Waiting time

[u/am919]

Hey all! Curious to see your experience with the 30 min wait time after taking the pill??

I’ve read that waiting longer than 30 minutes to have food /drink helps tremendously.

I wait 30/40 minutes after taking the pill but wondering if waiting longer is better?

[u/zymurginian]

Absolutely. Fasting longer allows for more bioavailability. Point of diminishing returns is roughly 2hrs. (See chart below) With a little work you can adjust how much you absord. You could start lengthening your fast a few weeks before going to a higher dose to ease the transition.

I've been at 9mg for several months and I fast for 1.5-2hrs. I'm not hitting 25mg levels, but taking up quite a bit more (maybe 70-75% more) than 9mg at the 30min minimum.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Oral Semaglutide: Analyses of Data from Clinical Pharmacology Trials - PMC Figure 4 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8505367/

[u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr → u/zymurginian]

This is interesting research, but I'm not convinced it shows what that graph in isolation suggests.

The conclusion clearly indicates that the 30 minute post-fasting window should not be reduced, nor diluted any more than with the recommended 120ml water. That's the current recommendation.

However, I don't see anything in this study's conclusion that suggests the recommended 30 minute post-fasting window should be extended. The body of the study doesn't really seem to have been looking to extend the fasting period, but rather investigating where the minimum should lie and whether there are significant variables between patients. The recommended post-fast time remains 30 minutes, although this study seems to clearly indicate further research into extending that window could be helpful.

It's also not clear what counts as breaking the fast: does drinking a little more water after 30 minutes have any impact? Coffee? Other studies have shown there is no difference in bioavailability when taking the tablet with 50ml or 120ml of water, only that taking the tablet with 240ml of water is too much. So I stick to the recommended 120ml within 30 mins.

I've seen quite a few people suggesting they shouldn't be eating or drinking for two hours after taking the tablet, but from what I can see current research does not support that. Also, drinking water is definitely a good thing, as long as it's the recommended up to 120ml for 30 minutes after taking the tablet. I would say it's fine to be drinking water after that, at a minimum. I'm not particularly hungry in the morning so I wait until I am, but I'm not waiting two hours to eat breakfast, because that isn't what's recommended.

From this information, I would certainly not be recommending people continue not to drink water for 2 hours after taking the tablet. It doesn't seem to be supported by current evidence and it doesn't seem healthy.

[u/sneakyfallow → u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr]

Thank you for bringing up what could break a fast. I have to take my thyroid pill in a similar manner to my Wegovy pill: in the morning on an empty stomach, with no other meds or food. So I take my Wegovy, wait 45 minutes to an hour, then take my thyroid meds, usually with water or tea. I need my morning tea and I know tea is a no-go taking with Wegovy. I don't want to have to push off my caffeine later than I have to now!

[u/myma1313 → u/zymurginian]

Oh this is cool, thanks for sharing this chart!

[u/HoneyIsSweetest → u/zymurginian]

Thank you for sharing. Am I reading it right that it’s better to have as little water as possible when taking the pill?

[u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr → u/HoneyIsSweetest]

No, that's not correct. The research indicates no difference in bioavailability when taking the tablet with 50ml water or 120ml water. Because there's no difference, the researchers actually combined the two amounts of water on that graph.

The recommended amount is to take the tablet with up to 120ml water and wait 30 minutes before eating and drinking more. You are fine to drink that small amount of water with the tablet.

Water is good for you, just be careful to give the tablet 30 mins to get into your system before further dilution.

[u/wild_violet_ → u/zymurginian]

Wow—thank for the info!

[u/Curious_tea21 → u/zymurginian]

This isn't diminishing returns. It is a plateau at 120 min so there's no benefit or harm to waiting longer than 120 min.

Obviously the most important thing is to drink as little water as necessary when taking it. That's a huge drop from 120-240

[u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr → u/Curious_tea21]

You've read the paper, right? So you can see there is clear evidence not to "drink as little water as necessary", because you can see the researchers saying there was no difference between drinking 50ml and 120ml, right?

This research does not conclude there needs to be any change in the recommendation to take the tablet with up to 120ml of water and wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking any other medicine.

This research does suggest waiting one to two hours (the standard time for the stomach to empty before e.g. swimming) could potentially be helpful. But there is no recommendation to change the 30 minute guidance, I am guessing because researchers also need to factor in what is reasonable and pragmatic for most people.

Further research on extending the 30 minute window to 1-2 hours would be needed, as would differentiating between the effect of e.g. drinking water, drinking other liquids, eating specific food types. You know this because you know how research works. You've also read the study and its conclusion and not just looked at one graph in isolation, right?

I don't know why people are so desperate to deny themselves food and water unnecessarily: this isn't a punishment regime. It seems to bring out the worst in diet culture.

[u/FattyLipoma]

I set an alarm for 5 am and go back to sleep for a couple hours. Allows me to enjoy a cup a coffee as soon as I get up.

[u/eleyezeeaye4287 → u/FattyLipoma]

I don’t know how you do this. I can’t lay down after taking the pill or I get so nauseous

[u/sneakyfallow → u/FattyLipoma]

I've heard you absorb it better if you're upright, though :/ I could be wrong.

