Why do some drugs (ibuprofen) have a flavour / taste, and others don’t (paracetamol)?
In: Other
Many prescription drugs sold commercially are coated in a substance that makes them taste better (bitterent) so that if a kid got into them, they would spit them out instead of eating them. Like everything, this has a cost, so manufacturers only do it on stuff that’s likely to be very dangerous if swallowed accidentally.
Taste is just the result of a chemical molecule binding to your taste receptors and causing a signal to be sent to your brain. Drug molecules come in all shapes, sizes, and structures so their taste can vary based on how they bind to those receptors.
Liquid drugs that would be unpalatable taken orally may get an artificial flavoring added to improve the taste. Pills aren’t meant to be dissolved in the mouth so they have no such flavorings.
Ibuprofen is coated to protect your esophagus and stomach lining as much as possible. That’s why you’re not supposed to split some pills in half, it’s really bad for your gut. Some pills can give you a chemical burn. But, yeah, the coating has a flavor. It’s usually coated in sugar
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