Cutting Valtrex pills in half
Alan
taking the pill right before I go to bed on the theory that it will
stay in my body longer before being excreted. I am curious if anyone
knows whether it would be beneficial to cut the pills in half and take
250mg 12 hours apart. Would this give me a useful dosage more
consistenly in my body or would the dosage be too small at that point
to do any good? Any comments or suggestions?
Thank you,
Alan
DJCT61254
the dosage out more evenly over a 24 hour period. Sounds like a plan to
me...<smile>
<holding hands>
Deb
Yoshi2Me
Sounds like we are both doing the same thing! I have been taking 500 mg of
Valtrex every day now for a year and seven months. I take one every night
before I go to bed.
One thing that I just wanted to let you know is that there is no line drawn in
the middle of the pill. Valtrex is not equal on both halves if cut in half...
Just though you should know.
Is 500 mg not working for you?
Why do you feel the need to cut the pill in half? <just curious>
Anyway...I don't see how it can help since the halves would not be in equal
amounts.
Take Care!!
Yosh
We are, each of us, angels with one wing, and
we can only fly by embracing one another.
Lucian de Crescenzo
Alan
I just started suppression therapy about a week ago so I cant say how
good its going to work yet. I just wanted to maximize the suppression.
Does 500mg work good for you?
Alan
serv...@home.com
If you take 250mg every 12 hours you won't get the same peak plasma
concentration that you would get by taking 500mg at once. Taking it at
bedtime won't make it last longer in your body just because you're
asleep. You're kidneys continue clearing it from your plasma even as
you sleep.
If you want a tip on getting more bang for your anti-viral buck...ask
your doctor to write you a script for a drug called probenecid.
Probenecid reduces the renal clearance of the Valtrex which would
provide you with higher, more sustained blood concentrations, and it is
very inexpensive.
Thomas A. Savino, RPh
Yoshi2Me
You bet it does Alan!!
It's plenty for me and I just take the pill right before I go to bed every
night.
Sometimes I forget but that's OK...it's bound to happen. You'll have to let me
know how it works for you!
You know..... you can certainly get the most for your money if your
instructions say take twice daily even though you don't...
Take Care,
GUYonphone
(Yoshi2Me) writes:
>One thing that I just wanted to let you know is that there is no line drawn
>in
>the middle of the pill. Valtrex is not equal on both halves if cut in
>half...
>Just though you should know.
Actually, the pharmacy guys here said this is a fallacy. Possibly before pill
manufacturing was controlled by computers, etc, this was the case (that the med
wasn't evenly distributed within the 2 halves of a pill, if not scored for
breaking) but today that isn't the case (again, I've been led to believe that
from the pharmacutical type people who read this board).
And as for breaking the pill in half rather than take the whole thing at once?
Yes, that appears to be better for suppressing the virus according to most of
the studies done on the subject. With ANY of the meds, it would appear that
more frequent dosing allows the meds to more efficiently do the job. However,
if you're not having any problems with outbreaks with one dose per day, like my
pappy always said... "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Hang in there
-G
MARYGMARY
I read all this stuff about suppression that is so foreign to me because I
don't take the meds but I have never heard this one. Does anyone else know
about this or have heard of it before??? Thanks Tom and I would also like to
ask are there any dside effects or studies done on this additonal drug
especially in conjunction with the meds for Herpes??
Love,
Mary
>Subject: Re: Cutting Valtrex pills in half
>From: serv...@home.com
>Date: Thu, 23 September 1999 11:30 PM EDT
>Message-id: <37EAF0E4...@home.com>
Yoshi2Me
>
Exactly!!!
Mine sure ain't broke!!
=)
One pill works just fine.
I do think that it's important to take that pill at the same time every day
though.
Just my thoughts....
MARYGMARY
Maybe you could keep it somewhere you wont forget like my plants on the
windowsills above the sink,,,,,,they are the only ones that live....lol
Love,
Mary
>Subject: Re: Cutting Valtrex pills in half
>From: yosh...@aol.com (Yoshi2Me)
>Date: Fri, 24 September 1999 12:21 AM EDT
>Message-id: <19990924002119...@ng-bk1.aol.com>
>
>>Does 500mg work good for you?
>
>You bet it does Alan!!
>It's plenty for me and I just take the pill right before I go to bed every
>night.
>Sometimes I forget but that's OK...it's bound to happen. You'll have to let
>me
>know how it works for you!
>You know..... you can certainly get the most for your money if your
>instructions say take twice daily even though you don't...
>
>Take Care,
>
Yoshi2Me
Yea.... I would be in big time trouble if I ever stashed them in the underwear
droor being as though I don't like to wear them!!!
=)
Yosh
>From: mary...@aol.com
>Hey Yoshi,
>Maybe you could keep it somewhere you wont forget like my plants on the
>windowsills above the sink,,,,,,they are the only ones that live....lol
>
>Love,
>Mary
MARYGMARY
on occasion...........why is he looking? Thank God someone still is when you
are pushing forty.........
