A recent study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that taking a pill while lying on your right side shortens the time it takes for the drug to be absorbed.
The study was published in the Journal of Fluid Physics, and was written about by Johns Hopkins University.
Before going into the details, we confirm that the information here is for general knowledge, as some people cannot take the medicine while they are lying on the side, and they may face the risk of suffocation, so consult your doctor before changing the position in which you take the medicine.
When do the pills start working?
“We were very surprised that the situation had such a massive effect on the dissolution rate of the pill,” said lead author Rajat Mittal, an expert in fluid dynamics. “I never thought about whether I was doing it right or wrong, but now I will definitely think about it every time.” I take a pill.”
Most pills do not begin to work until the stomach has ejected their contents into the intestine. So the closer the pills are to the lower part of the stomach, called the antrum, the faster they begin to dissolve and empty their contents into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.
The team tested 4 modes. Taking the pills while lying on the right side was by far the best, as the pills reached the deepest part of the stomach for a dissolution rate 2.3 times faster than in the upright position.
Lying on the left side is the worst
In contrast, lying on the left side was the worst. The team was very surprised to find that it took 10 minutes for the pill to dissolve on the right side, 23 minutes when taking the medication while standing, and more than 100 minutes when lying on the left side.
“For the elderly or the bedridden, whether they are going left or right, it can have a significant impact,” Mittal said.
The effect of stomach diseases, such as gastroparesis due to diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, on drug dissolution was similar to that of body position when taking the drug.
Gastroparesis is a condition where the stomach cannot empty in the normal way. Food passes through the stomach more slowly than usual. It is thought to be the result of a problem with the nerves and muscles that control how the stomach empties.