Syringobulbia

Sublingual administration is a method of drug administration where the drug is placed under the tongue and is absorbed by the body through the mucous membrane. This method is often used for drugs that are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and have a rapid onset of action.

Overview

Sublingual administration is a common route of administration for many cardiovascular drugs, steroids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioid analgesics, enzymes and increasingly, vitamins and minerals. This method of administration has some distinct advantages over other forms of drug administration.

Advantages

The main advantages of sublingual administration are its speed and efficiency. The drug is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and has a fast onset of action. It also bypasses the first-pass metabolism which can often degrade the drug or reduce its activity.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of sublingual administration is that it can cause irritation to the mucous membrane under the tongue. This can be uncomfortable for the patient and may discourage them from using this method of administration.

Drugs commonly administered sublingually

Some of the drugs that are commonly administered sublingually include Nitroglycerin (for angina), Buprenorphine (for opioid dependence), and Lorazepam (for anxiety disorders).

See also

• Oral administration
• Intravenous administration
• Intramuscular administration
• Rectal administration

References

<references />

This article is a medical stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!
Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia