MILK AND DRUG ABSORPTION The questions below were raised by visitors to the STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print) website in the AskST section of the website. eMenders doctors provided the answers to the questions raised as a public health education project. The information provided below is of a general nature and should not be treated as a replacement for medical advice. You should seek consultation from a medical or healthcare professional about your specific medical condition.
Question:
Will drinking milk after taking medicine "neutralise" the effect of the medicine?
Answer:
Drinking milk increases the time it takes for a drug to leave the stomach and be absorbed in the small intestine. This is usually not an issue if the drug is supposed to be digested slowly but would be an issue if the drug is supposed to be digested rapidly.
Whole milk increases the delay due to a higher fat content. Non-fat milk has less of an effect. Certain antibiotics, such as tetracyclines and doxycycline, also exhibit reduced rates of absorption if taken together with milk. Both antibiotics are used as anti-malarial drugs in combination with quinine.
Milk also inhibits iron absorption. However, milk remains one of the most readily available sources of calcium, which itself is critical for increasing bone tensile strength and preventing osteoporosis. Overall, the benefits of milk outweigh its nominal inhibition of iron absorption.
Some pills and supplements should thus be taken on an empty stomach to accelerate the absorption process. You should read and follow instructions from your doctor and/or pharmacist to enable the medication to work in the most effective manner.
DR. LEE BEE WAH is a Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Paediatric Immunologist/Allergist at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, an Adjunct Associate Professor (Department of Paediatrics) at the National University of Singapore, and a Visiting Senior Consultant Paediatrician (Children’s Medical Centre) at the National University Hospital.