Keith Roach, M.D., syndicated columnist

DEAR DR. ROACH: I take telmisartan for high blood pressure. Included in each bottle is one of those tiny moisture-absorbent packs. Once the package is opened and I begin taking the pills, is it necessary to keep the dehydrator “pill” in the bottle, or can I discard it? I have, more than once, almost popped the dehydrator in my mouth, as it is so close to the telmisartan’s shape, size and color. Is telmisartan particularly prone to absorbing ambient water? None of my other medications contain dehydrators. — H.W.

ANSWER: Those moisture-absorbing packets are called desiccants, and they are used in medication bottles to keep pills dry. This is particularly important in capsules, because they will degrade with too much moisture. They usually contain silica, which is very good at absorbing water. They are not toxic, but they can cause gagging or choking, hence the “do not eat” warnings.

You may safely remove it as long as you keep the bottle tightly closed when not removing a pill. But if you live in a place with very high humidity and you get a 90-day or longer supply, you might consider leaving in the desiccant and taking out a weeks’ worth at a time and putting those pills into a pillbox or dispenser. This minimizes humidity getting into the medicine bottle and also removes the risk of swallowing the desiccant by mistake.

Editor’s note: Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.