Crunching prednisolone!

[ccccc]

Hi everyone

Back on an emergency course of Pred after the recent warm weather flare up (which these days is 40mg a day for a couple of weeks)...lying awake at 3am with a sore chest and I was wondering: does anyone else chew or crush their Prednisolone tablets (I find swallowing tablets difficult so I've always done so) and do you wonder if it affects their absorption into your body, as in absorbing less than the prescribed dose? I'm wondering if this is one of the reasons why I seem to need longer courses these days. Had a first dose of Xolair nearly two weeks ago but understand it can take a while for it to take effect.

[Poobah]

If you scrunch the tablet in the spoon using another spoon on top, then pop jam or honey on the spoon and take then you should get a full dose. If you can tolerate the taste, lick the 2nd spoon. That's how my mum got me to take Pred when I was a kid (I absolutely hated the taste and wasn't good at taking tablets).

[ccccc in reply to Poobah]

I will try that Poobah, thanks.

[Dogruff]

There is a dissolvable tablet! I was once dispensed it and it massively disagreed with me though as I’m a fussy cow. Worth giving 111 a call to see if they can arrange for it to be changed for you for the weekend.

[ccccc in reply to Dogruff]

I had the dissolvable tablets as a child - remember the horrible pink water it used to create - must've worked though as I'm still here (just about...)! I think the GP hates me cos all the soluble stuff I ask for seems to cost far more than the ordinary tablets do.

[PaulRosedene]

Hey, join the club ! I am back on pred too. My asthma has not been good this last week. I put this down to tree pollen. I'm not too sure about the recent warm weather. Are you in the Caribbean ? It's been freezing for days now !!

I work in a care home and give medication to the residents. Some of them crunch up their tablets, including paracetemol. I'm not sure how they do it !! Some tablets are crushed up and delivered with jam as described by Poobah. Some medication comes in a liquid form. There is liquid paracetemol for example, which I believe is sweetened. Maybe you can get liquid pred ?

I haven't tried crunching up pred or spreading it on my frosties. Is it an acquired taste ? Would you recommend it ?

I might sample crunched up prednisolone tonight with a glass of bordeau as a chaser.

[ccccc in reply to PaulRosedene]

Hi Paul, it was the warm weather we had a few weeks ago (think we had the warmest March day since 1963 or something) then going very cold again - swings of temperature set me off as well as tree pollen as you say. If you think crunching up Pred is bad I do the same with antibiotics which is particularly horrible...! I've been told it doesn't make any difference to the efficacy of the steroid but it's something else to try I guess.

[PaulRosedene in reply to ccccc]

If you swill alcohol in your mouth, then it gets absorbed into the blood stream more quickly. I guess its the same process with steroids.

[ccccc in reply to PaulRosedene]

Well I found an NHS document to pharmacists online that says the usual tablets will dissolve in water, and sure enough they did when I tried it this morning, so I'll see what happens.

[PaulRosedene]

You have found the solution at last (sorry, terrible pun).