Liquid pain reliever gels are a ‘fraud’, pharmacist says

Spending extra money on gel capsules of your favorite painkiller in the hope that they will kick in faster? You might want to think twice.

Pharmacist Grant Harting is calling so-called “quick-acting” liquid gel pain relievers a racket – and he’s taking to TikTok to spill the pharmaceutical tea.

In a video that has garnered more than 26,000 likes this week, Harting acknowledged that Advil, like any form of ibuprofen, is effective for treating fever and pain caused by inflammation. But he argues that the hype about gel capsules offering faster relief than regular tablets is largely unwarranted – despite the higher price tag they often carry.

“This is one of the biggest scams people fall for,” says Harting. “I’m choosing tablets any day of the week.”

How it works

When you swallow a pain reliever, the medicine must enter your bloodstream to do its job. A small amount of absorption occurs in the stomach, but most of the absorption occurs in the small intestine.

Harting explained that while the gel capsules may speed up the breakdown phase of the stomach, they don’t actually make the intestines absorb the drug any faster than regular tablets.

“In my personal and professional opinion, it’s not significant enough to have a price difference between the two,” he said.

The costly truth

Liquid-filled capsules are more expensive to manufacture, so they often come with a higher price tag. On Amazon, a pack of 20 Advil Liqui-Gels costs $7, while 100 coated tablets will set you back just $9.99.

Advil did not respond to a request for comment.

The evidence is scant

While some studies suggest that gel capsules work slightly faster than tablets, Harting says the evidence is “inconclusive.”

Researchers at the University of Alberta reviewed 18 studies on the issue and found that while ibuprofen Liqui-Gels may have a slightly faster onset, the available evidence is “not overwhelming.”

In fact, some studies have found that quick-release gel caps, including those for acetaminophen, may actually dissolve more slowly than standard tablets from the same brand.

Harting’s final verdict? “If they have the same price, it doesn’t matter. If there is a price difference, go to tablets.”

How to get your medication started faster

Dispelling the myth about “fast-acting” gel capsules doesn’t mean you’re out of luck in speeding up your medication. In fact, there is a way to make pills dissolve faster – and it doesn’t involve the expense of more expensive options.

According to a study from Johns Hopkins University, your body position can play a big role in how quickly drugs start working.

Using a computer model that simulated how the stomach digests food and medicine in four different positions, researchers discovered a game-changing trick: lie on your right side.

When the participants were on their right side, the pill reached the deepest part of the stomach and was digested in just 10 minutes. In comparison, standing or lying on your back took about 23 minutes, and lying on your left side took 100 minutes to digest.