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Home > Archive > Migraine support > September 2006 > Can you split imitrex pills?
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Can you split imitrex pills?
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| My neurologist gave me 100mg imitrex to start out with. It did help my
migrane but the side effects were very intense. I noticed that there
is a 50mg imitrex dose but for some reason he started me on 100 - on
the package the pharmacy put a sticker on it says "DO NOT CEW OR CRUSH"
so i guessed that this is maybe like a extended release or something so
thats why I'm asking if i split it to make it 50mgs (with a pill
splitter) will that cause problems? I just want to see if the 50mg
dose is more tolerable and still effective. And if that is the case,
I'd have twice as many doses for what I paid because it is pretty
expensive!
Thanks for any information!
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| kol_Isha 2006-09-19, 2:25 am |
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"Mikey" <michael_holstein@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158635225.662067.308170@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> My neurologist gave me 100mg imitrex to start out with. It did help my
> migrane but the side effects were very intense. I noticed that there
> is a 50mg imitrex dose but for some reason he started me on 100 - on
> the package the pharmacy put a sticker on it says "DO NOT CEW OR CRUSH"
> so i guessed that this is maybe like a extended release or something so
> thats why I'm asking if i split it to make it 50mgs (with a pill
> splitter) will that cause problems? I just want to see if the 50mg
> dose is more tolerable and still effective. And if that is the case,
> I'd have twice as many doses for what I paid because it is pretty
> expensive!
>
> Thanks for any information!
>
Chewing and crushing is not the same as cutting. I suppose you should ask
your pharmacist and/or doctor... but I think they will probably tell you
that cutting the pill in half is fine. After all, it's a pill, not a
capsule. Many times, they will recommend that you get a higher dose pill
and cut it in half to save money on certain prescriptions (since often the
price is the same whether a pill is 50 mg. or 100 mg.).
I take Frova, which is very similar to Imitrix. It comes in a 2.5 mg. dose.
Sometimes, during bad headache weeks (like the one I am having at this very
moment... ugh), the doctor told me I could take two a day for the entire
week. (It's sometimes prescribed this way for people like me who get severe
menstrual migraines.) He also said that, if I didn't feel I wanted to take
that much of it (I was concerned because a one month supply is only 9
pills), I could try cutting the pill in half and see if that works for me.
I often do just that. Sometimes I know I need the full dose... but at other
times the smaller dose works fine at keeping the headache away... and it
makes my medication last longer.
The pills are very tiny, like imitrix. I'd probably do better to get a pill
cutter... but with a very sharp knife, I can pretty much cut it down the
middle without it crumbling much. I usually take the other half and put it
back inside the foil wrapper... and pull the foil back over it and then put
a piece of tape there to hold it securely til the next time I need it.
Regards,
Arlene
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| Melissa 2006-09-19, 2:25 am |
| i was going to call the 24 hour walgreens for you to find out
but all i get is a message machine so..
and someone already answered you
i break my pills in half most of the time.
like ambien probably shouldn't be split/cut but i do it to get at least 4
hours of sleep when i have kids to get off to school
melissa, hope 1/2 works better for you
| |
| Trixie 2006-09-19, 2:25 am |
| I also get the 100 mg tablets and cut them in half with a pill cutter.
However, my neuro told me, and I've found it to be true, that the pills (cut
or whole) should not be exposed to either air or light as they lose their
potency. The neuro suggested I wrap the unused half in both saran wrap then
aluminum foil (to keep out both air and light). I didn't use to do this, and
I noticed the second half didn't necessarily do anything for a migraine.
Since I have been doing the wrap I don't notice this loss of effectiveness
with the second half.
Trixie
"Mikey" <michael_holstein@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158635225.662067.308170@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> My neurologist gave me 100mg imitrex to start out with. It did help my
> migrane but the side effects were very intense. I noticed that there
> is a 50mg imitrex dose but for some reason he started me on 100 - on
> the package the pharmacy put a sticker on it says "DO NOT CEW OR CRUSH"
> so i guessed that this is maybe like a extended release or something so
> thats why I'm asking if i split it to make it 50mgs (with a pill
> splitter) will that cause problems? I just want to see if the 50mg
> dose is more tolerable and still effective. And if that is the case,
> I'd have twice as many doses for what I paid because it is pretty
> expensive!
>
> Thanks for any information!
>
| |
| Ginnie 2006-09-21, 4:26 pm |
| I cut up the 100 mg Imitrex pills all the time. The full 100 dose will give
me the crushing chest feeling, but not get rid of a migraine any better
than if I take a half or a third.
And thanks for the tip about keeping them light-safe. No one's
ever told me that, and it could explain a couple of things.
Besides, when I get 12 100mg Imitrex every 25 days, cutting them
makes them go a lot farther (further?). Ask Webster.
;-)
Ginnie >^..^<
____________________________
Mikey wrote:
> My neurologist gave me 100mg imitrex to start out with. It did help my
> migrane but the side effects were very intense. I noticed that there
> is a 50mg imitrex dose but for some reason he started me on 100 - on
> the package the pharmacy put a sticker on it says "DO NOT CEW OR CRUSH"
> so i guessed that this is maybe like a extended release or something so
> thats why I'm asking if i split it to make it 50mgs (with a pill
> splitter) will that cause problems? I just want to see if the 50mg
> dose is more tolerable and still effective. And if that is the case,
> I'd have twice as many doses for what I paid because it is pretty
> expensive!
