroke risk. A widespread, quiet disease, it rarely shows symptoms.
Many patients use blood pressure drugs like verapamil or propranolol, which reduce the heart rate. That makes your heart work less to pump blood to all your cells.
However, drinking coffee while taking blood pressure drugs like felodipine may reduce absorption. The drug may not work as well. Discuss pill and morning cup timing with your doctor.
Melatonin
Melatonin, a hormone produced by the body, induces sleep. The hormone tells your brain to relax when the sun sets. Melatonin supplements are sold OTC as a sleep aid.
Coffee, however, awakens you. Melatonin works the opposite of coffee caffeine. It can keep you awake and make falling asleep difficult. Coffee reduces melatonin production and efficacy. Melatonin with coffee may cancel one other out.
When To See A Doctor
If you take any of these medications, especially if they’re indicated to be taken in the morning, wait your first cup of coffee.
If you take many medications, talk to your doctor about balancing coffee and drugs. Your doctor can help you manage side effects include restlessness, jitteriness, and insomnia.
