I am on 4mg pred but my pharmacy only ever has 1mg tablets so I have to take 4 tablets a day, meaning that one box only lasts a week. I have asked for 2mg but they never have them. Anyone else had this slightly silly problem?
Tons o tablets.: I am on 4mg pred but my pharmacy... - PMRGCAuk
Tons o tablets.
Written by
teesher
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32 Replies
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There is no 2mg tablet.
1mg, 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg, 20mg and I think there may be a 25mg.
They’re cheap as chips, so providing your prescription is easily obtained, no worries. You’re stuck with 4 tablets I’m afraid.....until you reduce to 3.5, then you’ll need a pill cutter (assuming they’re plain pred and not E.C.)
I’ll correct myself slightly.....
Modified release may come as a 2mg (Lodotra) but you did say ‘pred’ so assume you’re not referring to that.
Yep, plain pred. Never heard of a pill cutter but will ask when needed. Thank you.
I plan on splitting a 5 = 2.5 plus a 1 when I get to 3.5 I use a sharp knife and a quick bash .
in reply to Chrob
A pill cutter a couple of quid and catcges bith halves. If i could hold pill and knife to cut it it would undoubtedly fly off! At least i know it wouldnt hurt the dog if she ate a wayward half. 🐕
Chrob in reply to
The pill cutter I bought didn’t work to good for me , a neighbour covers his in cling film before bashing them ,not tried that but neither of us has 🐶🐱to think about at the moment . Just thinking about my old cat ,he had me fully trained on offering him the choicest cuts .
in reply to Chrob
My dog was on pred a few years ago. Presume the same but could have filler thats poison.
Got to say that the cutter i got is great. A littlr oval box that has V shaped rubber grip that holds pill you close the box and it cuts perfectly in half and collects the two halves. Simples.
Chrob in reply to
I think the pill cutter I bought I was red and round and no rubber so maybe that’s why I didn’t get on with it . Now I just put on small wooden board put knife across middle bash with left hand . Will probably look for oval box .
in reply to Chrob
I got mine off amazon i think. Its made by apex care inc. I am in uk.
Hollyseden in reply to
Sounds like my pillcutter. £2 for 2 online, free p+p too haha. Works a treat
tgca in reply to
I tend to cut mine carefully with a knife as my pill cutter is less accurate!
fren in reply to
Have been cutting the 5mg into 2 1/2mg but find my pill cutter makes uneven halves. Was going with using larger bits for seven days; then the smaller halves, seven days. Following this flare I intend to reduce more slowly so will take large then small alternate days for much longer.
I tried cutting 1mg tabs but ended up with dust.
Plan to pursue PMRpro's idea of asking pharmacist to make 1/2mg capsules if I ever get down to 2mg again.
Yep.. my rheumy gives me 100 X 1mg that way I have plenty and they are cheap I also had her give me 100 X 2.5 to make it easy.. haven't had to cut any yet... they are so small. I wonder if when I get down to 1.5mg if it would be the same to take 1mg one day and 2mg the next and so on.. I normally reduce that way but wonder if that would work being such a low dose..I am currently on 2.5 mg and will be here for awhile its been 2 weeks and so far so good...but I know it gets tougher... this has been a very very long slow trip but going slow is the answer for me I don't want to have to go way back up if things get rough by reducing too quickly...my goal is to be off this stuff by the end of the year. I have had huge success reducing very slowly and changing dose to old dose every other day for the first 2 weeks of reduction and of course the lower dose on the other day and I have never had to increase. I find it a great solution for reducing painlessly.
PMRproAmbassador
Where are you? In the USA Medrol comes in a 2mg tablet. Lodotra/Rayos also comes as a 2mg tablet but it isn't available in the UK as it is very expensive compared to plain pred.
So 1mg tablets it has to be for below 5mg if you are on plain white uncoated pred.
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer
Hi,
What do you have written on prescription? Dr should write 4mg per day or similar then pharmacy should dispense enough, I.e. 4 boxes of 28 tabs @1mg. Having to get a prescription every week is nonsense!
Pill cutters from Boots, (other chemists are available) only a couple of £s, and if you line up tablet correctly with a firm push - voila - 2 (almost) perfect halves!
Me too, not heard of 2mg so keep with the boxes and boxes of 1mgs, I'm currently on 3mg daily, there is a 2.5mg if you get to that stage!
Here is a cheap alternative using scales and a weekly pill box.
I have just ordered from eBay, for A$11.69, scales that weigh to the nearest 1 mg. Since a 5 mg prednisolone tablet weighs a little over 50 mg, I will soon be able weigh fragments of these tablets to a precision of almost 0.1 mg of prednisolone: precise enough to taper down to zero by 0.5 mg intervals.
Hi Teesher,
Yes, it is annoying that there are no 2mg tabs! I have just bought a pill cutter from eBay - works really well & keeps it in the box!
Hope this is the link?!
All the best 😊
Teesher - That isn't quite the link I meant, but it is the Aculife pill splitter with storage compartment 😊
Hi teesher
I similarly have the problem with 1 mg tablets not getting enough on the prescription so I asked the Pharmacy attached to my Surgery to increase the numbers 1 mg tablets and gave the following detail of my doses and reductions
My table below shows the doses affected by the phenomena
9.5 mg 1 x 5 mg, 2 x 1 mg & 1 x 2.5 mg lasts for 28 days
9.0 mg 1 x 5 mg + 4 x 1 mg 14.0 days
8.5 mg 1 x 5 mg, 1 x 1 mg & 1 x 2.5 mg 56 days
8.0 mg 1 x 5 mg + 3 x 1 mg 18.6 days
7.5 mg 1 x 5 mg + 1 x 2.5 mg Not applicable
7 mg 1 x 5 mg + 2 x 1 mg 28.0 days
6.5 mg 4 x 1 mg + 1 x 2.5 mg 14 days
6 mg 1 x 5 mg + 1 x 1 mg 56.0 days
5.5 mg 1 x 2.5 mg + 3 x 1 mg 18.6 days
5 mg 1 x 5 mg Not applicable
The 2.5 mg tablet is very usefull
I have not managed to get down to .5 mg so haven't had the problem of cutting a 1 mg in two. I have several pill cutters inherited from my wife and when I've tried even with a larger pill I've ended with a reasonable sized half and fingerfull of crumbs. Last flare happened at 3.5 mg and I'm on the way down again from 15 mg and started 7.5 mg on 04/02/18 when C R P was at 8. There is a 25 mg tablet. I started on them in 2014 when I was on 60 mg tabs a day (2 x 25 & 1 x 10) which went on for a month.
Regards
Colin
Hi teesher
Previous post to you cut off by unknown so when I finally managed to get back into it to finish it off I lost the reply button. so I'll stop this one and try to edit the one that's been posted. Don't want you miss my glorious prose.
Regards
Colin
My Dr happily gives me 100 x 5, 2.5and 1mgs tabs. That way always have plenty to lower dose easily by 0.5mgs. Also have a pill cutter which is great
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