Why don’t we administer more drugs with an inhaler

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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

12 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

A cloud of tiny particles can cause the patient to cough, tossing the medication onto the floor. It’s difficult work to build inhalers that don’t cause this effect.

The lungs are really best at letting gasses into the body, and very few drugs are gasses for manufacturing and distribution reasons. It’s just a lot easier (=cheaper) to make a compressed pill or powder filled capsule that the user can just swallow.

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