The ride...

When you’re picking up over-the-counter drugs or prescription medications, you’re focused on the ingredients that will make you feel better, not the ones that are along for the ride.

But those inactive ingredients comprise as much as 99 percent of a pill or capsule, to keep your medication stable, help you absorb the good stuff, help prevent tampering, and enhance the taste.

Researchers found that close to 93 percent contained at least one of 38 inactive ingredients that can trigger allergic reactions. What’s more, 55 percent of pills contained sugars that may cause digestive problems in people with irritable bowel syndrome. 

While that sounds pretty scary, don’t panic, “Inactive ingredients are actually tested rigorously.