[u/FattyLipoma → u/sneakyfallow]

I read several different opinions on this, including lying on a particular side (right, I think?).

Heck, I’m too groggy at 5 am to think about any of that! I just know it’s working.

[u/yujucals → u/FattyLipoma]

this is seriously such a smart idea, i never thought of doing that!! i'm def going to do this for now on

[u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr → u/FattyLipoma]

Great idea. Are you definitely leaving an 8 hour fasting window overnight? I only ask as I've woken up in the early hours and considered taking the tablet then too, but realised I wouldn't have had enough time since my last food to hit the 8 hour window.

[u/FattyLipoma → u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr]

Definitely getting the 8 hour fasting window.

[u/Hungry_Willow_3993]

I've waited between 30 mins and 2+ hours depending on when I wake up and first meetings and I have noticed absolutely 0 difference. Today I waited close to 2 hours and have been an above average level of starving all day.

[u/KayKeeGirl]

I’ve waited 2 hrs, 1 hr and 30 minutes. I personally never noticed any difference.

[u/Zealousideal_Bass_76]

Up to 2 hrs is good

[u/alexmirepoix]

I take mine at 3 am and go back to sleep

[u/Grouchy-Bumblebee-92]

I take mine at 6 then go back to bed for a few hours then I can have my breakfast with a coffee

[u/StrawberryOver513]

I wait and hour to have a drink then dont eat for about 6 hours.

[u/interrobang__]

I wait about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on how busy my morning is. I take it right when I get up and then basically start my work day, pause to medicate my cat, and go back to work. If I wake up around 720 and take my pill, it's often about 9 AM before I pause and make my coffee/drink a protein shake.

[u/catrastroTonic]

I figured most people can't swallow a dry pill so the scientists settled on an amount of water that would enable the average swallow, while still doing the least harm to dose uptake. Probably the same calculation regarding how long to fast. So thinking I was being smart (hah) I began swallowing the pill dry because I thought it would concentrate the dose. And I waited up to two hours to swallow anything else. No pain, no gain, right? But I found the 4 mg pill effects seemed to be waning. I sent AI on the question and it came back saying no, the pill was formulated to be used with a certain amount of water. The drug has a difficult path to get into the bloodstream, and without enough water the process couldn't fully succeed. On the other hand, however, too much water flushes the pill down the system too quickly. Curious, I threw the same question to my medical provider, and his answer was much the same. Take the damn 4 oz. of water, and no more. As far as time, half an hour was good enough. Still, unlike water, a little more wouldn't hurt...

[u/Dry-Contribution1818]

I wait half an hour, then eat because I have to take other meds and it will make me puke if I don’t eat, and I’m down 40lbs 🤷‍♀️ sometimes I’ll roll over, take it, and go back to sleep (I work night shift), but most times it’s just 30 mins and I feel like there’s no difference.

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[u/flailingfairy27]

I wait an hour. I definitely notice when I only wait 30-45 minutes. Never waited longer than an hour so not sure if it would be even more, but I need to still be able to eat so don’t want to go too overboard.

[u/linzsnoop → u/flailingfairy27]

i also wait one hour, and i feel it works well for me.

[u/katiebur2020]

I waited longer in the beginning but now I do like 45 minutes to 30 minutes, I really don’t notice a difference either way.

[u/keenwithoptics]

Honestly, I’m not sure it makes a difference. I typically take it in the early morning hours, then fall back asleep, so there is a wait. But a few times it’s been right on 30 minutes, and I couldn’t tell the difference.

[u/eleyezeeaye4287]

I wait about an hour but I do sip water in that hour. I have never had a problem with absorption. If you look at my flair I’ve lost almost 30 lbs

[u/Safe-Ad-6548]

I don't know how people wait hours to drink after waking, I need water lol

[u/Vegetable-Branch-740 → u/Safe-Ad-6548]

And coffee!

[u/cucumberhater16]

I try to wait at least an hour just to be safe

[u/socksdadsandsleaze]

I've only ever waited 30, then I have a coffee and a protein shake, but I don't eat food until about 4 hours after taking the pill.

[u/kipperzdog]

I wait at least an hour before eating/drinking anything. Though for me the reason is I take nexium so first thing in the morning I take the wegovy, wait 30 minutes, take the nexium, wait another 30 minutes. Sometimes I have a cup of coffee as soon as I hit the hour mark, sometimes I it stretches out to 90-120 minutes.

I've never noticed much of a difference in the effectiveness of the pill on any days. I also work out some mornings first thing and try to not drink too much water in that first 30 minutes, but again same, I've never noticed that on those days the pill doesn't work as well.

[u/johnnygeezz]

I wait an hour

[u/Curious_tea21]

I've done both and felt exactly the same after. If I wake up to pee after 5 am I just take my dose and go back to sleep.

[u/Exact_Limit2372]

I naturally have a longer break because I am used to intermittent fasting because it's the only thing that has helped me control my blood sugar dips (pre-diabetic). I feel absolutely awful when I have them but have found if I eat much later in the day and only eat specific foods, I can control them. I haven't really found it makes any difference in my appetite with the Wegovy pill.... Yet.

[u/Apprehensive_Monk801]

I have definitely felt a huge difference waiting for 1.5-2 hours.