Delayed Release Caffeine Pill

August 18, 2010 1:33 AM

Is a delayed release caffeine pill, one with a coating to prevent it from being digested for 8+ hours, feasible? Would the pill be too far along in the digestive tract to have an effect at that point? How could I make one?
posted by phrontist to Science & Nature (8 answers total)

As long as it's still within the digestive tract (which may not be the case after 8 hours), it should still have the desired effect, otherwise suppositories wouldn't work.
posted by cronholio at 1:48 AM on August 18, 2010

Are you thinking that it could wake you up in the morning...it might not work. Sometimes if I'm really tired I've had caffeine and it's helped me sleep and feel refreshed...so if you're already asleep..who knows.
posted by Not Supplied at 2:36 AM on August 18, 2010

Most enetric coated medicines are designed to release in response to change in pH (as it enters the intestines) which will be sooner than 8 hours that you are proposing. There are some more sophisticated technologies which would do it but wont be very straight forward.
posted by london302 at 2:41 AM on August 18, 2010

Hi phrontist, I work in the pharmaceutical industry and have some knowledge about these kind of delayed release formulations. Although your suggestion is a neat idea, I think it would be very technically difficult to achieve, plus if you every wanted to sell it you would run into a sea of regulatory issues! Even making something like that for personal use though would be nigh on impossible without some serious knowhow and expensive equipment.

I think a far more sensible proposition would just be set your alarm for half an hour earlier and take a couple of immediate release caffeine pills, which would kick in in time for your regular alarm!

Sorry to be a party-pooper!
posted by ruperto at 5:18 AM on August 18, 2010

What specifically would be technically difficult about it? (Curiosity)
posted by sunnichka at 6:46 AM on August 18, 2010

Caffeine dependence is bad for you. You may want to solve this in another way, by getting a better or longer night's sleep, for example. Or looking at your wake-up routine and seeing what your obstacles are. But it's really likely that you just aren't getting enough sleep -- most people today don't.
posted by dhartung at 7:33 AM on August 18, 2010

Subcutaneous suppository is the way to go.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:12 AM on August 18, 2010

ThinkGeek.com sells some caffeine capsules that release gradually over an 8 hour period. I know this isn't what you want, but it is a related technology.

Time Release Caffeine Capsules
posted by thedward at 9:38 AM on August 18, 2010