Like Coffee? What You Need to Know About Coffee & Meds

My husband showed me an article on coffee and how drinking coffee can adversely affect the medications you may be taking.  Many Americans are on medications and probably give little thought as to how their morning cup of coffee might affect their medications.  And there are ways to still enjoy your coffee and avoid those coffee-drug interactions? 

In what ways might coffee interfere with prescription medications?

• Absorption: Coffee can interfere with the absorption of a medication.
• Metabolism Changes: Coffee needs some liver enzymes for metabolism and these liver enzymes may also be needed to metabolize a medication.  This can lead to the levels of medication potentially increasing or decreasing in the bloodstream. 
• Blood Sugar:  Coffee, especially if mixed with sugar and/or milk, can affect blood sugar levels which can make it harder to manage diabetes. 
• Drug interactions:  Coffee can form complexes with some medications making them harder to be absorbed.  Such as some antidepressants and iron supplements. 

How does drinking coffee affect different drugs or health conditions? 

• Iron Supplements, “taking iron supplements with coffee can render the supplements between 50-90% less effective”.
• Pain relievers: Coffee can boost the effectiveness of pain relievers like aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Osteoporosis: For those taking vitamin D or calcium supplements, coffee can decrease the absorption of these supplements and decrease absorption of calcium from foods.  For those taking drugs for osteoporosis such as Actonel or Atelvia, or Fosamax, coffee can “render them less effective”. 
• Thyroid Problems: Coffee can reduce the absorption of Synthroid, a medication for an underactive thyroid. 
• High Blood Pressure: Coffee taken at the same time as blood pressure meds like Verelan, can hamper the ability of blood vessels to relax. 
• Insomnia: Combine coffee with insomnia medication like melatonin or prescription meds like Ambien, Edluar “can make them overly sedated” …
• Anticoagulants: Coffee can increase the risk of excessive bleeding or bruising.
• Antidepressants: Coffee, especially in large amounts, can affect antidepressants like Luvox, Lexapro, and Tofranil.  Coffee can reduce the amount absorbed by up to one third. 

What are some easy changes you can make to avoid these interactions? 

Change the timing.   Take your meds an hour before you drink your morning coffee or two hours after.  A friend takes an iron supplement every day.  She likes her morning coffee.  So instead of taking an iron supplement at breakfast, she can take it at lunch or dinner hours after her morning coffee. 

Lina Matta, director of ambulatory pharmacy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital says, “I don’t know of any drug that stops you from drinking coffee at all because you happen to be on that medication.  When in doubt about potential interactions, just take your medications an hour before or two hours after.”

In conclusion: Coffee is a beloved morning ritual for many, but its effects on medications are worth considering.  While it’s unlikely that you need to give up coffee entirely, understanding how it interacts with certain drugs can help you make smarter health choices.  Simply adjusting the timing of your coffee intake or discussing concerns with your health care provider and pharmacist, can help you enjoy your favorite brew while ensuring your medications remain effective.  So, sip smart—your health depends on it!

(Note:  For those interested in the health benefits of drinking coffee, see:  Is Coffee Good For Your Health? )

Sources:  absorption , liver enzymes , blood sugar levels , complexes , coffee , Iron Supplements , changes , says  Image Sources:  Coffee Time