2006-09-19 09:42:30 · 10 answers · asked by sweet pea 3 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
A medication's half-life "is the time it takes for the plasma concentration of a drug to reach half of its original concentration. More simply put, the half-life of a drug is how long it takes for half of it to be eliminated from the bloodstream.
2006-09-19 09:50:10 · answer #1 · answered by ebizartistry 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are a few reasons.
1) Your body has to metabolize medication. Some medication needs to be at a certain constant level to work. Knowing the half-life of the meds you can calculate how much the patient should take. Also it is a value to know when it is out of your system. It is the time a body needs to get rid of half the meds. The half left also needs the same time to again get halved and so on.
2) Cancer medication can be radioactive. This also has a half-life rating. This has a half-life of its own and will degrade outside a body. Actually the degrading is where the radiation is coming from and that is what is attacking the cancer.
2006-09-19 16:57:02 · answer #2 · answered by Puppy Zwolle 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A half-life is the time it takes for half of the substance to be dissolved. For example, if a medication has a half-life of 4 hours, it means in 4 hours, only half of the medication will be left, in another 4 hours, only a quarter will be left, etc.
2006-09-19 16:44:54 · answer #3 · answered by jimboradley 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
50% of people in the US taking over the counter and properly prescribed medications die each year! Half Life
2006-09-21 15:56:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
half life means the amount of time it takes for half of the medicine to get our of ones body.
2006-09-19 16:45:25 · answer #5 · answered by HK3738 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The amount of time it takes for half of the dose to metabolize in the body.
2006-09-19 16:46:57 · answer #6 · answered by Shopgirl9337 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means say you take 100mg today, tomorrow you will still have 50mg left in your system. For example Methadone has a half-life which is why it works well for opiate addiction.
2006-09-19 16:53:50 · answer #7 · answered by Liza M 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
think thermal nuclear, then reason why plutonium has a half life
2006-09-19 16:51:29 · answer #8 · answered by grim_reaper_69 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It means it's not as strong!!!
2006-09-19 16:51:55 · answer #9 · answered by Honey X 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means it's radioactive !
2006-09-19 16:44:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