Some medications should always be swallowed at the same time. Is there anything to consider due to the extra hour that the time change gives us? Asked a pharmacist.
Every day at 7 p.m. the cell phone reminds you to take the pill. Or every morning around 7:30 a.m. after breakfast it’s time to take the cortisone tablet. Some medications have a fixed time or time of day for their users.
As a rule, you can stick to these times even after the clocks have been changed to winter time on Sunday night (October 25th), as pharmacist Friederike Habighorst-Klemm says. Even if, exceptionally, 25 hours have passed since the last dose: “Such a time difference of one hour is not an issue with medication,” says the patient representative of the Baden-Württemberg State Pharmacists Association.
In principle, however, it is important to stick to fixed intake times if the respective medication requires this. This is particularly the case with drugs with a narrow therapeutic range, i.e. with active ingredients “that have big effects in small quantities,” as the pharmacist translates. Examples of this are medications for Parkinson’s or epilepsy, but also cortisone.
Special case of antibiotics: Here the distance is important
However, there is one exception with regard to the time change: antibiotics. Depending on the preparation, you take it once, twice or even three times a day for bacterial infections. The intervals between doses are crucial for a stable active ingredient level in the body:
- 24 hour intervals with one tablet a day
- 12 hours apart with two tablets a day
- 8 hours apart with three tablets a day
On Sunday, when winter has just begun, the next time you take antibiotics is not based on the time, but rather on the distance from the last dose, says Friederike Habighorst-Klemm.
In this case, the extra hour that comes with switching to winter time can actually be a disadvantage. The rule of thumb applies: “When in doubt, when in doubt, don’t extend the time between doses, but rather shorten them a little,” says the pharmacist. “Bacteria multiply quickly – and therefore need regular treatment.”
Off on vacation! If there are major time differences, seek advice
By the way: If you’re traveling and your holiday destination means a time difference of more than two hours, you should think about what that means for taking your medication, says the pharmacist. In many cases, gradual adjustment makes sense. If you want to be on the safe side, get individual advice at the pharmacy.
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