cutting beta blocker in half

[iamfaithful]

I realize this may sound strange but I was wondering if any of you have a "pill cutter" at home or do you just cut your pill in half with a knife?  I am cutting down on the dose of my beta blocker per my Doctor and I was wondering if I have to purchase a pill cutter or can I just cut it with a knife or razor?  I am a little anxious because you aren't supposed to "crush or chew" these pills and I'm afraid that if I cut it.......perhaps it will be crumbly.  I don't know, I am just a little nervous.
Does anyone have any insight?  Thanks.

[pumpbumps]

Which beta blocker are you taking?

[iamfaithful]

Metoprolol 25 mg.  Does it make a difference in what I'm taking, wether I can cut in half or not?  The PA knows what I am taking and he told me just to cut it.

[dolfnlvr]

I take 1/4 tablet of metoprolol daily.  Sometimes I take a full 1/2 pill.  I use a pill cutter just because it is less likely to break the pill into 100 pieces :-).  But my metoprolol has a big divit in the middle to make cutting it in 1/2 very easy...like perhaps a lot of people have to cut the thing.  Why they don't make a smaller dosed pill is beyond me...but there you have it.

So, I have the cutter.  Call me old lady if you want.  I also have a weekly pill box so I can tell whether I took the dumb thing or not...cause routine things tend to slip my mind and I've been known to double my dose at times.

[dolfnlvr]

By the way...I'm only 33 so the pill box is kind of over the top, but it works!!!!

[iamfaithful]

Yep, my pill has the divit too.  I am just trying to make sure it's not DANGEROUS by cutting it.  Ugh, I don't have a pill cutter at the time.  Are they real expensive?

[ireneo]

They're just  a little plastic box with a V shape where you place the pill. The top half of the box has a razor blade in it that comes down when you close the lid, cuts the pill.

Some pills should not be cut or broken because they have a special coating on them so they dissolve in the proper area of your digestive system. My Diltiazem is a pill in a capsule. Very odd because I can shake it around in there like one of those gum ball machine toys. But it clearly states that I should not cut or crush mine. If your doctor gave you the OK, then do it.

[lovingmom2]

I take the metoporol 25 mg. in the morning and 12.5 in the afternoon.  I cut it with a sharp knife.  It is easy to do.  I do not think cutting it effects the effectiveness.  You should be fine.  

[iamfaithful]

Thanks so much.  I ended up cutting it with the knife and it cut perfectl fine.  Of course I worked myself up thinking that by cutting it the medicine would be released too soon into my bloodstream!  Oh the anxiety I cause myself is pretty bad.  So you take 37.5 mg then right?  May I ask why you just don't take 50 mg?  I am just wondering.....it was way too much for me, but the 25 mg seemed to work well.  I am praying that the 12.5 will be effective also, but not make me as tired or lethargic OR dizzy.

[Artaud]

Hi,

Pill cutting, an interesting topic. I also have the guillotine style Pill Cutter. For a Pill Case,  I carry a Nitroglycerine (sublingual type) metal cylinder pill case without the insert designed to hold the tiny pills. It accepts a full size aspirin in diameter, and is about a half inch or so long, so it has sufficient volume for 2 aspirins, 1 long capsule, and 3 small tablets. The interesting things about these cases is that they are Watertight and that the assembly is designed to be fastened to your Key Chain. They sell them in most Pharmacies. Just be sure to keep ALL Pill cases away from Children.

Splitting pills, depending on the Half Life of the medication, often does not require perfect accuracy, as long as you take the other half of the spilt on the next dosing, therefore, on average, you have taken 1/2 the dose each day for two days. Some medication should not be split, for a variety of reasons. Obviously Capsules are not candidates, nor some medications with enteric coating designed to delay the absorption of the medication. Cutting the pill ruins the coating. There are other reasons not to split as well. Ask your Pharmacist for advice if not sure.

I don't suspect that this is a problem with your medication.

Be well.

[pumpbumps]

Like someone said above, some meds shouldn't be cut because they are controlled release. However, a pretty good rule of thumb is that if it's scored, it usually is ok to cut it. I used to take atenolol 12.5 mg in the am and pm, and just cut it with a knife (although it wasn't scored, so the "rule" didn't apply...!) I just used a really small sharp knife and would place the knife in the middle of the tablet and just give it a tap. Pill cutters are fairly inexpensive, though. I found that it would crumble my little tablet so didn't work as well for me. The nice thing about beta blockers is just that...if you need a little more, you can take a little more for a day or so. My doctor started me on 12.5/day but I found that it worked better if I took it twice a day and so titrated my dose on up to 25 mg twice daily for the effect. I stopped taking it 2 days ago b/c I had an ablation, but that's another story...Hope this helps you.

[iamfaithful]

I appreciate all of the responses.  I think I my question was a little misleading.  I know my medicine is okay to cut because my doctor said it's okay AND the manufacturer of the pill states that "this medication can be cut in half."  I was just worried about cutting it with a knife....dind't want any "crumbles."  My mind really works overtime with anything new going on, so I was a bit nervous.  I took it last night and it was fine.  I will be taking the 12.5 for the next month and then I go back for a checkup.....they possible wean me after that, not sure.  I have been wating this for so long, but now that it's here I am a bit, no a LOT nervous :-)  I just want to feel better AND be med free, but I realize that is what most of us want right :-)