I'm wondering if anyone has bought a pill splitter, in UK, that can cut 1mg Pred in half without too much drama. Having looked on-line there are numerous versions on sale but they all seem to have bad write-ups, saying they have dangerous exposed blades or that they crush the tablets rather than cutting cleanly. I have lots of 1mg tablets and at some point hope to be able to cut them into 0.5mg for slow tapering. Or should I just ask the doctor for 0.5mg; if there is such a thing?
Any advice would be much appreciated
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Any tablet with a score line and convex faces will break well if you place it on a hard surface and press down on the opposite sides of the line with your thumbs
I got a free one from my pharmacist. It used to have a drug company logo on it, but that has long worn off. I learned that if it rested on the counter when I lowered the guillotine it would give me a half and a pile of crumbs. Holding the pill cutter in the air avoided the vibration from the counter surface and allowed for a cleaner break. Not always a perfect half, but near enough - it balances out. Cut with determination, not too timidly and not too hard either. I'll try to find a picture, it's very simple.
Pill Cutter - V- Grip Pill Crusher and Cutter for Vitamins, Big & Small Pills, and Medication - Transparent Pill Splitter with Pill Holder Case to Split - A-n listing, photo below.
I planned to buy one, went to the counter to ask for advice and she reached under the counter and gave me one. Promotional freebee from a drug company!
Ooh, posh, you've got a Persian carpet. My kitchen floor does the same trick. Whenever I drop something small it's a devil to see where it landed - usually under the freezer - round things always roll under there. May be because the floor leans in that direction.
Nothing but the best for me! My parents had a carpet in their breakfast room and forks, combs and goodness knows what else would disappear into it. We would spend ages scrabbling round the floor.
Hours of fun then! My son (when he was about 5)used to drop little lego bricks down between the floorboards on the landing (after chewing them). One day we might get them out again!
My pill cutter is called Safe and Sound, as mentioned by Dorset Lady above. It came from A......n U K for £2.99 I think.
My 5 mg pred tabs do have a cutting line, the 1mg do not. Nevertheless I manage to cut the 1 mg into half with no probs, and more recently, into quarters.
I had to do this recently as I couldn't reduce from 3,5 to 3 without problems, but the quarter step seems to have worked (don't want to speak too soon....)
I too am reducing by a quarter each month. Rather than cut the pills into quarters I alternate the dose each day. So if I wanted to take 3.25 mg I take 3.5mg one day and 3mg the next, then repeat.
Hi Floridafan, that's sort of what I was doing - 3.5 then 3. But I was doing DSNS - so when I started over the weeks having more days at 3 than at 3.5, the pain and stiffness crept back. Having that 3.25 step in was a bit fiddly but, touch wood, seems to have worked. Hope your tapering goes well too.
That's very helpful and useful to know, thanks. I think if I cut a 1mg into quarters I'd need a magnifying glass to see the result! Good luck with your reducing.
I bought 2 pill cutters, neither of which worked very well so ended up using a very sharp parcel opener knife (sterilised) when I was in my final stages of taking pred ie taking 1/2 mg on alternate days.
I too have safe and sound cutter. Having trouble reducing 4 to 3.5 so trying 3.75. Cutting 1mg into 4 pieces was haphazard to say the least then I finally worked out a 2.5 plus half a 2.5 equalled 3.75! Duh!!
Well - just a little bit. I've not come across Amazon Smile, I always just ask my son to buy stuff on Amazon for me - and it magically turns up a few days later. And that's a very worthy cause too. 👍🏻
Check out EBay with the following search "Pill Cutter Splitter Half Storage Compartment Box Medicine Tablet Holder Case" - I got one there in 2018 for about €3.
Had a look at this. My OH has warned me about ordering things that come from China, as the last time he did we didn't receive the item, so he's forbidden me to buy anything from there.
Well I never told my "dearest" OH on the basis that what she doesn't know won't bother her. Of course in reality I only purchase ANY stuff online through Paypal & Credit Cards that have a grievance & refund process and I've yet to suffer a loss in well over 20 years!
Here's a little well known tip to use if something goes missing from China! Just contact them as before and politely tell them the problem and I'd bet that you will promptly receive a refund and a pleasant surpise about a month later, when the item is delivered!
Oh and to finish, the €3 cutter is better than ever, (a bit like meself)! LOLS
You are sneaky, but just like me you only share the important stuff with your OH.
Glad to hear you've never lost any post in over 20 years. I have my suspicions that all our postmen, sorry post-people, have been depriving us of our most interesting post over the years. They only seem to deliver bills to us. 🤔
Yes indeed! Never lost any post from China in over 20 years nor the OH in double that, and which surely means I've been doin something right????! Blush blush!
Hi - unlikely the gp would be able to recommend. I have a couple from Amazon. Very cheap and easy to use. Flat ones cut well and store the unused half. Good luck! xx
I got a pill cutter online but found it tended to create a good half and a pile of bits. Being a yorkshireman I came up with a plan that kept the good half for the next day and used the fragments for today's dose.
I got mine from Boots, quite some years ago an it still works well. Shaped like a computer mouse and next to nothing cost wise (for a change). Haven't found anything that will do quarters. Crumbs galore.
Hi herdysheep, thanks for replying. The danger with having a pill cutter that looks like a computer mouse is that I'd get the crumbs all over my computer desk.
I have a little pill cutter which seems to work well but my doc prefers me taking 3mg one day and 4 the next instead. 3 on odd dates, 4 on evens- and ignore the 31st!
It's great you have a doc who is involved in your pred taking. So that must be so you get 3.5mg over the odd and even days. Surprised that you don't take anything on 31st though.
I also use Safe and Sound without any problems. However, it is true that if it opens there is a sharp blade exposed. I keep mine in one those little plastic bags that seal up, so that it can't come open.
Someone is going to give a negative comment about using a pill cutter purchased from a Veterinary Suppy Co - so be it.
I actually got one exactly like this from an Equine Supply. When my horses died I washed it thoroughly and been using it myself. This pill cutter / and crusher is great. It has a flexible plastic centering device and a single edge razor to cut the pill, the top half unscrews and acts as a screw-type pill crusher. Turn it over and remove the friction fit bottom and it has 4 small pill storage compartments. Had this for about 10 years and works great and very versatile. When wears out I’ll buy the exact model again.
Regarding Melti's post. I am in the US and can get 2.5 mg. pills. I think that they are available in the UK and other places as well. This cut in half = 1.25. Therefore, with this and maybe 1/2(1mg.) I can achieve 1.25, and 1.75. then I can add whole pills of 1 mg. etc.
Thanks for your reply. I'm not going to give you a negative reply. I'm sorry to hear that your horses died - they're my favourite animal, along with dolphins and rabbits. Having used it for ten years you have certainly got your moneys worth and it's not surprising you're recommending it.
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