Posted by Larry Hoover on May 29, 2005, at 7:54:01
In reply to pellets in capsules » Larry Hoover, posted by Sarah T. on May 28, 2005, at 22:06:08
> > > > The potency is fine. It's if those little pellets (mini-pills, really, each individually enteric coated) get loose in your mouth, and get crunched by your teeth, you expose the drug to stomach acid. Stomach acid destroys it. The enteric coating is to get it past the stomach. An enteric coating only dissolves in basic solution (i.e. the opposite of acid), and the first place that the pellets get to that is like that is in the intestine. Getting the little pellets into your stomach *intact* is important. How you get them there is not.> Lar
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> Hi Larry. Thanks for this information. Is this true of pellets contained in capsules of all medicines that are in capsule form or is this specific to Cymbalta?This is true for Cymbalta, because Cymbalta is destroyed by stomach acid. Any other med that is acid-sensitive would be enteric-coated, but usually those are pills that are coated. Enteric coating can also be used to protect the stomach from drugs that irritate it.
Some capsules have mixtures of different coatings on different pellets, all in one capsule. One coating type instantly dissolves, giving you quick activity. Another coating is enteric, but rather thin. That gives some pellets quick release, but only when the pellets have moved out of the stomach (1-3 hours later). So, kind of a time-release mechanism. Still other pellets might have a really thick enteric coating, and they somewhat gradually get released from the intestine, further extending the maximum time of first release of part of the dose.
This can allow you to take a med, for example, once every 12 hours instead of once every 4. The mix of coatings delays the release of some of medication. This also reduced the height of the peak of blood concentration, and broadens it. You get a more stable, long-term peak.
General concepts.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:504288
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050527/msgs/504598.html