Leaning over, sitting, or lying down? What research has to say about the most effective way to take medications

 When pharmacists dispense tablets or capsules, they frequently provide instructions on when, how often, and whether this should be done with or without food.

They rarely instruct you to swallow while leaning to one side. However, preliminary study from Johns Hopkins University in the United States indicates that this may speed up the absorption and effectiveness of your medication.

As opposed to actual patients, the conclusions are based on a computer simulation, therefore they might not apply to everyday life. Therefore, it would be premature to advise you to hold a yoga pose while taking your medication.

But for comfort or safety, your posture can be crucial when ingesting pills or capsules.

What time of day should I take this?

What occurs when you ingest your medication?

The tablet or capsule travels to the stomach after being swallowed. A capsule bursts open or a tablet swells and disintegrates there. The medication can then disintegrate and be absorbed by your body.

When medications enter the small intestine, they often begin to be absorbed. However, due to the stomach's acidic environment, some medications, including aspirin, are more likely to be absorbed there.

A number of other factors can also affect where and how a drug is absorbed.

These include how fast the tablet disintegrates to release the drug, how fast the swallowed contents move from the stomach to the small intestine, the amount of food and drink consumed before taking the medicine, and how easily the drug is absorbed across the gut lining.

Consider the most recent research.

The US researchers examined how posture impacts drug absorption using computer models.

The researchers created software that could imitate swallowing pills while standing up straight, slanting to the left or right, or slanting backward.

They demonstrated that tilting to the right at a 45-degree angle favored a quicker passage of stomach contents into the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). This would make it possible for the pill to be absorbed more rapidly and begin working.

The findings may be significant for drugs that need to take effect fast, including painkillers or drugs used to treat a heart attack.

Earlier data from actual patients suggests that posture may affect how medications are absorbed. This includes having a right-leaning posture. However, the authors acknowledge that more than only posture affects absorption.

Continue reading: Health Check: Can I chew or smash my medicine?

When should you stand or sit?

For reasons other than accelerating absorption, your pharmacist might occasionally advise you to take your medication while sitting, standing, or lying down.

As an illustration, certain medications are more likely to result in side effects like heartburn, which is a condition in which stomach acid spills from the stomach and ascends into the oesophagus (food pipe).

These include iron supplements and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen (Nurofen) and diclofenac (Voltaren).

Therefore, if this is a concern for you, taking these medications while sitting or standing rather than immediately resting down thereafter may be of assistance. This is due to the decreased likelihood of stomach acid reflux into the oesophagus.

If certain medications get lodged in the throat, it might cause irritation. This is due to the irritation and inflammation they produce to the protective mucosal barrier that lines your oesophagus and stomach.

It's crucial to take these medications sitting up or standing, and to stay upright for 30 minutes following.

These include the osteoporosis medications known as bisphosphonates, such as alendronate and risedronate, as well as the antibiotic doxycycline (Fosamax).

Read more: Why older people get osteoporosis and have falls.

How about lying down?

An under-the-tongue spray called Glyceryl Trinitrate (Nitrolingual) is used. People with angina, a form of chest discomfort brought on by an underlying heart condition, are administered it.

F

Before using this spray, pharmacists advise patients to sit or lie down as it might induce a fast drop in blood pressure, which can leave you feeling quite dizzy.

Diuretics and other cardiac medications are also known to make people feel lightheaded. Although you don't often need to take these drugs while lying down, it is preferable to sit or lie down if you start to feel lightheaded. Then, make sure to stand up gently.

There are also other drugs that can make you feel "woozy" or sleepy.These include potent pain relievers (such as opiates), sleeping pills, some epilepsy meds, and prescriptions for some mental health problems, such as schizophrenia or anxiety.

These don't have to be ingested while lying down, but doing so can be beneficial if you start to feel lightheaded or sleepy.

What if I'm uncertain?

The next time your pharmacist gives you medication, you should feel free to take it however makes you most comfortable as long as they don't give you any particular instructions about sitting, standing, or lying down.

How about the most recent evidence that suggests leaning to the right might be beneficial? Until more research is done, it's unlikely that you'll hear your doctor or pharmacist advise you to lean over to take your medications.

However, feel free to try this the next time you need to take a painkiller as long as it is not bothersome to see whether your pain disappears more quickly.