the medicines that we take in have to react with many complex chemicals inside our digestive tract , how is it made sure that they don't produce adverse reactions?
Is it possible to guage every reaction that takes place in our digestive tract , given that each person might have a different composition of chemicals?
2006-10-02 08:40:12 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
NO way to gauge every reaction in our digestive tracts. Think about the differences of giving someone oral medication and also a person that had a gastrotomy tube inserted into the stomach. The differences would be great.
Some medications that you are not supposed to crush due to the protective coatings on them, with older patients the only way if there is no liquid substitute IS to crush the meds.
The doctor will have to write a statement such as the benefits of the meds outweigh the risks of crushing the medications.
I have also seen (not meaning to be gross here) patients that will 'pass' potassium tablets in their stools without the coating even dissoliving, thus, the benefits of this potassium medication is nil, as it was never delivered into the persons body. Notified the doctor about this with no order to change meds. This patient is currently on 40 meq. of potassium - 4 tablets that do not dissolve or do a bit of good for the patient, so since the md, does not seem to think this is a problem, we continue to give it as ordered. This makes you want to bang your head against the wall also.
Hope I helped in your seeking information.....
2006-10-02 13:07:02 · answer #1 · answered by debi_0712 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is what the Drug Discovery process is supposed to discover. It starts in the lab, proceeds to animals, then advances to humans. Most drugs need 10 to 20 years to make sure that they don't produce adverse reactions.
Despite the best that chemical modeling can do, failures and surprizes are common. Chemicals that are only one atom different can have wholly different reactions/effects.
So, no, at this time it is impossible to gauge every reaction every human will have with any specific chemical.
2006-10-02 10:20:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there !
The answer becomes simple !
"trial and error method " !
In what we call as "anaphylaxis", the most seroius drug reaction with the body, the person will collapse...or go for sudden swelling of the face or breathing problem etc...which gives us time to ACT>>>>that too ...ACT .......IMMEDIATELY... .....
Fortunately..such a scenario is becoming a rare entity in the present era...
In what you call as the "chemical reaction in the stomach" .....!!!wherein the patient is NOT TOLERATING the given drug / medicine....
...usually patient presents with symptoms like diarrohea, vomiting or 'upset tummy' etc...which are treatable and "nothing much to worry about" !
Here the remedy is to "stop the medication"....."treat the symptoms"...and "switch over to some other medication inplace of the earlier one"...
In both these scenario....comes the important factor of "PAST HISTORY OF DRUG ALLERGY !
Whenever we go to a consultant doctor for advise, it is our moral duty to disclose the history of previous drug interactions / allergies..if any....
Afterall, "as patients we are supposed to be honest" ...right ?
with best wishes...
2006-10-02 22:08:43 · answer #3 · answered by suresh k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer is that the medicine must entered in surplus amounts for the body to not fight against it with its antibodies,once their is no reaction, your body has gotten used to it.
2006-10-02 12:08:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