Rough med transition. Same dose, different pill size

[EveHarrington]

I’m wondering if anyone else has had a rough med transition from one pill size to another but staying on the same dose. (And same manufacturer.)

I was taking 2 0.5mg Ativan and my doc bumped up the pill size to 1.0mg so now I only take 1.

The transition was rough and I started having withdrawals from hell, according to my pharmacist. She advised cutting my new pills in half. She says that my body may metabolize the larger pills differently.

All pills were made by the same manufacturer.

Thanks!

 

[ILoveLife]

I've had problems with the fillers they put in pills before. Same med, same dosage, different fillers and I went bezerk.

 

[EveHarrington]

I’m now cutting the new pills up into quarters and taking 3 quarters. It seems to be about the same as what I was taking before.

 

[Friday]

I’m now cutting the new pills up into quarters and taking 3 quarters. It seems to be about the same as what I was taking before.

One thing you may find with cutting them is that generics tend to be pretty crap at even distribution throughout the pill, and even some name brands that are scored to BE cut suck at it, although name brand and scoring is usually the most accurate. I rarely get the name brand, though, because insurance.

I usually take 5-10mg (of a different medication) via 1-2 5mg pills. Cutting the 10mg in half sometimes I get virtually no effect at all, and have to take the whole thing when I really didn’t want to, and other times... WHOOMPH... whoa. That was a lot stronger than I was counting on! Dammit.

I’m stuck with the stupid 10mg pills though, because computers suck. Apparently 120 5mg looks alarming to a computer, but 60 10mg doesn’t even make it blink >.<