The Different Types Of Suppository

Suppositories are solid medications used to deliver medications by insertion into a body orifice where it dissolves or melts to exert local or systemic effects. They provide another way to deliver drugs to the body when other routes cannot be used. The suppository is small and may be round, oval, or cone-shaped. The medication is surrounded by one or several ingredients such cocoa butter or a similar substitute, polyethylene glycol, hydrogels, and glycerinated gelatin. The type of material used depends on the type of suppository, the type of drug, and the conditions in which the suppository will be stored.

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Suppositories may treat the local area, or the medicine may travel to other parts of the body through the bloodstream.

Suppository and their base

Types Of Suppository

There are three main types of suppositories, each to insert into a different orifice: Rectal, vaginal and urethral. Recently development include ear (cone) and nasal suppository.

Rectal Suppositories

Rectal suppositories go in the rectum or anus. They are typically an inch long and have a rounded tip. It is used to treat constipation, headache, etc. Rectal suppositories for adults are tapered at one end and usually weigh about 2 grams. Infant rectal suppositories usually weight about 1 gram or about half that of adult suppositories.

Vaginal Suppositories

They go into the vaginal. Vaginal suppositories are usually globular, oviform, or cone-shaped and weigh between 3 - 5 grams and come with an applicator. People may insert vaginal suppositories into the vaginal to treat infection (bacterial or fungal) and vaginal dryness.

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Urethral Suppositories

Urethral suppositories go into the urethra to treat health problems in rare cases. These suppositories are the size of a grain of rice and deliver a drug called alprostadil. Although, limited use due to development of newer effective oral drugs for the same purpose. Traditionally, they are cylindrical in shape (3 - 6 mm in diameter) and vary in length according to gender. Female urethral suppositories can be 25 - 70 mm in length while male urethral suppositories can be about 50 - 125 mm in length.