Did you know that medicines are absorbed by the body faster if you place them under the tongue? I never knew until one of our team members’ customers who was critically ill and hospitalized was fed with our products under his tongue. He eventually recovered from the coma and has since been consuming our products. We also have customers with young kids who have not mastered the art of swallowing capsules who chew on our lutien capsules and then recover at a remarkably fast rate from ailments.
When you swallow a pill, it must go through your entire gastrointestinal tract. This means the stomach (with acid and bile), the intestines (where most absorption takes place) and then off to the liver, for some more filtering. And THEN it’s delivered to where it’s needed. This long route takes a lot of time. However, going under the tongue bypasses this entire route, and delivers the medication right to the bloodstream and off to do its job! In cases of emergency where you need the medication to work right away, for example during a heart attack, medication is best administered sublingually.
In addition to the speed, the medicine delivered sublingually is usually more potent, and (in general terms) needs less medication to do the job it’s intended to do (you may have heard stories about people cutting pills in half, then taking them under the tongue, to produce the same effect as swallowing one pill). The reason for this increased effect is the digestive tract is incredible harsh with acids. And it’s meant to be this way for food to be broken down and the nutrients get stripped out.
Some drugs that are administered sublingually include:
- cardiovascular drugs (nitroglycerin, verapamil)
- steroids
- certain barbiturates
- enzymes
- vitamins
- some medications for mental health conditions
Placing the drug under the tongue or in the cheek for absorption can be easier on patients who have problems following a medication regime or for unconscious patients. According to research, sublingual medication administration is faster and more effective than taking oral medication
It is important that you consult your doctor before taking anything sublingually. Do let your doctor know if you have any open mouth sores. And never reduce your medication dosage until you consult your doctor.
Leave a Reply