drugs and vitamins

[mode-rnone]

I assume that medication and vitamin tablets are made up of whatever drug necessary for treatment, powder and liquid to bind them all together. If this is the case, how are effervescent tablets such as Alka-Seltzer made without fizzing up during the process?

[Mastergm]

Try mixing Bicarbonate of soda (powder) with citric acid (powder) and pour this mixture in water. Hopefully you will have the answer!

[beaniesq]

HI there,
effervescent tablets are made in a specially controlled low humidity environment and they start out as a dry mixture of powders. This mix contains the active ingredient and sweeteners etc.
The powder is then compressed in a heavy tablet punch to form a tablet shape. So no fluid is actually used in the process, and that's why they don't fizz during manfacture.

Oh, also, the ingredients that cause the fizz are usually called carbonates - i..e sodium carbonate.

Hope that answers your question!

[beaniesq]

P.S. Not many tablets are made with liquids in, they are mostly made from compressed powder.

Sometimes they are dipped in a special liquid coating of sugar because they would be too disgusting to swallow without it!

And occasionally they are enteric coated, which means that they don't dissolve in stomach acid. (Necessary for drugs which can harm the stomach lining).