# Is there a best time of day to take Lipitor & Protonix? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269 "2007-01-31T15:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/1 "2007-01-31T15:11:34Z")
Morning? Evening? At bedtime? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/2 "2007-01-31T15:30:56Z")
FWIW, my doc said it didn’t matter all that much but to be consistant on when you took it. More along the lines of developing a good habit. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/3 "2007-01-31T15:54:30Z")
When I was taking Protonix the label said to take it before eating. I think it said 1/2 hour before eating but I am not positive about that. I took it in the morning when I first work up and it worked pretty good. I have switched to Prilosec OTC since I am, apparently, too big a slacker to actually see my doctor to renew my prescription. I think the Protonix did a slightly better job but the Prilosec OTC was more convenient since I could get it almost anywhere where when I need to refill. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/4 "2007-01-31T17:02:01Z")
Thanks. I think I’ll start taking 'em in the am. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/5 "2007-01-31T18:41:04Z")
[QUOTE=justrob] When I was taking Protonix the label said to take it before eating. I think it said 1/2 hour before eating but I am not positive about that. I took it in the morning when I first work up and it worked pretty good. [/QUOTE] Considering the function of Protonix (acid pump inhibitor), it’s probably a very good idea to take it at least a half hour before eating for it to perform properly. IANAD, just a chick who works with drugs. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/6 "2007-01-31T18:52:01Z")
My doctor told me to take Lipitor at bedtime. I’m not sure why, because it doesn’t make me dizzy or sleepy. My husband takes 8 meds and a baby aspirin daily. I’ve often wondered what his body thinks when all those drugs hit his system at the same time. I picture them scurrying around, running into each other. “You go there! I’m supposed to be working over here!” ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/7 "2007-01-31T18:56:51Z")
I used to take Protonix, and now take Prilosec. I’ve found that, if I didn’t take one one day, I started feeling the effects about a day and a half to two days later. So it doesn’t seem to matter much when I take them, just that I take one every day. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/8 "2007-01-31T19:01:44Z")
As **AuntiePam** suggests, bedtime is probably the best time to take Lipitor and, indeed, all statin medicines. The rationale for such a recommendation stems from the fact that production of cholesterol by the body is not uniform throughout the day but, rather, increases at night. Hence, theoretically, one gets more bang for his statin buck by taking it at night. That being said, however, the difference is relatively small and there really is no compelling need to do so. IMHO, the key is to take the drug at the same time every day in order to make it a habit and thereby minimize forgotten doses. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-best-time-of-day-to-take-lipitor-protonix/390269/9 "2007-01-31T19:10:00Z")
For those interested, [here is the earliest reference](http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/79/9/3037) I can recall for the assertion that cholesterol synthesis increases at night (to aid in interpreting the abstract, note that MVA (i.e. mevalonic acid) is a marker for cholesterol synthesis)