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
Asthma inhalers allow us to put the medication right where it’s needed as fast as possible. Most other medications that we need to act fast but don’t act on the lungs, have to be put in your blood as fast as possible. So we either put them under the tongue (many veins there), or better, inject them. It’s faster and/or more practical. For example, trinitrin is a medication that dilates your blood vessels and is sometimes used as a symptomatic treatment for some types of cardiac chest pains. It’s a spray that you use under the tongue and is usually effective in less than 2 minutes.
(Also, the lining in your lungs is more fragile/sensitive than you’d think. It’s really easy to provoke a coughing reaction when trying to put anything in there)
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