I never used Gloup before, how does it work?
Are you going to use Gloup for the first time and you don’t know how to? If you follow these steps below you have the best chance on a successful and positive experience.
- Taste Gloup first without any medication, so you can get used to the structure and flavour of the product.
- Start with just 1 tablet or pill and expand to multiple tablets per intake at once later.
- Put the pill/ tablet on a spoon.
- Add Gloup (approx. 5 ml) to the spoon. Make sure that the entire pill is covered with Gloup.
- Swallow all at once.
- Gloup can be used with both entire and crushed tablets. Always check with your pharmacist whether your tablets are allowd to be crushed.
- It might happen that you do not directly swallow your medication successfully the first time. please keep in mind that you have to get used to the texture of the gel, because this is the first time you swallow medication with a gel. Try multiple times and you will definately improve, just don’t give up the first swallow.
- Gloup is slippery and slides away easily. People that nowadays crush their medication, often no longer need to do that with the use of Gloup as they can now easily swallow the entire tablet! It is always best practice not to crush if not needed!
Do you crush your medication?
A lot of people crush their medication. In some cases this is no problem, and crushing is allowed, without having an impact on the efficacy of the medication. However, in a lot of cases it could be a serious problem. Did you ever hear about a slow- release tablet? This kind of tablet has a coating designed to release a small amount of active ingredient during multiple hours of the day (even up to 24 hours). Your body gets small amounts of the active ingredient every time. By crushing the tablet, this coating is destroyed, which means that the full amount of active ingredient is released at once in the stomach. This can lead to very serious health issues, as you are in fact giving yourself an overdosage. From study we even know that this has lead to deaths in the past.
Another important coating exists: the Enteric coating. This coating is resistant to the stomach acid, and is present for 2 important reasons: the first one is protection of the stomach wall. The active ingredient of this specific given medication can be irritating for the stomach wall. The enteric coating is added to protect the stomach wall against stomach ulcers. Because of this coating, the active ingredient is only released after it has past the stomach, so the stomach wall does not absorb the medication. The second reason for this coating is protection of the active ingredient against stomach acid. If the coating would not be present, the drugs would be in contact with the stomach acid. However; in these cases the stomach acid will inactivate the active ingrdient. in other words; the medication is no longer effective, and the medication will not work as intended.
Meanwhile lots of people have discovered Gloup, and they no longer have to crush their pills. Because Gloup covers your tablet completely it is much easier to swallow. As it slides down the throat so easily, people are no longer afraid that the pills will get stuck in their throats. So the medication will do exactly what they need to be doing!
Why NOT to take medication with food?
- Apple sauce, apple juice and orange juice have a negative impact on lots of medication
- The use of yoghurt decreases efficacy of many pills/ tablets
- Many pills are not allwoed to be taken with dairy products
- Grapefruit juice in combination with specific medication leads to massive overdose
- Cafeine decreases OR increases efficacy of specific medication
- Do you want to read the studies that state above facts? Let us know
Many medications interact with different food. many interactions have been studied, but there are still a lot unknown interactions as well. Fruit products, but dairy products as well are known to have an impact on the effect of the medication. By using Gloup medication swallowing gel you minimize the risk on those unwanted and unknown interactions.
If you are not suffering from dysphagia, it would be possible. In case of no dysphagia the thickness of the product is not essential, as you can swallow thinner products safely. By adding a liquid, Gloup will become a bit thinner. Gloup will now mask the bad flavor of the medication. In case of dysphagia, using Gloup with liquid medication is not allowed.
Always ask your speech therapist which version of Gloup would be most suitable in your case. There are IDDSI Level 3 and IDDSI Level 4 products available. There is always a version of Gloup available that suits your personal needs.
No, you don’t have to keep Gloup in the fridge. Gloup needs to be kept between 2 and 25 degrees Celsius. However, you are allowed to keep it in the fridge.
A tip to make swallowing easier however, is to keep Gloup in the fridge. The cold product will have a positive effect on the swallowing reflex.
In case of extreme high temperatures, where 25 degrees Celsius is exeeded, it definately needs to be kept in the fridge.
Gloup cannot be used if a person cannot swallow independently anymore.
Gloup cannot be used for liquid and effervescent medication.
If you do not suffer from dysphagia, and you are still allowed to drink water, you could take a glass of water after the intake with Gloup if this is recommended in the IFU of the medication. However, it is not necesarry. If you have dysphagia, please decide whether it is possible based on your personal situation. Always ask your speech therapist her opinion about the right consistency. Please keep in mind that taking thickened water right after the intake with Gloup can have a serious impact on the absorption of the medication. We would recommend not doing that.
