Anyone who takes painkillers should then lie down on the right side of their body. Researchers have found that the remedy works much faster this way. If you are on the left, you risk 100 minutes until the active ingredient kicks in.
If it is up to those affected, drugs should work as quickly as possible. This is especially true with painkillers. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the USA have found out what patients have to do for this. You should therefore lie down on the right side of your body.
Painkillers: According to researchers, posture matters
The reason: In this way, the duodenum can absorb the active ingredient more easily. According to the researchers, lying on the right side is ten times faster than lying on the left. Specifically, depending on your posture, this means:
- Lying on the left side of the body for 100 minutes until a painkiller with the active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) takes effect
- 23 minutes standing for the painkiller to take effect
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Lie on the right side of your body for ten minutes until the painkiller takes effect
According to the study, the steeper the angle at which the drug slides through the stomach, the faster it works. Thus, when lying on the right side, gravity, stomach contractions, and the currents of gastric juice work together optimally.
Other factors also influence the speed of action of drugs
These findings are particularly important for the treatment of bedridden patients, said Professor Hans-Raimund Casser, Medical Director of the DRK Pain Center in Mainz, to ZDF. They could also be transferred to other drugs that are swallowed – for example, to so-called slow-release tablets, which are intended to release their active ingredient more slowly, says the expert. It is therefore better to turn to the left when taking them.
According to Casser, posture is not the only factor that influences faster release of the active ingredient in a tablet. He gives more tips:
- Take the medication before meals.
- Always swallow tablets with liquid.
- If possible, take drops instead of tablets. These are absorbed more quickly through the oral or nasal mucosa.
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