Can I take omeprazole at night after eating?

The short answer:

Omeprazole is commonly prescribed once daily in the morning half an hour before breakfast. However, you can take it also at night. But it is better to take omeprazole before eating rather than after eating for optimum absorption and effectiveness.

Key facts:

• Omeprazole is prescribed for the treatment of conditions related to higher gastric acid secretion.
• It is commonly prescribed to be taken once daily in the morning before breakfast.
• no sharp restriction for administration of omeprazole at night.
• In case you are prescribed to take omeprazole twice daily, you can take one dose in the morning and the second dose at night.
• Sometimes omeprazole is prescribed at night to treat sleep disturbance related to gastroesophageal reflux disease.
• Food is round to decrease the absorption of omeprazole from your gut and thus, decrease its effects in reducing acid secretion.
• Omeprazole should be taken before meals rather than after meals

Content:

• Can I take omeprazole at night?
• Why is omeprazole given in the morning?
• Which is better, taking omeprazole in the morning or at night?
• In the case of night doses, it is better to take omeprazole at night, before or after eating.
• Is omeprazole best before or after food?
• FAQs

Can I take omeprazole at night?

Omeprazole is commonly prescribed once daily in the morning half an hour before breakfast to relieve symptoms caused by higher gastric acids secretion such as heartburn, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer.

Despite the morning dose of omeprazole is preferred. However, there are no sharp restrictions for taking omeprazole at night (Ref).

Omeprazole is indicated at night, especially for patients with severe acid reflux or in case of nocturnal acid reflux. In this case, taking omeprazole at night could help in improving the sleep disturbance caused by heartburn or reflux diseases.

• A study investigated the effect of administration time of omeprazole on its efficacy in relieving esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. The authors confirmed that taking omeprazole once daily either in the morning or night (for 8 weeks) effectively heals severe esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.
• Another study published in 2014 showed that the night dose of omeprazole was found to significantly improve the sleep disturbance associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this study, 176 patients were divided into two main groups and were treated either with omeprazole (20 mg) or a placebo (drug-free formulation). The results showed that omeprazole significantly improved sleep disturbance than the placebo in patients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Why is omeprazole commonly given in the morning?

Omeprazole can be administered either in the morning or at night. However, it is preferably to be taken in the morning than at night because the bioavailability of omeprazole (the amount of omeprazole that reaches the circulation) was found to be significantly higher when it is taken in the morning than at night under fasting conditions (Ref).

A previous study investigated whether the morning or evening dose of omeprazole is more effective in controlling gastric pH. Omeprazole (40 mg) as an encapsulated enteric coated capsule was administered either at 9 am or 9 pm for 5 days. After 5 days of treatments, better control of the gastric pH. was reported in subjects who received omeprazole in the morning (9 am) compared with those who take omeprazole at night (9 pm).

Which is better, taking omeprazole in the morning or at night?

Omeprazole can be effectively administered either in the morning or at night. However, the morning dose is preferable to the night dose.

The main reason why taking omeprazole early in the morning more preferable to at night is because the food you eat during the daytime triggers your gastric acid secretion. Therefore, taking omeprazole early in the morning could help you to improve indigestion and heartburn symptoms from stomach acids induced after eating your meals during the daytime.

So, you can think about the benefits of taking omeprazole at night after meals. If you are going to bed, of course, you will not eat for 8 hours.

Moreover, a study reported that the absorption of omeprazole is better when you take it in the morning than at night in case you take it on an empty stomach (Ref).

One more reason why the morning dose is preferable is that you might forget your night dose. In contrast, it is more easily to remember your morning dose if you fixed the administration time 30-60 minutes before your breakfast.

In certain cases, omeprazole is prescribed twice daily. In this case, it is better to take one dose in the morning before your breakfast and the next dose in the evening before your dinner. The two doses should be 12 hours apart. For example, you may adjust your morning dose at 8 am and night dose at 8 pm.

In the case of night dose, when it is better to take omeprazole at night, before or after eating.

• In case you are in need to take a night dose of omeprazole, it is better to take omeprazole one hour before eating and 1-2 hours before your bedtime.
• Many published studies recommended the administration of omeprazole before eating as foods could negatively affect the absorption of omeprazole (Ref).

Is omeprazole best before or after food?

Omeprazole is best to be taken before meals (30-60 minutes) than with or after your meals.

Several studies reported that food could decrease the absorption of omeprazole and thus reduces the amount that reaches the blood circulation, consequently, limiting its effectiveness.

Therefore, it seems that the effect of food is more potent than the time of administration on the effectiveness of omeprazole.

1. A study published in 2020 showed that food negatively affects the absorption of omeprazole. The author reported that food delayed the absorption of omeprazole. Therefore, under fasting conditions higher amount of omeprazole reached the circulation compared with in case of administration of omeprazole with food.
2. A randomized study involving 30 healthy volunteers examined the effect of food on the bioavailability of omeprazole (the amount of omeprazole that reaches the circulation). The authors reported a significant decrease in the bioavailability of omeprazole when taken under fed conditions compared with the fasting state.
3. Another study examined the effect of high-fat meals on the bioavailability of omeprazole. In this study, 23 healthy volunteers were administered omeprazole either under fasting conditions or concurrently with a high-fat breakfast (containing approximately 750 Kcal). The results showed a significant decrease in the bioavailability of omeprazole administered with high-fat content breakfast compared with that in the case of administration under fasting conditions.
4. Interestingly, a study published by Hatlbakk and his group investigated whether omeprazole should be taken shortly just before a meal or without taking any food. In his study, 21 healthy individuals were administered omeprazole in the morning (15 minutes before breakfast) and 4 hours before lunchtime. They found that better control of gastric acidity was observed in those who take omeprazole before a meal than without a meal. Accordingly, they recommended taking omeprazole before a meal for better acid suppression than taking omeprazole without a meal.

In general, PPIs work best when taken on an empty stomach. You should take most PPIs at least 30 minutes before breakfast. As several research articles reported that food could affect the rate and the extent of absorption of omeprazole (Ref).

FAQs:

1. What happens if I take omeprazole after I eat?

Omeprazole is better to be taken 30-60 minutes before a meal. If you take it after eating, the amount of omeprazole that reaches the blood circulation will be reduced. Thus, the therapeutic effect may be reduced.

2. How long should I wait to take omeprazole after eating?

Omeprazole is best to be taken before meals to confirm adequate absorption of your dose.

When you take omeprazole after eating, it will still work to reduce gastric acidity, however, it may be less effective as in case you take it before your meals. For optimum absorption of omeprazole, you should wait a few hours after eating to take your dose.

3. How long does omeprazole last?

Omeprazole has a short half-life.

The half-life means the time the drug takes to be reduced to its half within your body.

Omeprazole is rapidly absorbed and reaches its maximum plasma concentration half an hour after administration. However, it is rapidly eliminated from tour blood with a half-life value of about 1 hour. It is completely eliminated from your blood after 3-4 hours after you take it (Ref).