Eating on Tisha B’Av in order to take medication.

Is it permitted to take a pill (like Ibuprofen) to ease stomach pain on Tisha B’Av? The pill can’t be taken on an empty stomach—it requires eating something, even just a little, beforehand. Is it allowed to eat a small amount just to be able to swallow the pill?

If possible, take a different pain reliever that can be taken without food.

If that’s not an option, ask a doctor whether, even one-time, taking it on an empty stomach would be harmful.

If no alternative pill is available, it depends on how strong the pain is. If the pain is so strong that it makes you weak to the point that you need to lie down, or you’re feeling the pain throughout your whole body, then in principle, it would be permitted for you to eat and drink normally since you’re considered a “choleh” (a sick person), and in that case, you may certainly eat a small amount to swallow the pill. 

If the pain isn’t at that level, you’re not considered a choleh, and eating would not be allowed.