Yoshi just so you don't get your panties in a bunch.......
Lol
Love,
Mary
Yoshi2Me
LOLOL
See.... I don't have that problem.
Don't like them, don't wear them, no bunches here!!!
=)
Yosh
Dave Smart
A lot of pills are covered with a microcoating to alter the rate at which
the active ingredients are released, or possibly even the location where
they are released (eg. some pills are given a protective coating so that
they pass through the stomach and then adsorbtion of the ingredients takes
place in teh intestine). If this is the case with Valtrex (I don't know)
then cutting it in half may not be such a good idea.
All teh best
Dave
Alan <mailala...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:37eaa01...@news.atl.bellsouth.net...
karen
Yosh writes:
>One thing that I just wanted to let you know is that there is no line drawn
in
the middle of the pill. Valtrex is not equal on both halves if cut in
half...
Just though you should know.<
Drug mfrs. stop putting the lines on the pills so people would not cut them
in half because they want them to buy the lower dosage pills...example....A
30 day supply of 250 mg. Famvir is not much more expensive than the same
number of 125 mg. pills (which would be a 15 day supply at the same
osage.) - about $10 or so. People got wise to this and started cutting
pills in half, so the drug cos. wanted to discourage this practice. If you
cut a Valtrex in half the only inquality in dosage would come from not
cutting it exactly in half....drugs of this type are homogenous when mixed.
>I have been taking the pill right before I go to bed on the theory that it
will
stay in my body longer before being excreted.<
Regarding this theory....from what I understand, once the drug hits your
bladder it isn't doing anything for you, whether you actually pee or not. So
yes, splitting the dosage would be helpful.
K
serv...@home.com
>
> Wow great tip!
>
> I read all this stuff about suppression that is so foreign to me because I
> don't take the meds but I have never heard this one. Does anyone else know
> about this or have heard of it before??? Thanks Tom and I would also like to
> ask are there any dside effects or studies done on this additonal drug
> especially in conjunction with the meds for Herpes??
Mary,
Probenecid has been around for a long time and its effects on other
drugs are very widely known. It is commonly used in studies on the
renal clearance of drugs because it can reveal very much about the
elimination characteristics of drugs via the kidneys.
Just take a look at the package insert for Valtrex and you'll see in the
"interactions" section information about the effects of probenecid.
Don't have one? Just ask any local pharmacist for the "package insert".
I found a reference that dates back to 1982 on this effect with
acyclovir (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1982 May;21(5):804-7) titled
"Effects of probenecid on the pharmacokinetics and elimination of
acyclovir in humans". You probably already know that acyclovir is the
active metabolite of valacyclovir (Valtrex).
Why isn't this stuff commonly prescribed with Valtrex or Zovirax? It is
just my personal opinion but maybe its just not "sexy" enough to
prescribe something so inexpensive as probenecid for the sole purpose of
saving the patient money. Also, most prescribing practitioners just
don't know this information. Pharmacists know, but are underutilized.
To be fair though, whomever would prescribe such a regimen would not
have the support (legally speaking) of the manufacturers of Valtrex or
Zovirax and would put themself out on a limb a bit.
Like any other drug, probenecid is not without a long list of reported
side effects. The biggest potential problems would be increased risk of
kidney stones (which could be lessened by drinking plenty of water).
Also, exacerbation of gout because it can increase serum uric acid
levels. Most people tolerate it just fine though.
Thomas A. Savino, RPh
MARYGMARY
I found it to be very intersesting. I am someone who does not carry medical
insurance and if I did decide to go on suppresion at some point it could be
very useful knowledge. Another thought comes to mind....does this drug slow
down the clearence of other materials, substances, vitamins through the kidneys
or only the drugs?
Thank you for indulging me.
Love,
Mary
Love,
Mary>Subject: Re: Cutting Valtrex pills in half
>From: serv...@home.com
>Date: Sat, 25 September 1999 01:20 AM EDT
>Message-id: <37EC5C26...@home.com>
serv...@home.com
>
> Thank you for your reply Tom,
> I found it to be very intersesting. I am someone who does not carry medical
> insurance and if I did decide to go on suppresion at some point it could be
> very useful knowledge. Another thought comes to mind....does this drug slow
> down the clearence of other materials, substances, vitamins through the kidneys
> or only the drugs?
I don't have a compiled list for you but it will reduce the elimination
of anything that is eliminated by the kidneys. When I say "anything",
that includes "materials, substances, and vitamins". In my mind,
anything you put in your mouth, inhale, apply to your skin, etc. is a
"drug". That doesn't always translate into a more sustained or
pronounced effect of the drug/substance in question however. Sometimes
it means that you'll experience more pronounced or sustained side
effects because your body is depending on "getting rid of" the stuff by
flushing it out through the kidneys.
