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Budesonide (Entocort) with food?

I'm on budesonide and the info leaflet tells you to take the capsules half an hour to an hour before food. My GI consultant tells me it's OK to take them with food (which is a lot more convenient at breakfast time). I'm confused - why do the manufacturers tell you to take them a while before you eat? Anybody know?
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
The reason why the label recommends an empty stomach is that it is important that the pill get a good dose of stomach acid to prevent it from releasing too soon. These forms of medicine that release and become active at various parts of the gut control the process chemically via pH. Some forms of budesonide are protected from releasing too soon by low (acidic) pH. If the pH is too high the medicine could release early and not be very effective.

Thus, the label is taking a conservative approach and maximizing the chances of proper release by keeping food, which could make the pH of the stomach less certain, out of the equation. Your doc apparently regards this as a minor concern. He may be right, but I always do everything I can to give my medicines the best chance possible to work.

When I took budesonide I took the pills immediately after getting up in the morning. This gave them about 30 minutes in the empty stomach while I showered and got dressed and went down to breakfast.
 
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Thanks for that info, it's really useful to understand the reasoning behind the instructions. I shall start to try and have my capsules before I do anything else in the morning, then, though a glass of cold water is horrible on an empty stomach! Is it OK to drink tea (with oatmilk) sooner than eating food, or does the same thing apply?
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
I really don't know about tea and oatmilk. I don't know what they do to the pH of your stomach. Maybe orange juice would be better, since it is already acidic itself. But don't use grapefruit juice since grapefruits have a chemical that interferes with the metabolism of many drugs, including budesonide.
 
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