Timing of various medications? What do most of you do?

[Hazelgreen]

I've just read a 2013 article in AARP's "The Daily" regarding when to take various medications (aarp.org/health/drugs-suppl.... Cancer drugs are not mentioned except to suggest that certain cancer cells may be more vulnerable when other cells are resting ("A drug called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), used to treat colorectal cancer, is now given at night when these cancer cells are more vulnerable and normal cells are resting and least sensitive.").

Have any of you been given instructions as to when to take your cancer meds?

It seems that both statins and ACE inhibitors are best given at night while pain meds need to be taken a few hours before pain is at its worst.

" Cholesterol production in the liver is highest after midnight and lowest during the morning and early afternoon, so statins are most effective when taken just before bedtime", and "Take at least one blood pressure-lowering medication at bedtime. Drugs called ACE inhibitors and ARBs are the most effective when taken at this time."

[Hidden]

Hi, I take my Letrozole pill and statin before bedtime and my Ibrance with evening meal (Chemo). I take my blood pressure pill in the morning. My Paracetamol are taken 4 times a day with a 4 hour break between each dosage.

These doses were all instructed by my Oncologist. The Letrozole (hormone blocker) causes hot flushes that’s why it’s best taken at night.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Cheryl

[Hazelgreen in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Cheryl! Clearly, your oncologist is concerned about the timing of medications. Drug interactions seem to be more the concern of pharmacologists.

Do you take any vitamins or minerals as well? Apparently, calcium can interfere with the metabolism of certain medications.

Thanks again,

Cindy

[Hidden in reply to Hazelgreen]

Hi Cindy, yes I take Calcium and Vit D, Tumeric and Manuka Honey. The calcium and Vit D are prescribed by the hospital. My Calcium levels were very low when I was first diagnosed. I had fractures to three ribs. My Pelvis also has multiple mets. I have mets in my spine, shoulder blades, skull and lungs. My Cancer is Oestrogen driven hence the Letrozole. I had Breast Cancer grade 1 in 2013 and was told it was a very small growth. I had Radiotherapy and was discharge after 5 years. Four months later I was diagnosed with Stage 4 MBC. A shock.

Take care and have a good weekend.

[Hazelgreen in reply to Hidden]

Wow! It sounds like calcium + vitamin D are critical for you! It seems that there is still very much yet to be learned about breast cancer if yours was so small, and still metastasized in five years! My case was the exact opposite: stage 3 with five or more nodes, and thirteen years to metastasize. Yet, our bone and lung mets are similar. I hope yours are improving with the calcium you are taking. I try to leave a gap of two hours between calcium and any medications to allow for it to dissolve in my system.

Warm wishes!

[Hidden in reply to Hazelgreen]

I do leave a gap. I take it in the morning early on and then in the evening about an hour before dinner. Cancer is clever and shocks us all with the way it develops within us. We all live with it and make the most of what we have.

Best wishes