With our medications and your health expert, Daniel Kim Ask Daniel Kim a question about medications and your health Question Archive What does "do not take dairy products, antacids, or iron preparations with this medication" mean? Daniel Kim's Response

Dairy products, antacids, and iron preparations prevent some medications from being properly absorbed into the body. If the medication is not properly absorbed, it may be less effective. Medications that are affected this way include:

• certain antibiotics (such as tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and norfloxacin)
• certain medications used to treat osteoporosis (such as etidronate, risedronate, and alendronate)

Other medications may also interact with dairy products, iron, and antacids. Check with your pharmacist to find out whether this is true for your medication. If so, avoid taking or eating the following items within two hours of taking your medication (some medications may require more or less time - check with your pharmacist to be sure):

• dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter): These products contain large amounts of calcium, which can react with some medications and prevent them from being absorbed into the body.
• calcium supplements: Calcium can be found in multi-vitamins, over-the-counter medications, and prescription medications (e.g., calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate). Calcium can react with some medications and prevent them from being absorbed into the body.
• iron-containing products: Iron may be found in multi-vitamins, over-the-counter medications, and prescription medications (e.g., ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumarate). Like calcium, it can react with some medications and prevent them from being absorbed into the body.
• antacids: These products usually contain either calcium, aluminum, or magnesium. Any of these can interact with some medications and prevent them from being absorbed into the body.

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