Could Sir Alex Ferguson Chewing Gum Be Medicated

Sir Alex Ferguson was a coach at Manchester United club in London. He was regularly seen chewing gum on the touchline during his 26-year stint at Manchester United. So many people around the world wonder what is significant about chewing gum. A group of thought place it that it help him think fast during games. As a pharmacist, I am thinking in another dimension; medicated chewing gum (MCG).

What Are Medicated Chewing Gum

Medicated chewing gum are oral drug delivery system with extended release dosage form that provides a continuous release of medicine it contains. It was first launched in 1924 in the United States of America (USA) as aspergum. As oral dosage form gain wide acceptance, it soon spread to other parts of the world after world war II.

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Medicated chewing gum are made with a tasteless masticatory gum base that consist of natural or synthetic elastomers. Currently, medicated chewing gums are available for pain relief, smoking cessation, travel illness, and freshening of breath. In addition, a large number of chewing gum intended for prevention of caries, xerostomia alleviation, and vitamin/mineral supplementation are currently available.

Nobody knows the health condition of sir Alex Ferguson. So it is difficult to say which of the above indication he may have been chewing gum for. But a look at the nature of his job can give us a hint.

Coach are always under pressure during games. They want to win and avoid defeat. Before and during every game, the coach is always tense. This can increase blood pressure and severe body pain.

Age was not in his side. However, we have to exclude age from this discussion because sir Alex Ferguson was known to have started chewing gum even at a young man.

Sir Alex Ferguson could have been prescribed chewing gum for pain during his match. Or a special formulated chewing gum for blood pressure not commercially avail6 could have been designed for him. The reason a chewing gum is given to him is not far fetched.

Sir Alex Ferguson Chewing Gum

Advantages Of Medicated Chewing Gums

1. Increased rate of effectiveness rather than other oral delivery systems.

2. Removal of gum at any time; therefore termination of drug delivery.

3. Reduced risk of overdosing while it's whole swallowed.

4. Requiring no water to drink.

5. Protection of the susceptible drugs contained from chemical or enzymatic attack in gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

6. Both systemic and local drug delivery.

7. High acceptance by children and teenagers.

8. Low first-pass effect so reduced dose is formulated in chewing gum compared to other oral delivery systems.

9. Good for rapid delivery.

10. Fewer side effects.

11. Reduced risk of intolerance to gastric mucosa.

12. Good stability against light, oxygen, and moisture.

13. Annihilation of xerostomia and help tasting and swallowing in people with dry mouth.

14. Reduced pains and difficulties in swallowing following tonsillectomy.

15. Improving work performance and cognitive function.

16. Fast bowel recovery after GI surgery.

17. Reduced hypoglycemic shocks in people taking anti-diabetic drugs.

18. Stimulating alertness through increased blood flow to the brain.

19. Help reduce food cravings.

20. Convenient – promoting higher compliance.

21. Gum does not reach the stomach. Hence the gastrointestinal (GI) tract suffers less from the effects of excipients.

22. Fewer side effects due to avoidance of high plasma peak concentration and the promotion of controlled-release of the drug.

23. Good stability against light, oxygen, and moisture.

24. Decreases ear discomfort when flying.

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25. Relaxes and eases tension.

26. Freshens the breath.

Disadvantages Of Medicated Chewing Gums

1. Disappearance of drug in oral cavity following salivary dilution.

2. Different release profiles because of chewing style differences.

3. Short time of administration due to eating, speaking, and drinking.

4. Allergic reaction to artificial sweeteners.

5. Continuous stress on jaws that may cause temporomandibular joint disorder.

6. Teeth decay through being coated by sugar.

7. Masseter problems.

8. Stomach irritations, aches, gastric ulcer through continuous swallowing of saliva and even flatulence because of presence of sorbitol in some formulations.

9. Getting choked by swallowing gum in under-aged children.