>
> Thanks for any information!
>
| |
| Ronnie 2006-09-21, 4:26 pm |
| When I was on 25mg I would have doctor rx the 50mg
and cut them in half... (she knew about this) I would
save money and not have to refill so much..
--
Ronnie
--
*When one candle burns out..
Another is lit*
"Mikey" <michael_holstein@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158635225.662067.308170@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> My neurologist gave me 100mg imitrex to start out with. It did help my
> migrane but the side effects were very intense. I noticed that there
> is a 50mg imitrex dose but for some reason he started me on 100 - on
> the package the pharmacy put a sticker on it says "DO NOT CEW OR CRUSH"
> so i guessed that this is maybe like a extended release or something so
> thats why I'm asking if i split it to make it 50mgs (with a pill
> splitter) will that cause problems? I just want to see if the 50mg
> dose is more tolerable and still effective. And if that is the case,
> I'd have twice as many doses for what I paid because it is pretty
> expensive!
>
> Thanks for any information!
>
| |
| Michael Meissner 2006-09-25, 2:32 am |
| "Mikey" <michael_holstein@hotmail.com> writes:
> My neurologist gave me 100mg imitrex to start out with. It did help my
> migrane but the side effects were very intense. I noticed that there
> is a 50mg imitrex dose but for some reason he started me on 100 - on
> the package the pharmacy put a sticker on it says "DO NOT CEW OR CRUSH"
> so i guessed that this is maybe like a extended release or something so
> thats why I'm asking if i split it to make it 50mgs (with a pill
> splitter) will that cause problems? I just want to see if the 50mg
> dose is more tolerable and still effective. And if that is the case,
> I'd have twice as many doses for what I paid because it is pretty
> expensive!
Note, about 1-2 years ago, Glaxo changed the 100mg pills so that they are
triangular and the theory goes they were trying to prevent people from buying
the 100mgs and cutting them down the 50mgs (ie, reducing the amount of pills
that Glaxo sold).
--
Michael Meissner
email: mrmnews@the-meissners.org
http://www.the-meissners.org
| |
| Ronnie 2006-09-25, 2:32 am |
| top posted..
It didnt prevent me from splitting the 100's. I have
a good pill splitter that has a V in it so with a good
tap it splits evenly...
--
Ronnie
--
*When one candle burns out..
Another is lit*
"Michael Meissner" <mrmnews@the-meissners.org> wrote in message
news:m3y7s8zni4.fsf@glinda.the-meissners.org...
> "Mikey" <michael_holstein@hotmail.com> writes:
>
>
> Note, about 1-2 years ago, Glaxo changed the 100mg pills so that they are
> triangular and the theory goes they were trying to prevent people from
> buying
> the 100mgs and cutting them down the 50mgs (ie, reducing the amount of
> pills
> that Glaxo sold).
>
> --
> Michael Meissner
> email: mrmnews@the-meissners.org
> http://www.the-meissners.org
| |
| Captain Spalding 2006-09-26, 2:31 am |
| I have not been able to find a good pill splitter for my 100mg Imitrex and
have resorted to old fashioned Gem razor blades. Ronnie, does your splitter
have a brand name and/or was it purchased at one of the national pharmacy
chains?
Thanks,
Capt. Spaulding
"Ronnie" <ronnie@niantictoolinc.com> wrote in message
news:SfSdna3FDOda14rYnZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@comcast.com...
> top posted..
>
> It didnt prevent me from splitting the 100's. I have
> a good pill splitter that has a V in it so with a good
> tap it splits evenly...
>
> --
> Ronnie
> --
> *When one candle burns out..
> Another is lit*
> "Michael Meissner" <mrmnews@the-meissners.org> wrote in message
> news:m3y7s8zni4.fsf@glinda.the-meissners.org...
>
>
| |
| Trixie 2006-09-26, 8:30 am |
| I have one of the "V" type I got at Wal-Mart.
Trixie
"Captain Spalding" <sbf321@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:fu2dnX3j2_ZxPoXYnZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@giganews.com...
>I have not been able to find a good pill splitter for my 100mg Imitrex and
>have resorted to old fashioned Gem razor blades. Ronnie, does your
>splitter have a brand name and/or was it purchased at one of the national
>pharmacy chains?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Capt. Spaulding
>
> "Ronnie" <ronnie@niantictoolinc.com> wrote in message
> news:SfSdna3FDOda14rYnZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
| |
| Ronnie 2006-09-27, 8:28 am |
| I got this one at a pharmacy years ago..On the
bottom it has LGS Corp. It is long and blue and has
the V at one end and a little drop box at the other where
the cut pills can be put. Good luck finding a good one..
--
Ronnie
--
*When one candle burns out..
Another is lit*
"Captain Spalding" <sbf321@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:fu2dnX3j2_ZxPoXYnZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@giganews.com...
>I have not been able to find a good pill splitter for my 100mg Imitrex and
>have resorted to old fashioned Gem razor blades. Ronnie, does your
>splitter have a brand name and/or was it purchased at one of the national
>pharmacy chains?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Capt. Spaulding
>
> "Ronnie" <ronnie@niantictoolinc.com> wrote in message
> news:SfSdna3FDOda14rYnZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
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