Nimbus

I am currently taking a tablet that states not to break or chew because it’s time released. If I eat some fruit & a bowl of fiber cereal in the morning what would keep the tablet from passing through me with the cereal?

Tablets and capsules have coatings on them that are ph-dependent. The ph in your stomach, intestines, liver, etc is different from one another, and when the tab/cap reaches the appropriate ph (wherever it was designed to dissolve) the coating breaks down and the drug is released. Time released meds have binders in them that slow the release of the drug so that the level is sustained over a longer period of time, thus decreasing the need to take multiple tabs per day and keeping a consistent level of drug in your system

2 Responses

1. Kristi Says:
   September 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm

   Tablets and capsules have coatings on them that are ph-dependent. The ph in your stomach, intestines, liver, etc is different from one another, and when the tab/cap reaches the appropriate ph (wherever it was designed to dissolve) the coating breaks down and the drug is released. Time released meds have binders in them that slow the release of the drug so that the level is sustained over a longer period of time, thus decreasing the need to take multiple tabs per day and keeping a consistent level of drug in your system
   References :
   I’m a pharmacist

2. Serena Says:
   September 22nd, 2009 at 3:17 pm

   The coating on the tablet keeps it from being dissolved in your stomach. Once it has passed through your stomach, it slowly makes its way through your intestines, breaking down as it goes. The coating basically only breaks down once it hits the environment it is meant for. The stomach is acidic while the small intestine is very alkaline, which is the environment most time-release capsules need to break down.
   References :
   http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=595398
   http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/medications/time-release-meds-62843.html

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