(3116) How Do You Spell 'Pain Relief'?
Madeline Stever
James Strath

Abstract


You have a broken leg or you have a really bad headache. You would probably go to your local drug store to buy some pain medication. You get to the drug store and go to the pain relief aisle but there are so many, different types of medications that you don t know which type to take. Choosing the right type of pain reliever is important. One type of ibuprofen might give you stomach ulcers while another might not give you fast relief. You should be aware of these dangers before taking medications. So, I answered these questions; 1) Which type of ibuprofen dissolves the most quickly in an acid solution? 2) What is the result to the stomach lining? 3) How does ibuprofen compare to ASA? 4) Is the pH of the solution changed by the medicine used and does this impact the lining of the stomach? 5) What does this mean for patients in pain?

To solve these questions I mixed a 3% acetic acid solution and poured it into 6 containers with lids. I added 1 piece of tissue paper in each container to represent the stomach lining. Then I got my assistants to help drop the different types of pain medication into one of the six containers and start the timer.

After 20 minutes, the assistants each took 1 container and, at the same time, gently agitate the containers simulating the movement of the stomach during digestion. Continue rocking for 5 minutes non-stop. Then I kept recording the observations. When all the tablets dissolved I took the pH of each container and recorded the state of the tissue paper.

The results show the fastest sample to dissolve was Stomach E (400 mg Extra strength/enteric coated Ibuprofen). This was followed by Stomach C (325 mg ASA tablet) and Stomach F (200 mg enteric coated Ibuprofen). All three of these solutions dissolved the solid tablet within ten minutes. Stomach A (200 mg Ibuprofen Gel Cap) and D (200 mg Ibuprofen Gel Cap) were very slow to dissolve (over one hour). The lowest pH was in Stomach E with a pH less than 5. This was followed by Stomach C, F, B and D all with acidic pH. Stomach A which had no acetic acid had a basic pH at 7.5.

In conclusion, considering that the faster a drug dissolves, the quicker it goes into the blood stream and is able to work, my observations show that you should take 400 mg of Ibuprofen, 325 mg of ASA, or 200 mg of enteric coated Ibuprofen for fast pain relief. The problem is that these solutions became acidic and had observable differences in the solution colour and the tissue paper. The Ibuprofen gel caps were very slow to dissolve but the pH of the solution was the highest. These finding suggest that this medicine might be the best for people with stomach concerns but they won t get pain relief as fast. So next time, be aware when you are taking ibuprofen.