juststud said...
anyone care to explain to me, in little, tiny words that i can maybe understand, how exact is the release point, how they determine if in fact it is releasing at the determined point, and is it reasonable to think that it will work the same in everyone ????
Most mesalamines have a delayed-release coating that relies on PH level (acidic or base) within your digestive tract. Different parts of the digestive tract have known PH levels (the stomach is very acidic, the intestine is more a base). The coating is designed to survive until it reaches the large intestine, and has a target PH level in which that coating will dissolve in part. Release rate is a bit more complex, as a generalization, some pills have a corner that's purposely thinner than the rest of the pill, it dissolves first leaving a hole or split from which the medication pours out at a known rate.
Ph levels vary a little person-to-person, so it's not 100 percent accurate for everyone. Mouth-to-anus transit time is also variable. When we're flaring, that conveyor belt is set at full speed ahead. Both things that can mess with the medication dispersal and rate (or lack thereof). Sometimes that might mean passing whole pills.