Okay, I know some are going to get a giggle out of this, so go ahead. 
But (one “t”), I remember when I was a kid, mostly in the 50s, being aware that people used some meds anally. AlthoughI know about suppositories, which are waxy, I wonder about hard pills.
What brings this up is that my pills all say something like “take 2 tablets orally daily”. Does this mean that some pills are taken up the ol’ poop chute?
Seriously.
Peace,
mangeorge
For all the good they will do you, you may as well shove them up your ass.
old joke
Some medications are taken sublingually - in other words, dissolved under the tongue.
I was trying to be delicate.
Aspirin is my friend. Real aspirin.
Actually, yes, there are some medications that can be taken rectally, vaginally, or taken orally, with the same pill. Depends on the medication.
However, the real reason the route is listed is just because we are suppose to. We are suppose to put on the label, how many to take (1 tablet, 2 tablets, etc), route of administration (Oral, sub-lingual, rectally, vaginally, etc), and frequency (twice a day, every 4 hours, etc). If we are have to actually type the sig, we might skip the route if it is obvious (mainly with oral), but depending on the computer system, they are probably a macro that we just select.
Other modes of delivery might include topically, subcutaneously, or intravenously. Granted, it’d probably be hard to mistakenly think that a pill should be delivered those ways, but for a liquid medicine, they might be plausible, and it’s probably easier to just specify the route on everything than to try to figure out every way an idiot might try it for every medication.
Some people who use Androgel, a prescription 1% testosterone gel, allegedly bypass the instructions to apply it topically (on the skin) and instead, insert a tiny bit rectally.
Allegedly, although it is approved for use only in men (so…why does the website say, “Not for use by pregnant women?”) it can increase female…uh, desire. To the point where it’s almost problematic.
Disclaimer: I’m not an MD and am not giving medical advice. This urban myth is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Google it if you want, I’m brand-new here and don’t want to be scolded for shilling or anything resembling bad behavior. I’m a good girl
Rectal administration of Androgel isn’t FDA approved, neither is it a legitimate off-label use. I haven’t heard of any legitimate reasons to use it in this method, however, I don’t know of any biological reasons it wouldn’t be effective through this route of administration.
Androgel’s active ingredient is Testosterone, as most people know, this is the primary male hormone. It is however also responsible for much of the female sex drive, where higher amounts are evident during ovulation, the peak of the female sex cycle.
I would agree with this, Androgel (and other testosterone medications) aren’t indicated for administration in a female. There are many effects of excess testosterone in a female body besides sexual desire, such as thickening of the vocal cords (causing a deeper voice), enlargement of the genitals, enhanced growth of body hair, changes in bone structure, and much more.
Androgel is alcohol based, if someone were to try that, boy they would be in for a fun time! (unless they like the burn of course, but most people don’t)
In some countries most medicines are taken rectally. A foreign visitor might assume what he was buying was to be used that way, so they make it explicit which way it’s to be taken.
Just a word to the wise.
Even if erythromycin gives you severe heartburn. Even if this heartburn can be very debilitating. Even if it is contained in a capsule. Even if its a very small capsule.
It is not ever a good idea to attempt to bypass problems with heartburn by sticking said erythromycin capsule where the sun don’t shine!
If you do this you will be in for an interesting few days and nights. You will realise that erythromycin did not actually cause reflux acid it actually irritated the lining of your gullet. It will now proceed to severely irritate the lining of your bowel instead!
Your friends will laugh at you as well!
IANAD (obviously)
When I was having Kidney stone problems they decided they wanted to image it. So they gave me a mega-strength gut clean-out kit. The first step was some pills. The second step was some nasty lemonade stuff. And the third step was a pill up your ass. Except it wasn’t really a pill, kind of a waxy mushy little cone shaped thing. And it remained there for approximately one nanosecond before the south bound traffic took care of things.
ah, Liqui-prep … I did it in that form once. The 4 little red pills were not so bad. I had high hopes … then the magnesium citrate. other than the nasty taste, at first it was fine, then the rumbles took over.
I moved into the bathroom and didnt leave for about 3 hours.
Thankfully my doc told me not to do the suppository 
However, I crapped everything I ate or drank for the next 4 days and showed up the morning of the operation so dehydrated they had to give me 2 bags before they could operate.
I duplicated the effect the next time I needed surgery [this past spring] and went into hypertensive crisis [210/190 and a migraine that made me want to blow my head off followed with a pseudogout flare]
I now categorically REFUSE to ever do any sort of bowel prep ever again. The operation finally was managed in August, and I did a liquid diet and an enema to clear out and did not have any dehydration issues.
I’ve heard of stuff like anti-nausea meds being taken that way, because if you swallowed the pills, you’d throw them right back up anyway. Makes sense, no?
Here is how it works with meds and thermometers inserted into the anus:
Patient: I don’t feel good.
Doc: Ok, let me stick this glass rod up your ass. How’s that?
Patient: Not good.
Doc: Ok, let me remove this glass rod from your ass. How do you feel now?
Patient: Better!
Doc: See, it works!
Oh. That’s not supposed to feel good?
Nevermind.
Another route:
Alprostadil, an ED drug which was more popular before the advent of Viagra and the like, is taken as a urethral suppository.