Joe Schmo-Schwartzenbergsteinwitzsky has recently been prescribed a daily medication or one that needs to be taken multiple times daily. Ordinarily he'd fast fast as he wasn't taking a medication.

The Joe learns the following:

It is very important to take this drug with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Take this medicine on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before eating. This drug is usually taken in the morning. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions and try to take this medication at the same time each day.

It may take several weeks before your body starts to respond to this medication. Do not stop taking this medication suddenly. Even if you feel well, you may still need to take this medicine every day for the rest of your life.



So what do you think a rav would psak for Joe?

What do people do about taking drugs at the same time daily, for one- birth control (or kallah pills) comes to mind? And/or with liquid.

http://www.artscroll.com/Books/ni1h.html page 279 footnote 550 (d)
"...Rav Auerbach zt"l told me that a patient who has to take pills on Tishah Be'av and cannot swallow them without water, may drink the minimum amount necessary to enable him to swallow the pills. He does not need to first spoil the taste of the water as on Yom Kipper....Rav Neurwith shlita explained to me that this was permitted since Chazal did not institute the fast of Tisha B'av for someone who was ill."

On a minor fast if he really needs the medication and skipping the dose will throw him off, I can't imagine anyone being machmir.

But it would be preferable if it was taken without water (and most drugs CAN be, even if it says otherwise).

On YK it would probably depend if the medicine was pikuach nefesh or not.

sounds like Joe is taking pyscopharmacological meds or ones for a debilatating disease Hsham Yerachem, in that case he should go to his LOR and get a heter from his rabbi that any knowledge rabbi would know that except for Yom Kippur he is mechuyav to take the meds and any food or drink with as needed, anyone who is a diabetic R"L, both type 1 or 2, knows that they will most likely never fast on Yom Kippur again once dianoised