As I’m using my asthma inhaler this morning, I realize, why don’t we use inhalation for other medications?
Obviously wouldn’t be needed for everything, but things that need to act fast I feel like it would be effective.
The alveoli in your lungs are a direct connection to your blood supply, and seem pretty effective for the nicotine while smoking.
I’ve even seen it a few times in fiction like Dread or Cyberpunk.
So why not?
In: Biology
Most inhaler distributed drug are delivered that way because they’re supposed to act on the respiratory track (Drugs for Asthma for example).
Nicotine is well absorbed because it’s vaporized by the heat of the cigarette but vaporizing drug isn’t a solution either because the heat might destroy the drug or make it have unintended effects.
Drugs packaging is well studied to make sure it is absorbed in the ideal part of the digestive track, for example a drug might no resist the stomach acid so you put it in a capsule that will slowly get dissolved by the acid to release the drug in the intestine.
Edit : Removed some incorrect section of my answer, see comment below for clarification.
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