Effervescent Vs Ordinary Tablet
- Quick Action - Dissolves immediately in water, releasing carbon dioxide that helps in the rapid disintegration of the medicine into a homogenous solution.
- Minimum Discomfort - Tablets are difficult for many, especially aged people, to swallow hard pills. The consumption of effervescent tablets does not cause digestive or esophageal discomfort or irritations.
- Keeps Hydrated - Unlike regular tablets, effervescent tablets require a glass full of water for them to become soluble.
- Pleasant Taste - Effervescent tablets have a nice fizzy flavor and are pleasant to drink. Pills are often flavorless.
- Fast Absorption -Effervescent tablets have already started dissolving by the time they reach your stomach, meaning they can be absorbed efficiently.
- No Measurement Needed - Some powders need to be measured with spoons or scoops, then stirred and dissolved – and this all takes time. Effervescent tablets usually dissolve rapidly and you don’t need to worry about measuring the product.
What Does An Effervescent Tablet Do ?
Effervescent tablets are designed to release carbon dioxide upon contact with water, promoting their disintegration. Within a couple of minutes the tablets completely dissolve and the drug becomes available in solution.
The generation of carbon dioxide is a result of the chemical reaction that occurs between a carbonate or bicarbonate salt and a weak organic acid (e.g., citric or tartaric acid) in the presence of water.
Due to the high content of carbonate salt, upon the ingestion of the drug solution, the gastric pH is temporarily elevated, resulting in fast gastric emptying.
This in turn promotes drug absorption from the upper small intestine, which is the primary site for drug absorption. In doing so, higher drug bioavailability and a faster onset of action can usually be achieved.
Effervescence has been found to be useful to formulate medicines that are –
- Difficult to digest.
- Medicines that induce stomach or esophageal irritation.
- Medicines that are moisture or PH sensitive.
- To obtain a rapid onset of action.