Many drugs are metabolized primarily by either the liver, the kidneys,
or both as well as other ways. If you have a drug that is metabolized by
both liver & kidneys and you reduce the kidney pathway, normally the
liver will pick up the slack. Route of elimination is a consideration
sometimes when selecting a particular drug for a patient who has limited
or no kidney function because you don't want the drug to accumulate with
no way to eliminate it as some drugs can be quite toxic at higher
levels. But nothing is ever truly 100%. That is, probenecid doesn't
"block" the kidney route but rather "reduces" it.
If someone were taking probenecid to enhance the effects of Valtrex as I
suggested before, they would then become a much more "complicated case"
for their healthcare providers. The reason is that it can "interact"
with so many other drugs which they might be taking and would require
dosage adjustment and more careful monitoring than without it. From a
prescribing standpoint it is much easier to just write the script for
the 500mg Valtrex once or twice a day and "forget about it". If the
only medication you're on is Valtrex, then I would say that the addition
of probenecid would be a valid option for you. If you're also taking
seizure meds, heart meds, etc. then it gets a little too complicated.
It wouldn't be prudent (a la George Bush) to risk upsetting the balance
of your other drug therapy ... forgive me here ... to get a
better/cheaper effect on herpes symptoms. I might get some flack for
this on this newsgroup but herpes is not high on the priority list when
the patient also has seizures, asthma, or congestive heart failure, etc.
Thomas A. Savino, RPh
MARYGMARY
I would agree thast I would happily trade any of those other ailments for
Herpes any day of the week! Thank you for your answer I susspected that that
drug may do that if it did it for the meds. I personally would hesitate to use
it as I smoke, drink, re-finish furniture with dust and sometimes toxi
chemicals, ect.....I would not want personally to slow down any natural
cleansing process for myself but I could see someone elses point in taking it
if they so desired. It is obviously not for everyone, but another option in
all rights.
Thanks again for your informative answers!
Love,
Mary
><HTML><PRE>Subject: Re: Cutting Valtrex pills in half
>From: serv...@home.com
>Date: Sat, 25 September 1999 11:20 AM EDT
>Message-id: <37ECE8B4...@home.com>
></PRE></HTML>
rhys
rhys
<serv...@home.com> wrote in message news:37ECE8B4...@home.com...
Bulldog
Bulldog
Dave Smart wrote in message <7sg3oo$k35$1...@news2.news.iol.ie>...
>One question which your pharmacist may be able to answer.
>A lot of pills are covered with a microcoating to alter the rate at which
>the active ingredients are released, or possibly even the location where
>they are released (eg. some pills are given a protective coating so that
>they pass through the stomach and then adsorbtion of the ingredients takes
>place in teh intestine). If this is the case with Valtrex (I don't know)
>then cutting it in half may not be such a good idea.
>All teh best
>Dave
>Alan <mailala...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>news:37eaa01...@news.atl.bellsouth.net...
>> I am on 500mg of Valtrex a day for suppression therapy. I have been
>> taking the pill right before I go to bed on the theory that it will
serv...@home.com
>
> Gang - has anybody contacted the manufacturer to get this issue addressed?
>
> Bulldog
>
> Dave Smart wrote in message <7sg3oo$k35$1...@news2.news.iol.ie>...
> >One question which your pharmacist may be able to answer.
> >A lot of pills are covered with a microcoating to alter the rate at which
> >the active ingredients are released, or possibly even the location where
> >they are released (eg. some pills are given a protective coating so that
> >they pass through the stomach and then adsorbtion of the ingredients takes
> >place in teh intestine). If this is the case with Valtrex (I don't know)
> >then cutting it in half may not be such a good idea.
Valtrex is neither enteric coated (which would delay dissolution until
it reached the intestine) nor is it a time-release product. Therefore,
these are non-issues when considering cutting or crushing the tablets.
Thomas A. Savino, RPh
GUYonphone
writes:
>Gang - has anybody contacted the manufacturer to get this issue addressed?
What? Do it the easy way?
-G
P.S. When I use the meds, I just break the suckers in half--which my doc
suggested doing. My "apparatus" hasn't fallen off yet, so...
Tim Fitzmaurice
> Alan, I have had a lot of people tell me to cut the pills in half to spread
> the dosage out more evenly over a 24 hour period. Sounds like a plan to
> me...<smile>
>
Depends on the pharmacokinetics/dynamics (Tom will tell you which one I
mean, I never keep them straight).
Basically if its got a good halflife and the dosing is done in a given
block to get to a peak level then splitting it into two doses may just do
nothing, just give you a serum level of drug that never quite gets to
whats needed, and similar weird considerations along that line of
thought.
Spiltting a pill in half to give two pills of half the dose to use cheaper
high dose pills for a suggested lower dose is a different
concept to splitting your dosage regime by splitting the pill up. I
wouldnt try that without checking with the doc and how the pharmacology
works.
Tim
When playing rugby, its not the winning that counts, but the taking apart
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