Natural_Medicine_Magazine_Issue_145_July_2017

ASK OUR EXPERTS
DR SANDI NYE, ND
www.greenhousehealth.com
drsnye@bucknet.co.za
She is a naturopath with a special interest
in aromatic and integrative medicine,
and is dual-registered with the
Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA).
Sandi serves as editorial board member and/or consultant for
various national and international publications, and is in private
practice in Pinelands, Cape Town.
TRANSDERMALS
ADR SANDI NYE REPLIES: A high absorption
rate, directly into the bloodstream, can be
achieved with many substances that are delivered
transdermally, without the risk of gastrointestinal
degradation or other common oral-medicine-related
side effects. ‘Patch-treatment’, which is becoming
more and more popular, appears to be a safe, effective
and convenient substance delivery option, for a wide
range of disorders and conditions, demonstrating
good patient acceptability and compliance.
Q
I am tired of the side effects of oral
medications. Please tell me a bit
more about transdermal patch treatment
and what it can be used for. N.I.
Transdermal patches allow application of a substance,
such as a natural remedy or a medicinal drug, through
the skin, with the aim of allowing sustained release
and slow absorption of the active ingredients. Patches
are generally designed to release their active components
in two ways – either the ingredients are stored
within a porous membrane, which allows slow absorption
when applied to skin; or the actives are embedded
in thin layers within the actual adhesive part of
the patch, which melts through body heat and is subsequently
absorbed through the skin.
There are basically fi ve different types of medicinal
transdermal patches:
Single-layer drug in adhesive patch
Multi-layer drug in adhesive patch
Reservoir patch (unlike the fi rst two types,
the reservoir system has a separate drug
layer)
Matrix patch (considered the safest)
Vapour patch (relatively new patches that
release volatile essential oil vapours for up
to six hours).
THE PROS AND CONS OF TRANSDERMALS
On the up-side: Transdermals have the advantage of
providing a controlled release of the active substance,
often at specifi c sites or areas of injury or pain. So if
you have a back-ache, a patch on the specifi c area of
discomfort can deliver a dose of the treatment directly
where it’s needed, rather than having to go through
other body processes before reaching the target area.
This targeted delivery also allows for more accurate
delivery of the actives into the bloodstream, unlike
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