Why would you want to use a suppository over a pill, shot, lotion, etc?
In: 3
1. The patient might be a young child (or a challenged adult) whom you cannot convince to take a pill.
2. The patient might have nausea and unable to hold anything in, so they’d just vomit right out any pill they take.
3. You generally need at least some minimal training or prior experience to do shots correctly. There is also pain and some risks.
4. Suppositories are more effective because they get absorbed into the bloodstream right away and don’t go through the patient’s stomach and liver first.
1. The patient might be a young child (or a challenged adult) whom you cannot convince to take a pill.
2. The patient might have nausea and unable to hold anything in, so they’d just vomit right out any pill they take.
3. You generally need at least some minimal training or prior experience to do shots correctly. There is also pain and some risks.
4. Suppositories are more effective because they get absorbed into the bloodstream right away and don’t go through the patient’s stomach and liver first.
Suppositories can often be used without the same side effects as oral medication. For example, oral progesterone (a hormone) causes nausea, but taken as a suppository it has the same medicinal effect without the nausea. Similarly a THC suppository can give pain relief without causing a high like oral use would
Suppositories can often be used without the same side effects as oral medication. For example, oral progesterone (a hormone) causes nausea, but taken as a suppository it has the same medicinal effect without the nausea. Similarly a THC suppository can give pain relief without causing a high like oral use would
Shots are not easy for people to administer themselves (in a safe and not too painful manner). Most people can do it but it requires a bit of training. Also the needles require special packaging and disposal.
Lotions can only deliver medication *topically*, i.e. at a particular location. Not all medication is suitable to be taken this way, especially if the goal is for it to enter the bloodstream and circulate widely in the body. Only small particles can pass through the skin, so some drugs simply can’t be taken up this way. Also, some drugs might break down in the environment presented by human skin. Lotions specifically aren’t great if dosage is important (as it’s harder to control), and there’s also a risk that you inadvertently absorb the drug through your hands, that you spread the drug to other surfaces (e.g. you might accidentally ingest it if you touch your food after applying the lotion, or you might even cause someone else to do so), or that the lotion rubs off before the medication has run its course. For these reasons, a patch is typically preferred if the medication is supposed to pass through the skin (as opposed to working only on the skin itself), as this is much easier to control.
Pills (or generally oral delivery) are often the most convenient way to deliver a drug into the bloodstream, and so suppositories are often preferred only when that isn’t a good option. One common scenario is when administering medication to small children who have trouble swallowing pills or are too young to follow instructions to do so. Trying to mix it into their food or bottle is another option of course, but that does require that they then finish the whole portion, and some medication has an unpleasant taste that children may refuse to ingest. Doing this can be a lengthy and frustrating (and ultimately unsuccessful) process for both the child and the caregiver. Much easier then to just administer a suppository.
Another scenario is if the person has trouble swallowing, or keeping their food down, or is suffering from other gastro-intestinal issues that complicate the delivery or absorption of the drug when taken by mouth. Suppositories may also be used on patients who are unconscious or uncooperative.
Suppositories can often be used without the same side effects as oral medication. For example, oral progesterone (a hormone) causes nausea, but taken as a suppository it has the same medicinal effect without the nausea. Similarly a THC suppository can give pain relief without causing a high like oral use would
Shots are not easy for people to administer themselves (in a safe and not too painful manner). Most people can do it but it requires a bit of training. Also the needles require special packaging and disposal.
Lotions can only deliver medication *topically*, i.e. at a particular location. Not all medication is suitable to be taken this way, especially if the goal is for it to enter the bloodstream and circulate widely in the body. Only small particles can pass through the skin, so some drugs simply can’t be taken up this way. Also, some drugs might break down in the environment presented by human skin. Lotions specifically aren’t great if dosage is important (as it’s harder to control), and there’s also a risk that you inadvertently absorb the drug through your hands, that you spread the drug to other surfaces (e.g. you might accidentally ingest it if you touch your food after applying the lotion, or you might even cause someone else to do so), or that the lotion rubs off before the medication has run its course. For these reasons, a patch is typically preferred if the medication is supposed to pass through the skin (as opposed to working only on the skin itself), as this is much easier to control.
Pills (or generally oral delivery) are often the most convenient way to deliver a drug into the bloodstream, and so suppositories are often preferred only when that isn’t a good option. One common scenario is when administering medication to small children who have trouble swallowing pills or are too young to follow instructions to do so. Trying to mix it into their food or bottle is another option of course, but that does require that they then finish the whole portion, and some medication has an unpleasant taste that children may refuse to ingest. Doing this can be a lengthy and frustrating (and ultimately unsuccessful) process for both the child and the caregiver. Much easier then to just administer a suppository.
Another scenario is if the person has trouble swallowing, or keeping their food down, or is suffering from other gastro-intestinal issues that complicate the delivery or absorption of the drug when taken by mouth. Suppositories may also be used on patients who are unconscious or uncooperative.
Shots are not easy for people to administer themselves (in a safe and not too painful manner). Most people can do it but it requires a bit of training. Also the needles require special packaging and disposal.
Lotions can only deliver medication *topically*, i.e. at a particular location. Not all medication is suitable to be taken this way, especially if the goal is for it to enter the bloodstream and circulate widely in the body. Only small particles can pass through the skin, so some drugs simply can’t be taken up this way. Also, some drugs might break down in the environment presented by human skin. Lotions specifically aren’t great if dosage is important (as it’s harder to control), and there’s also a risk that you inadvertently absorb the drug through your hands, that you spread the drug to other surfaces (e.g. you might accidentally ingest it if you touch your food after applying the lotion, or you might even cause someone else to do so), or that the lotion rubs off before the medication has run its course. For these reasons, a patch is typically preferred if the medication is supposed to pass through the skin (as opposed to working only on the skin itself), as this is much easier to control.
Pills (or generally oral delivery) are often the most convenient way to deliver a drug into the bloodstream, and so suppositories are often preferred only when that isn’t a good option. One common scenario is when administering medication to small children who have trouble swallowing pills or are too young to follow instructions to do so. Trying to mix it into their food or bottle is another option of course, but that does require that they then finish the whole portion, and some medication has an unpleasant taste that children may refuse to ingest. Doing this can be a lengthy and frustrating (and ultimately unsuccessful) process for both the child and the caregiver. Much easier then to just administer a suppository.
Another scenario is if the person has trouble swallowing, or keeping their food down, or is suffering from other gastro-intestinal issues that complicate the delivery or absorption of the drug when taken by mouth. Suppositories may also be used on patients who are unconscious or uncooperative.
Because it’s fun. Butt seriously (pun intended), some people have explained things below like it bypasses nausea and the need to swallow, which can be important in many instances. However, another important factor is that many medications, whether by intentional design or by the nature of the medicines chemical structure, aren’t absorbed well after passing through the stomach acids or through muscle. This means they need to be absorbed directly through intestinal lining. The only way to do that while bypassing the stomach is to go the other way.
You can’t throw it up. You do not need to be able to swallow. It spreads quickly through your system. It is fairly easy to access.
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