How make Glycerin suppositories at home

Hello, everyone, I was wondering, how can someone make glycerin / glycerol suppositories at home so that they'll be solid (every time I try they become like a medium hard jelly and I use gelatin and glycerol)?

I combine glycerine with water on a hot bath while mixing constantly, then add gelatin until it becomes more like a watery gel and then I add my ingredients (I try to incorporate powdered medicinal plants and some oils like coconut oil).

I keep then in the fridge and they become like a medium hard jelly, how do I make them really solid?

This sounds interesting since solid glycerin suppositories have never ever had an effect on me.

If you had medicinal plants, you should use just cocoa butter, or neutral things.

Because glycerin make poop.

You need stearic acid powder for firm suppos.

Look up the ingredients in glycerin suppositories.

WHY DON'T YOU JUST BUY THEM?

You add gelatin? And you are surprised that they do not become solid? well if you get one of those big syringes with a glass tube and a plunger you can inject that mixture. OH WAIT! I have an idea! Why not drive over to Walmart or Walgreens and buy a few! If memory serves correct, isn't there a certain amount of paraffin/wax in suppository's that keeps them solid?

on an aside note, I have been known to melt a few suppository's in a double boiler. DO NOT try to melt them in the microwave! and then pour them into the fingers of rubber gloves. Leave them harden then peel away the rubber/latex (or whatever they are made of) gloves and viola! you have adult sized suppository's!

U.S. (USP) uses stearic acid. Euro (BP) uses gelatin.

Could you freeze the ones you make? I mean they would at least maybe be hard enough to insert. From what I have read, a lot of people uses coconut oil to make their own and add their own ingredients like you said you want to do. I’ve never made my own, so I don’t know for sure.

Thanks for your answers!

So, stearic acid or bee wax are the way.

For people that asked me, I want to make medicinal powders, suppositories, tinctures, etc, myself. I asked about suppositories on this forum because I've found it by mistake and I knew that you, people, would be able to help me.

I'll go buy some stearic acid, it shouldn't be expensive.

You search to create them for what use ?

For medicinal use.

You need something that is solid at or near room temperature yet melts reliably and quickly at body temperature. Commercial oil-based suppositories generally use either cocoa butter or a specialty hydrogenated oil base. Homemade may be done with either of these or with coconut oil (keep in refrigerator, on hot days it melts). Wax is unlikely to be satisfactory, because it doesn't melt at body temperature.

Glycerin won't effectively incorporate in these, so either look up how to do a gelatin based Euro-style suppo or mix in the stearic acid American style. Might be cheaper to just get a jar of premade ones, melt them, and add some more glycerin though.

Medicinal is a broad term and be carreful because it requires special knowledge for this type of suppositories.

I've made solid glycerin suppositories by adding a tiny bit of glycerin soap to heated glycerin. Microwaved glycerin gets very hot very quickly, so be careful.

Why didn't I buy them? Well they don't have them in my country and making all kinds of suppositories is a nice hobby 😃 Plus you get to stuff your hobby materials up your butt, which is always a plus.

@moliere about your comment on glycerin and stearic acid: did you actually try that? I know it works to use soap as a base for glycerin. But as far as I understand it, stearic acid still needs to react with e.g. potassium bicarbonate to become soap. Does stearic acid on its own work?

BTW I'm not questioning your knowledge, I'm just trying to clarify this. I would like to try it.

@moliere about your comment on glycerin and stearic acid: did you actually try that? I know it works to use soap as a base for glycerin. But as far as I understand it, stearic acid still needs to react with e.g. potassium bicarbonate to become soap. Does stearic acid on its own work?

BTW I'm not questioning your knowledge, I'm just trying to clarify this. I would like to try it.

No, didn't seem worth it. I imagine that homemade glycerin suppositories are more potent and "kickier" than what you get now so maybe... though I haven't done it yet. Recipe came from an old edition of the USP. If you don't want to scavenge around for the PDF I did find extracts online, see https://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kings/glycerina_supp.html

Here's the official 1919 U.S.P. recipe:

SUPPOSITORIA GLYCERINI

Suppositories of Glycerin

Supp. Glycerin.

GLYCERIN, thirty grammes (30.0 Gm.)

Monohydrated Sodium Carbonate, ½ gramme (0.5 Gm.)

Stearic Acid, two grammes (2.0 Gm.)

WATER, five milliliters (5.0 mils)

To make ten rectal suppositories (10) Dissolve the monohydrated sodium carbonate in the water and add it to the glycerin contained in a suitable vessel placed in a water bath in such a way that the vessel is well down in the boiling water and its contents protected as much as possible from the steam of the bath. Add the stearic acid and heat the mixture for fifteen minutes or until the carbon dioxide ceases to be evolved, and the liquid is clear. Then pour the melted mass into suitable moulds, remove the suppositories when they are completely cold, and preserve them in tightly-stoppered glass vessels in a cool place.

If you want to try the Euro style gelatin ones start with glycerinated gelatin:

GELATINUM GLYCERINATUM / Glycerinated Gelatin / Gelat. Glycerin.

GELATIN, one hundred grammes (100 Gm.)

GLYCERIN, one hundred grammes (100 Gm.)

WATER, a sufficient quantity,

______

To make two hundred grammes (200 Gm)

Pour upon the gelatin sufficient water, which has been previously boiled and cooled, to cover it; allow it to stand one hour; pour off the water and allow the gelatin to drain for a few minutes; then transfer it to a dish, add the glycerin, and heat it on a water bath until the gelatin is dissolved. Strain the solution while hot, transfer to a tared dish* and continue the heat on the water bath until the product weighs two hundred grammes. When cold, out the mass into pieces, and preserve them in well-closed container

*meaning a dish that you know the weight/mass of so you can tell when the contents reduce to 200 gms.

To use as a laxative suppository add more glycerin and pour into a mold, start with 100 Gm. Additional glycerin, going up to 200 gms. Fully made this recipe will give you about 30-50 suppositories depending on size.