Is there a specific ingredient that allows medications to enter the bloodstream? I have a chronic illness that results in widespread pain and have had great luck with transdermal, er, herbal products but they’re not available in my state. From what I’ve read topical “medications” are wildly different as they don’t enter the bloodstream. What the heck is it that makes the transdermal patches so effective?! TIA!
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Patches tend to be more effective than creams because they stick in place and give the dissolved solution more time to get picked up by the blood vessels near the surface of the skin. Certain medications have different solubility and some are effective only where applied (rather than effecting the whole body). Generally (and ask an actual doctor about specific formulations) topical application for pain relief is meant to have a more local effect.
Transdermal application only works for medications that are fatty (or better said able to dissolve in fat, not in water). Our skin is a very good barrier against water, but not really against anything dissolvable in fats. So these types of medications can just penetrate the skin and enter the body in this way. Be careful, even though some (many) transdermal applications work locally, some will also enter the blood stream and affect the whole body (you have super potent fentanyl plasters that look totally innocent, but can absolutely kill you if not used properly). Just, always read the instructions carefully, of any medication, and don’t think that plasters or cremes are always local.
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