Many people swallow a tablet or capsule with a single sip of water, or wash it down with whatever is at hand, tea, milk or juice. A health piece in Ei Samay, citing a doctor, says neither habit is good for the body.
The main reason to drink enough water is to help the medicine pass easily down the throat and oesophagus into the stomach. With too little water, a tablet can lodge in the throat or oesophagus, causing discomfort, burning or damage. Enough water may also help absorption, and with medicines that can irritate the stomach it reduces direct contact with the stomach lining.
How much? Dr Rudrajit Pal said: "Drink at least 100 to 150 millilitres of water each time you take a tablet or capsule. If you have to take three or four medicines together, 200 millilitres is safe."
Taking medicine with tea or milk is not right, especially when a doctor or the label does not allow it, and the same goes for juice and other drinks. Some medicines react with food or drink, which can reduce their effect, Dr Pal explained, so medicine should be taken with plain water.
The rule is not the same for everyone. People with kidney problems whose daily fluid intake is limited are better off drinking less water with their medicine, Dr Pal said, or it may do more harm than good. Needs vary with the medicine and the patient, so it is safest to ask a doctor how much water to take.
Photo: M. Cliot, Wellcome Collection / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Source: Ei Samay
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