Medicine safety
Can You Take Supplements With Antibiotics? Spacing Matters
Can you take supplements with antibiotics? Sometimes, with spacing. NIH says tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics should be taken at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after a magnesium supplement. Flow Nerves lists magnesium glycinate with no amount printed, so ask your pharmacist before combining it with an antibiotic.
Written by the Flow Nerves label deskUpdated · 4 min read
The rule
Can you take supplements with antibiotics at the same time?
Not always. Some minerals can get in the way of some antibiotics, so the doses are spaced apart. Your pharmacist can give the exact times for your pair.
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics should be taken at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after a magnesium-containing supplement (NIH ODS, Magnesium). MSK says magnesium may reduce absorption of fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines and nitrofurantoin (MSK, Magnesium).
At a glance
Which Flow Nerves names have antibiotic notes?
Two of the six: magnesium and L-carnitine. The notes differ, so each is listed below.
| Name | Antibiotic note from a source |
|---|---|
| Magnesium glycinate | Space tetracyclines and quinolones 2 hours before or 4 to 6 after; MSK adds nitrofurantoin (NIH ODS, Magnesium) (MSK, Magnesium) |
| L-carnitine | NIH lists pivalate-conjugated antibiotics, such as pivampicillin, as interacting (NIH ODS, Carnitine) |
On this label
How would you space Flow Nerves from an antibiotic?
Ask your pharmacist for times. No amount of magnesium is printed to base a rule on. Use the note below to list what to bring.
A note-taking aid, not a test. CDC suggests keeping notes on symptoms to share with your doctor (CDC, Diabetes and nerve damage), and Mayo Clinic says to seek medical care right away for tingling, weakness or pain in your hands or feet (Mayo Clinic, Peripheral neuropathy).
What to do
What should you tell the pharmacist?
Name the antibiotic, the dose times and the supplement, and say that the label prints no amount.
- Bring the bottle and the antibiotic's name.
- Ask for exact hours between doses.
- Keep taking prescribed medicine as directed.
FAQ
Flow Nerves questions people ask
Does magnesium block antibiotics?
It can reduce absorption of some. MSK names fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines and nitrofurantoin (MSK, Magnesium). Space the doses as your pharmacist says.
How long should I wait between an antibiotic and magnesium?
NIH says at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after for tetracyclines and quinolones (NIH ODS, Magnesium). Other antibiotics differ, so ask.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the brand panels and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is the information site for a U.S. stocking partner for Flow Nerves. It is not the manufacturer or a distributor named on the label. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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