On 8/17/2026 at 8:22 AM, ronnie50 said:

This might already be known to many, but I came across it recently. I've never had a doctor tell me to avoid coffee before taking medications or vitamins. Indeed on the prescription label it usually just says 'take one tablet after breakfast (or a meal)"

Here is a summary from AI on why you need to wait an hour after coffee before taking certain meds and vitamins - or better still to wait an hour after breakfast and meds before drinking coffee (a big ask for many coffee drinkers)

AI Summary

Coffee contains caffeine, tannins, and acids that can bind to nutrients, flush out water-soluble vitamins, or alter how your body absorbs prescription drugs, making them less effective or causing unwanted side effects.

How Coffee Affects Vitamins and Supplements

• Iron: Coffee’s polyphenols and tannins bind to iron and can block up to 90% of its absorption. [1, 2]

• Calcium and Vitamin D: Caffeine decreases calcium absorption in the gut, increases calcium loss in urine, and can interfere with vitamin D receptors. [1, 2, 3]

• B and C Vitamins: Coffee acts as a mild diuretic, which can flush water-soluble vitamins out of your system before your body absorbs them. [1, 2]

How Coffee Affects Medications

• Thyroid Drugs: Coffee can cut the absorption of medications like levothyroxine by more than half. [1]

• Osteoporosis Pills: Taking bone-density drugs with anything other than plain water drastically reduces their uptake. [1]

• Antidepressants & Antipsychotics: Caffeine can change how your liver breaks these down, leading to lower effectiveness or increased jitters and heart palpitations. [1, 2]

• Asthma inhalers or pills: Caffeine adds to nervous jitters and fast heartbeats.

• Stimulant Medicines: Combining coffee with cold or allergy meds containing decongestants can cause a fast heart rate or high blood pressure. [1, 2]

Safe Timing

• Wait 1 to 2 hours: Separate your coffee break from the time you take your vitamins or medicines by at least one to two hours to ensure your body absorbs them properly.

• Use water: Always swallow pills and supplements with a full glass of plain water instead of coffee, tea, or juice.

The primary directive is not to slosh your pills down with java. Most meds require food in the gut, certainly vitamins & minerals do.

Coffee clears the gut in from 20 to 40 minutes due to gut motility, why you have to have a dump after drinking.

On 8/18/2026 at 10:38 AM, ronnie50 said:

Doctors don't tell you about interactions in Thailand, very few even ask what other meds you're on. Do a bit of reseearch next time instead of personal insults. I'm not saying don't drink coffee, neither are the researchers. They are saying don't take them at the same time as certain meds and vitamins. Make your own enquiry with the Dr,

Sources:

https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2025/06/10-medications-that-dont-mix-well-with-coffee

https://www.health.com/medications-to-not-mix-with-coffee-7561446

https://www.victorchang.edu.au/blog/coffee-caffeine-and-heart-disease

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/rethinking-your-morning-coffee

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18094346/

https://www.facebook.com/OSUWexnerMedicalCenter/posts/taking-your-vitamins-with-your-morning-coffee-you-might-be-washing-away-their-be/1443304797824826/

Web infor on interactions is very comprehensive. It's unlikely your doc can be aware of all of them. Do your own research.

Fun fact. I have marginally high blood pressure (140 systolic). I got a doc's prescription. Tadalafil, aka Cialis. It's expensive, about B3500/month. But sounds like fun, eh!

On 8/18/2026 at 12:09 PM, wavodavo said:

Who in their right mind would follow the medical advice of AI ? The information that you get out of it is only as good as what is put in it so how can you trust it for something like medical recommendations ? What if a genius like RFK was working in the data centre and was enlighting AI about medical topics from his vast knowledge in that field. Would you make crucial health decisions based on AI ?..I wouldn't. All you gotta do is follow the instructions on the Dr's prescription.

After surgery a year ago, I was on antibiotics and I have been an Aspirin user for 2 decades, after the surgery (antibiotics) I started felling nauseas and bloating for months, the Dr had no idea why.

I saw a Dermatologist to have a mole removed and the area where the stiches were got infected, so he put me on antibiotics for 5 days which made my nausea and bloating worse.

I saw a Gastroenterologist who did a blood check on my kidneys, liver and checked also for parasites, then an ultrasound, (cha ching). He then said we can do an endoscopy and a colonoscopy but I declined and he gave me some medications which didn't help, e.g. nausea pills, ect.

I then had a tooth extraction and the root had broken off, so they had to remove the root and there was bacteria in the jaw under the tooth and once again, antibiotics given which made my nausea and bloating worse.

Suffice to say it's been a rough year, but no one except AI said maybe all the antibiotics you have been taking and the Aspirin you have been taking for 2 decades have irritated your stomach lining and you should take some over the counter PPI'S, proton pump inhibitors one hour before breakfast to stop the amount of acid spewing into your gut and making your nausea worse when you take your Aspirin, only AI did.

I saw a Cardiologist before I went onto them, he said, yes definitely the antibiotics with the long term Aspiring use for my stent, he ordered a blood check on my kidneys, all good, he prescribed my nausea pills, stomach soreness pills and some sleeping pills for the tooth extraction as the pain was beyond comprehension, no mention of PPI's, but when I asked if I could go onto them, he said, yes and I showed him what I bought at the chemist for 50 baht (14 of them in the pack), yes take them and see me in a week, a week later, stomach fine, although I do get some nausea occasionally when I go off the bland food diet that AI provided me with, so it's been a hell of a year, and yes you are correct, AI is limited and can change it's mind depending on what you ask, but so far, it has been a bigger help to me than 3 doctors/specialists in my opinion and they were at a private hospital.

Long term Aspirin use irritates your stomach lining, and go hand in hand these days with PPI's if you have a new stent, looks like I fell between the cracks, because all the Dr's asked me what meds I was on, and not one of them said, what PPI are you taking, which I believe has sorted me.

A lot of unnecessary suffering on my part if you ask me, and yes I am a big fan of AI, however tread with caution, to think I was having some nausea the other day in a shopping center because I had some chocolate the night before and it said eat some bananas and the nausea went.

Anyways, that's my take on AI.