February 10, 2012
Topics A-Z Drugs Cutting 80mg Micardis in Half
Cutting 80mg Micardis in Half |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: We accidentally purchased 80 mg pills of Micardis instead of the 40mg. They are sealed and meant to be opened only when taking the pill, but the co. that makes the drug said that the active ingredient does not degrade. So, we cut the pill with difficulty, take 1/2 and put the other 1/2 in an airtight container. Is this one of the pills that you do not think we should be cutting? The expense is very difficult for us to manage as it is, but I do not want to put my mother in any sort of danger. My mother's (she's 85) blood pressure has been pretty good but there have been variances that I would prefer to not see. I guess that my main concern is that given the pill is not scored, and not meant to be cut, are the active ingredients evenly dispersed throughout the pill? I would really like to know what your honest thoughts are on the subject. Thank you very much for your help and advice. Dear Sharita: I can only advise that if the Micardis (Telmisartan) tablet is not scored, and if you do not have an appropriate pill-cutter it should not be done. The dose may be variable if the two halves are not identical, with varying effects on your mother’s blood pressure. I advise you bring the tablets to the pharmacy where you purchased them and speak to the pharmacist on duty, explaining your situation. If the pills have equal distribution of the medication and your use a proper pill cutter as recommend by your pharmacist, it would be OK to cut a 80mg pill in half to receive a 40mg daily dose. from a cost stand pint, this is also cheaper and many patients in my practice do this to maintian their health in a cost effective manner. It should be noted that this can not be done with all medications. I hopr this Helps |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 20 September 2010 ) |
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