Currently, I’m on Abiraterone. Typically I take it when I wake up in the night to urinate, usually around 2 AM. That easily fulfills the requirements not to eat anything 2 hours before taking it and not consume anything for 1 hour after taking it. I immediately go back to bed.
Does anyone have any insight as to whether laying down immediately after taking the Abi, or any med for that matter, has any significant impact on how the meds are absorbed into my body?
Hi Fire. I have researched this matter and what I learned is that there is a little bit of research on this. So what I'm sharing here is not my opinion but based on some reasonable reading.
As you know your stomach is slightly asymmetrical. Apparently if you lie down on your right side absorption of meds is fine. If you lie down on your left side absorption may not be so great. I'm not sure about lying on your back or your stomach. So I guess if you can guarantee that you're going to lie on your right side you'll be fine! 😂
You can imagine how this works in terms of how something ingested enters the upper left have your stomach and exits the lower right.
Your question is it really good one and for me I have decided only to take my meds in an upright position. So when I wake up the first thing I do is take my Abiraterone (and also methylphenidate AKA ritalin, and calcium - apparently if you take calcium and magnesium at the same time they compete for absorption or something).
And when I have my breakfast (including some fat for absorption required for some things) after my breakfast I take my Prednisone (i.e. as required in tandem with the Abi) and any other supplements such as magnesium and vitamin D.
As many people have pointed out the morning regime with the enforced hour break is kind of disruptive. And then what about exercise? Right now I'm kind of behind on the exercises I'm experiencing quite a bit of fatigue.
I had read something about laying on one’s right or left side impacts absorption as well.
If for some reason I don’t take the Abi until I wake up I find that showering/shaving, feeding the dogs, and unloading the dishwasher uses up almost an hour so it’s not a terribly big inconvenience. I usually take my prednisone with breakfast as well.
never a problem for me, been doing it for years
How would you know?
does its job. Keeps me undetectable, free of progression.
Nowhere on the Zytiga where they tell how to use it do they say prone or upright
Fantastic that you are keeping the PSA undetectable! And anything else too I suppose that might show up on a scan or something. Bravo!
My point though is that anecdotal single data point evidence can't be used to conclude anything.
(I'm also on Abi.)
I only reported my own experience. All our cancers and SEs to meds are different.
The topics on this forum are pretty high stakes. And there are a lot of crummy ideas out there.
For example doctors who refused to do PSA tests are lazy criminals. The science though shows that PSA tests help with earlier diagnosis. My diagnosis was late.
My point is that the easy statement that "all our cancers and side effects to meds are different" is to deny science. It's a kind of nihilism. A kind of meaninglessness.
Sure people have their own unique reactions to things and are body biochemistry and biology is astonishingly complex. And there are little differences in each person certainly.
But the big clinical trials that pointed in the direction of triplet therapy - I benefit from them. Because there are some commonalities. Science exists. This is the opposite of easy nihilism.
One of the purposes of this forum is for people to share common things that make sense to each other. Including we have learned about science and including our experiences.
There's lots of diversity here but there are also shared experiences and shared learnings. Diversity is sometimes not our strength.
I would assume that as long as it reaches your stomach (take it with enough water) that you should have no problems.
I would tend to agree but the instructions to take it on an empty stomach with fairly precise parameters to achieve that makes me assume they’re worried about absorption rate. Maybe laying down or being upright doesn’t make a big enough difference to matter.
I’ve heard u shouldn’t lay down and take Steroids.
Also you need to be upright for 30 minutes after Alendronic acid to protect oesophagus. And have full glass of water.
Thanks. Good article.
I always take it in the middle of the night and never a problem. If there was a problem, the pharma would be on that.
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I needed to vent... if inappropriate, please take it down
