The Risks Posed by Medications While Fasting

• Medications

See below for a list of common medications affected by fasting.

The absorption, metabolism and excretion of many medications are all affected by the types of foods we eat as well as the amount. Some medications are absorbed more rapidly when taken with meals while others are absorbed more slowly. Other medications are absorbed more rapidly with higher amounts of fat in the diet while for others the opposite is true. Even after a medication is absorbed through the digestive tract, the amount of protein present in a person’s blood stream can affect the actual availability of the medication for use by the body. Lastly, fasting may either accelerate or slow down the breakdown and removal of medications as they are metabolized and excreted by pathways affected by the fasting process. For these reasons it is important for people taking medications to ask their physicians if they should temporarily change the way they take their medications during a fast.

In a similar fashion, fasting often temporarily lowers a person’s blood pressure as well as their blood sugar levels. Medications that lower blood pressure or blood sugar may need to be reduced or held during a fast. Again, this decision is one that you must make in conjunction with your physician.