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Breaking tablets in half

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davblo
davblo

Hi all,

Since I have been in the habit of breaking my Prednisolone tablets (10mg and 5mg and more recently 2.5mg) in half to get better control of the dose, I've always wondered if it was actually safe to do so. I recently asked the doctor if I could be sure I would get half the dose in each half or if the manufacturing process didn't care and could leave more in one side of the tablet than the other. As I said in another posting, he gave me a very off-hand answer which left me none the wiser.

I've just gotten around to searching a little on the web and found that people talk of tablets as being \"scored\" (or not).

Here is a quote from one such site...

- \"Generally if a tab is scored, then it can be halved safely, and yes, you

would receive only half the dose of the total medication\".

So it seems the score line is an indication that the tablet can be broken in two safely.

Fortunately all my tablets have the score line on one side; so I'm pleased about that.

(Apparently the reason these are so popular is that lower dose tablets often cost almost as much as higher dose ones. So by breaking high dose ones in half you can double your supply of low dose ones for the same cost.)

All the best; davblo

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi again Davblo

    As regards your question as to whether we are \"testing the water\" when we reduce, I'm sure that is exactly what we're doing. The experts don't have a cause or a cure and they all have differing advice. Plus, of course, everyone is different and what may suit one may not suit another.

    Hopefully, when the Professor in Essex has finished his research there will be some knowledgeable guidance circulated to all GPs/Rheumatologists at least in this country, so that at least no-one misses out on any valuable advice/information then available. Meanwhile, the experts and ourselves it seems are learning from each other and long may that continue for \"a problem shared is definitely a problem solved\" and at the very least the reassurance that this site gives is invaluable in my opinion!

    Best wishes,

    MrsO

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Davblo

    It's past my bedtime and I'm getting tired.......of course \"a problem shared is a problem HALVED!\" :?

    Nite nite.

    Mrs O

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