What Happens When We Take Medicines? Steven Rindner Answers

According to Steven Rindner, bio student, medicines come in different forms. They are vital in keeping the body healthy against diseases.

Taking medication may seem simple. However, what happens inside the body is a complex process. It also involves different organs.

In this blog post, Steven Rindner talks about what happens to medicine once it enters the body.

Before anything else, bio student Steven Rindner explains four stages to remember. These are absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Absorption refers to the many different forms and ways that medication is taken into the bloodstream. For example, almost all oral medicines go into the small intestines and are absorbed there. Those that don't end up in go to the stomach. Here, they are regulated in the bloodstream.

Other medications given through injections or other invasive means are absorbed via the skin and lungs.

The second part of the process is distribution. The molecules found in common medications are often distributed through the bloodstream.

Through distribution, Steven Rindner explains that the medicine can take effect beyond the intended part. This leads to side effects. However, not all molecules can cross the so-called blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the nervous system from experiencing side effects.

The next step is metabolism. Here, the liver takes the stage. The liver is the main organ needed in processing the chemicals in medicines. During this step, the substances are turned into enzymes. They are integrated into the body to take effect. Depending on the person's mass, the processing time on enzymes could vary.

Finally, there's excretion. Once the body finishes processing the drug, it now has to be removed. The chemicals leave the body in different ways. They can leave through saliva, urine, tears, sweat, breath, and bowel movement. If medication isn't excreted from the body, bio major Steven Rindner, it can cause drug toxicity.