Not every food and drug interaction is an adverse one. Sometimes a drug works better or is less likely to cause side effects when you take it on a full stomach. For example, aspirin is less likely to upset your stomach if you take the painkiller with food, and eating stimulates the release of stomach juices that improve your ability to absorb griseofulvin, an antifungus drug.
The table lists some drugs that may work better when your stomach is full.
| Purpose | Drug |
| Analgesics (painkillers) | Acetaminophen Aspirin Codeine Ibuprofen Indomethacin Mefenamic acid Metronidazole Naproxen/naproxen sodium |
| Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals | Ethambutol Griseofulvin Isoniazid Ketoconazole Pyrimethamine |
| Antidiabetic agents | Glipizide Glyburide Tolazamide Tolbutamide |
| Cholesterol-lowering agents | Cholestyramine Colestipol Lovastatin Probucol |
| Gastric medications | Cimetidine Ranitidine |
Source: James J. Rybacki, The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs 2002 (New York: Harper Collins, 2001)
