When taking capsules, have you ever done this: separate the capsules and pour the powder inside into the water. Is this really okay? What is the capsule made of? Is it harmful to the human body?

　　1. About the capsule

　　Actually, the capsules are mainly made of gelatin made from pig skin, so taking the capsules directly will not cause harm to the human body. There are three main reasons why drugs are made into capsules:

　　First, cover up the bad smell of the medicine itself and eliminate the discomfort when taking it;

　　Secondly, certain drugs are easily destroyed in the stomach or have strong irritation to the stomach. They are made into enteric-coated capsules to ensure that the capsules do not dissolve until they reach the duodenum.

　　Third, some capsules are slow-release or controlled-release capsules, which must be swallowed intact to release the drug in a balanced dose and achieve the best efficacy. Therefore, whether the capsule medicine can be taken apart depends on the specific characteristics of the medicine.

　　2. Capsules that are not suitable for splitting

　　"Enteric-coated" capsules: Enteric-coated capsules do not allow them to dissolve in the gastric juice, but only disintegrate and melt in the intestinal juice. Some drugs are irritating to the stomach (such as aspirin enteric-coated capsules), and some drugs are easily destroyed in stomach acid (such as omeprazole enteric-coated capsules). Such enteric-coated capsules cannot be taken separately.

　　Drugs with strong smell and strong irritation: Some drugs smell unpleasant or bitter. If taken apart, the drug tastes very irritating and even causes nausea and vomiting, such as chloramphenicol capsules. There are also some drugs that are more irritating to the esophagus, such as minocycline hydrochloride capsules. If they are taken apart, they will burn the esophagus and cause esophageal ulcers. Therefore, these drugs are not suitable for taking them apart.

　　3. Capsule medicine that can be split

　　Ordinary capsule: It only has the function of dispensing medicine and precise dosage, and can be divided and taken. For example, most cephalosporin antibiotics and quinolones antibiotics, most Chinese patent medicine capsules can be taken apart and added to water. However, some of the capsules are in powder form and tend to stick to the mouth or esophagus when taken, resulting in excessively high local drug concentration or inaccurate dosage. Patients need to drink water as soon as possible after taking it.

　　"Controlled release" or "sustained release" capsules with pills: Most medicines with the words "controlled release" and "sustained release" cannot be split, but some of the capsules contain pills because there are coatings on the outside of the small pills , You can take the capsules apart if necessary.