Taking the tablets... Am I the only one who's done this?

[JanetRosslyn]

At breakfast yesterday morning I went to take my 9mg Pred. I put 1x5mg tablet and 4x1mg tablets all together in the palm of my hand, threw them into my mouth and downed them with a drink of water. Or so I thought, until I became aware of one of the tablets bouncing off my chin and falling onto the floor. The pesky thing managed to hide until a full search party (me, my husband and my daughter) found it lurking behind a table leg. Meanwhile however, I was left wondering whether it was the 5mg tablet or one of the 1mg tablets I had dropped, and whether I had actually taken 8mg or 4mg of Pred instead of 9mg. (My husband and daughter did laugh and question how I managed to miss my mouth... I will deal with them later!)

This morning I have started a new routine - I take the 5mg first, and only after I've swallowed it do I then take the 1mg tablets - that way I definitely know what I've taken. Sorted!

Now to sort out my husband and daughter

[zebsky]

Hi Janet - that's what I do with my prednisone in the morning. I'm going to take what you said on board and take the 5mg first then the 1mg ones now.Thanks for sharing 👍

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Been there! Even more of a pain with only one eye!

It would be helpful if there was some significant difference between the two - colour or shape - that's surely is not beyond the wit of the boffins! But I guess it comes down to money- as always!

As for your husband and daughter - sounds very familiar!

[JanetRosslyn in reply to DorsetLady]

Oh gosh, yes, with one eye it must be even worse! My 5, 2.5 and 1are all different colours (Gastro resistant enteric coated) and it does make things easier.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to JanetRosslyn]

Hi again,

Yes that's true, mine were the white uncoated ones!

Don't get me started on trying to thread the needle on my sewing machine! Sometimes it happens first time (pure luck) other times - if I had the strength it would be sailing out the window - like a true rock star🎸🎸- or maybe not!

[Sandy1947 in reply to DorsetLady]

Besides the dropsies, I have trouble cutting the 1mg in half. Pill cutter makes them less than even since I can't see the indentation in the middle and the knife has then flying in every direction. Not sure if I'm taking 1/2' 1/4 dose. Very unscientific!

Suggestions Ms. Dorset Lady expert!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Sandy1947]

Hi Sandy,

Not all pill cutter are the same! I don't think my tablets had indentations, but if you can find a cutter that enables you to slide the pill right into the V of the catchment area (for want of a better expression) so it's held firm, and then press down slowly but firmly on the cutter it should work! Can't attach a picture, but will find a way to!

Even thst way you don't always get a perfect 50/50 split but it's usually good enough.

[Sandy1947 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks. I have been using the V cutter. Not been going slowly. Will try again or try to buy a new pill cutter. Problem is the 1mg is tiny and seems to fall apart when cut. Why isn't there a half mg made?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Sandy1947]

Very good question.

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy1947]

Sandy, after many tapers including .5 MG I discovered if I hold the pill cutter in the air, i.e., not resting on countertop or table, the tablet breaks into two parts, reasonably equal. Before, when it rested on the counter, I'd nearly always get one good part and the rest would be crumbs.

[Sandy1947 in reply to HeronNS]

Def going to try to cut in the air! I have 1/2 and crumbles. Thanks

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy1947]

Let me know if it works!

[Sandy1947 in reply to HeronNS]

Will do.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sandy1947]

Because it isn't financially viable. All the doses cost about the same - so the lower doses are relatively expensive. This is especially the case with the enteric coated 1mgs - they cost more than the 5's.

If you have 5mg tablets you can cut one of them to get 2.5mg and add 1mg tablets to get the x.5mg doses.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sandy1947]

Doesn't really matter if it isn't accurate - it is less than the previous dose...

And pill cutters are definitely not all made equal! I cope with mine fine - my husband's is identical and from the same pharmacy and his defeats me every time!

[Sandy1947 in reply to PMRpro]

Good point! Funny about your husband's pill cutter.

[Janann25 in reply to DorsetLady]

Because I had problems with reducing from 40mg to 30mg using 5mg Pred, my doctor has prescribed both 2 and a half mg Pred and 1 mg Pred so I can reduce at my own pace. They are all enteric coated and each are different colours. The 5 are red, the 2 and a half are brown and the 1mg are white. The lower doses initially had to be ordered but the pharmacy at my doctor's surgery now keeps them for me. It definitely makes life easier and it might be a good idea to see whether you could do this. A bit of a long shot but worth a try!!

[markbenjamin57]

Lovely, Janet, I'm trying to picture it! Maybe you need some adult supervision for this delicate exercise?

Confession time - I've done that too (but don't tell anyone, my cred will be blown)

[Hidden]

Hi Janet, I seem to do just that at least twice a week, thought I'd learned by now. As for your family...good luck with that one lol. My worry is that my two lovely dogs are much quicker than me and very often find the missing tablet before me, fortunately they understand the desperate shout of LEAVE!, why is it that pmr makes you do everything in slow motion? frustrating.

[bunnymom]

I have done the same thing! My pills all look just about the same and it gets very tricky doesn't it.

[DavidMF]

Since moving to 4.30am Preds, Ive found placing each tablet onto a spoon of yogurt. I can see them all, they don't fall of and I can enjoy the yogurt.

Happy Easter

[JanetRosslyn in reply to DavidMF]

Oooh... I like this idea very much! And I can do it at breakfast time. Thanks David!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DavidMF]

Better not use white yog for white tablets though...

I eat my peas with honey,

I've done it all my life.

It makes the peas taste funny

But it keeps them on the knife...

[Amkoffee]

Been there done that, but I take a whole hand full of meds in the morning and have had to have my husband crawling on the floor searching for whatever pill it was that didn't make it in my mouth.

[S4ndy]

The lwph is common in our house....little white pill hunt. Always worried that our cat (who will not take his own pills) will find it first and be cantakerous enough to lap it up! Why oh why can't they be two different colours and sizes! The pills I mean, not the cat!

[JanetRosslyn]

I'm so glad its not just me! Thanks folks

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It's a whole new world isn't it? Used to be contact lenses people crawled around the floor looking for!

[Hindags]

I managed to sweep five pills off the kitchen counter (white) and then had to search the floor for them. Thankfully the floor is dark grey. Still had to look in all the nooks and crannies to find the last one.

[Mitziecat]

Hi Janet

I did something similar awhile ago and my anxiety about it Led me to this wonderful group. I also am on 9mg daily but took 4 of the 5 mg instead of 1 and only 1 mg. I have been ok & no significant effects apart from small aches when I went straight back to normal dose the next day. I spoke to a pharmacist & she recommended. Pill box. I now have one each day is identified. I put my dosage in each section for a week so know exactly where I am.

Also noticed that the 5 mg is bigger. Hope this helps.

[hiandri]

Hi, I live in New Zealand and our Pred tablets have either, 5, 2.5 or 1mg written on them, you may need a magnifying glass and are all of different size! Regards John

[Flosy]

Hi.thats how I take mine.one at a time.