Cutting Prednisilone in half

[Animalover65]

Hi, i will ask at the chemist/ rheumatologist however does any one know if you cut 1mg Prednisilone tablets in half can the other half be taken the next day once out of the foil,or should it be discarded?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Can be cut and perfectly fine to take next day -as long as they are plain white uncoated ones…pillcutter can be purchased any pharmacy, online and some bigger supermarkets

as mentioned by  autumnlass used one on left for years …

Pillcutter

[Viv54 in reply to DorsetLady]

Same as mine ! easy peasy !

[Suffererc in reply to DorsetLady]

my pill cutter only leaves you with 1 half the other is disintegrated 😊

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Suffererc]

Think you need to invest in a new one! 😊

[autumnlass]

Pharmacists sell pill cutters & you can buy them on the A site! Dorset Lady knows which brand is the best one! I have one she recommended but I cannot remember the name of it. I keep the remaining half in the pill cutter for the next day.

[Animalover65 in reply to autumnlass]

Thank you. Yes i have a pill cutter. Its a good game in the mornings trying to get an exact half.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Animalover65]

Doesn't have to be exact…swings and roundabouts- and as long as it’s smaller than the dose you are tapering down from it’s fine.,

[powerwalk in reply to Animalover65]

Im doing quarters at the moment, now there's fun!!😄.

[herdysheep in reply to powerwalk]

My attempts at quarters just yield crumbs.

[borednow in reply to powerwalk]

You're ambitious - well done!

[powerwalk in reply to borednow]

More like desperate! Thought i might have a better chance of it working. We'll see!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to powerwalk]

Might be easier on fingers and temper to stick to 0.5mg but repeat each step of either my slow taper or PMRpro’s DSNS taper😳

[powerwalk in reply to DorsetLady]

I did try the dsns 0.5. Several times. Just wasnt working. The quarter is also dsns but will see how it goes. Im gettin quite good at it now, the quarters😄. Obviously not the easiest but then when has any of this been easy!! Thanks. X

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to powerwalk]

Easy? Never, too boring! 😳😊

My ultra long taper may work (that’s why it was designed) -but if you’re happy with your way, then find.. whatever works, works , 😊

[Boss302Fan in reply to Animalover65]

Get a pill cutter that uses a razor blade and a “V” shape auto centering device and it’s very easy. I cut 1mg tabs in half, carefully kept them together and rotated 90 degrees and cut again for quarters (0.25 mg) with very good success.

The pic is the same one I use. It is actually 4 pieces assembled. Top section with cutter lifts off and the cup beneath can store the pills. Hold the bottom barrel and twist the knurled section and it unscrews and reveals a cavity where can drop pill(s) and reassemble and twist to crush (mortar & pestle), and invert unit, pop off bottom cap and have a storage compartment divided into fourths.

Pill cutter combo

[Animalover65 in reply to autumnlass]

Thats grea, thank you.

[Broseley in reply to autumnlass]

Yes I do that too! It saves trying to get it out and then find somewhere safe to keep it. Getting an exact half is not easy, and sometimes they shatter into little pieces....

[autumnlass in reply to Broseley]

They really do!! 🤣

[SheffieldJane]

I took my remaining half the next day. All was fine.

[Blearyeyed]

The size of the pill " half" isn't that important, even if they were perfect halves of a pill the dose would still be unlikely to be a perfect 50% of the full dose in every pill half anyway.As , my pharmacist pointed out , the active ingredient is not going to be evenly distributed within the pill . At such small doses you are unlikely feel too much difference , it's only when splitting pills of a larger dose size that it can cause a noticeable change in symptoms.

Taking the other half the following day is fine , but it's better to wrap it in a little tin foil , just to keep it clean and dry and stop extra tiny bits breaking off in the box.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blearyeyed]

Or keep a dosette box for 2 days ...

[discoballs in reply to PMRpro]

I keep a week (7 days) all the time. Thanks to my dear wife

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to discoballs]

We have our uses

[discoballs in reply to PMRpro]

Sure do! Ladies are fantastic!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to discoballs]

Correct answer 😊..

[discoballs in reply to DorsetLady]

It really is my opinion and belief! I'm 71 now and been there done that so st speak.... I really am not too fond of male "buddies" or going out on the pi$$ with the lads!

Much prefer my wife and her Lady friends!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to discoballs]

Aren't we? Though it is said I'm no lady ...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

”no lady?”… resonate with that -and in the nicest possible way…😊

[Blearyeyed in reply to PMRpro]

Yes , I assumed that a dosette box would be being used but I add the tin foil round the pill as well even in the daily pill box to stop bits crumbling off in there too. Although I don't cut pills that often as I imagine the spectre of my pharmacist standing over me pointing a finger and tutting🤨

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blearyeyed]

There is a ot of guff talked about cutting tablets! It is fairly standard here to save costs but you can have half doses if available - I need 1 1/2 BP tablets in the day but they are miniscule whole, impossible to handle!

[Retallack]

When doing .5s on DL's taper I have been a bit sloppy compared to others and just cut up halves with a pill cutter and keep them in a plastic box to take when needed. No problems so far "touch wood" ! Currently on 1/1.5mg.

[Theziggy in reply to Retallack]

Same here

[LemonZest11 in reply to Theziggy]

And me. About to start quarters.

[Daffodilia]

I keep them in little pill box - just a few at a time - think that is ok

[GerriMc]

I’ve kept cut halves for weeks and found them just fine. I also think a good sharp knife is better than a pill cutter. Cup your hand over it while cutting though it, like me, you might spend ages on the floor looking for the two halves. 😂

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to GerriMc]

Many people with PMR wouldn’t be able to get down on the floor, or if they did, they’d never get up again!

I have mono-sight through GCA -and a pillcutter was safer than a knife!

[Blearyeyed in reply to DorsetLady]

Finding the pill Mummy dropped on the floor has become a bit of a family Christmas challenge in our house , even if I see where it went I don't tell them, there's something quite satisfying about watching your family crawling around the floor in front of you!!😆😆😆🔎⛄🎄

[Rowergirl]

I have a pill cutter which has a little storage compartment part that I just leave the spare half in until the next day!.

[Viveka]

Just to add, I have only just realised that the 1mg have a cutting line down the middle. If you fiddle to align it with pill cutter it will give you almost perfect halves. If you make a mess of one just count the two uneven bits as a full one. Halves are fine to keep so long as you keep them away from moisture.

[Lafontainepam1]

I cut mine in half all the time, use it next time I need it😎