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Hello again it's some time since I posted on this
fabulous site, but read new posts every single
morning. I have looked back but can't find the
post explaining the difference between why
when your cutting down by 1/2mg it must be
the non coated ones. I'm now taking 10mg Of
coated prednisolone a day and want to start
reducing the slow method of 1/2mg per 6weeks
Can you please advise best way to do this dl.
I think it's because the gastro-resistant tablets have a harder coating or outer shell which makes it impossible to cut in half with the accuracy required. The tablet would probably just crumble. The non gastro-resistant do not have this same hard surface and usually have a groove down the centre so they're easy to cut in half.
Others may be along to add to this.
You can request coated Pred in a variety of sizes, 5mg, 2.5mg and 1mg…….so you can mix and match to get the dose you require.
The only doses where you need to add in a non-coated is 1.5mg and 0,5mg…so some time to go yet…
9.5mg — 1@5mg, 1@2,5mg, 2@1mg…
Just get your mental arithmetic head on…at least at our age we can. 😂🤣….and good luck with taper.
Down to 1.5mg you can do it with either plain or coated pred since they both are obtainable in 5, 2.5 and 1mg denominations which can be combined as required.
The reason for not cutting the coated variety is that the coating is to resist the effect of acid in the stomach so the tablets pass all the way through the stomach to the duodenum which has a much less acid environment and the tablets break down and are absorbed there. This means if there is any irritation there isn't acid making it worse.
Thank you. So it will be ok to take 9mg coated and 0-5mg non coated all together on the mornings I need to take the 9 &1/2 mg over my slow 6 week reduction.
9.5mg with coated is 5+2.5+two 1s - and that is available whether you use coated or non-coated.
The trouble with taking the different sorts of pred at the same time is that plain pred is absorbed immediately in the stomach so within an hour. Coated pred takes up to 4 or 5 hours to get through the stomach before being broken down.
These low doses meant a lot of fiddling with a cutter, taking my coated ones waiting a few hours and then popping the non-coated. It was a faff but it wasn’t forever.
So would it be best if I take the 9mg coated 3 or 4 hours before taking the 0-5mg non coated 😊
It is one way to deal with it - it sounds such a small amount but some people find that 1/2mg is the difference between good and not so good and having it in the system all at once is better.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain 👍
Don’t forget to take a non coated tablet with yoghurt or similar. I experienced abdominal pain when I didn’t. I was unable to get coated 1 mg tablets. Has that situation changed?
Have you got all 3 'sizes' of gastro resistant pred tablets? (5mg, 2.5mg and 1mg) If so, you don't need any plain tablets until you get to 1.5mg.
I have only got 5s and 1s going to doctor on Thursday will ask for 2.5mg thank you
Enteric coated Prednisolone 
Coated or non coated pred? - that is the question....
Enteric Coated 1mg Prednisolone
Coated and uncoated 
