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Lets say a person is sick with the flu currently. They also take a regular daily prescription pill which should only be taken once a day.

Scenario:

Fred takes his prescription pill today, but then like 10 minutes after taking it he throws up. Would Fred need to take another pill since he likely threw up most of the medication?

Nate Barbettini
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    Be specific in type of pill and dosage – umesh krishna Apr 02 '15 at 06:09
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because answering would be substituting for a doctor – Shlublu Apr 07 '15 at 09:24
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    I agree with @Shlublu. I mean no offense, but I've been in that situation and it varies widely depending on so many different factors, that I wouldn't feel comfortable giving Fred advice other than to call his doctor. – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL Apr 22 '15 at 22:37
  • I'm not sure if there will be any question on this site that won't depend on factors and that any certain answer will be possible without seeing /calling a doctor. – woliveirajr Apr 23 '15 at 12:21

1 Answers1

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This depends on the type of pill you are taking, but there are a few good rules to follow. You may also want to talk with your doctor when your medication is prescribed, in case something like this happens.

  • Less than 30 minutes after - take the pill again (this is what should happen in the situation you described)

  • More than 90 minutes after - definitely don't take the pill again; it has probably gone past your stomach

  • 30-60 minutes after - if the risk of taking the pill outweighs the benefits, take the pill; if unsure, contact your doctor

  • 60-90 minutes after - usually don't take the pill, unless the pill is really, really important; again, if unsure, contact your doctor

These numbers are more of an estimate, combined from numbers taken from several sources.


Note: this can vary from pill to pill, so it is best to call your doctor

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michaelpri
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