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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by fachad on May 6, 2002, at 10:12:02
Has anyone ever opened capsules and mixed the power into water and drank it?
I used to do this with 10mg doxepin capsules. I would mix the contents into a tall glass of water, then drink half the glass and pour the rest away. That way I could take 5 mg doxepin. (10 mg was too much for me - I'd sleep thru the next day)
I think I read somewhere of people doing this with Prozac when there was only 20 mg capsules, and they were storing the rest of the liquid in the refrigerator for use over the next few days.
Can you do that, or do the drugs "spoil"?
Posted by JohnX2 on May 6, 2002, at 18:21:51
In reply to Opening Capsules and Mixing Into Water?, posted by fachad on May 6, 2002, at 10:12:02
> Has anyone ever opened capsules and mixed the power into water and drank it?
>
> I used to do this with 10mg doxepin capsules. I would mix the contents into a tall glass of water, then drink half the glass and pour the rest away. That way I could take 5 mg doxepin. (10 mg was too much for me - I'd sleep thru the next day)
>
> I think I read somewhere of people doing this with Prozac when there was only 20 mg capsules, and they were storing the rest of the liquid in the refrigerator for use over the next few days.
>
> Can you do that, or do the drugs "spoil"?
If you are not working with a gel,You can get some empty capsules (just go to GNC and by some
tyrosine or something and spill out the contents).Open the medicine, dump 1/2 into the extra capsule, and
then keep the rest in the original pill. You may need
to create a miniature funnel out of paper to do this
and avoid spilling.Make sure the capsule itself does not have properties
that effect absorbtion rates (I can't think of an instance
where this would be true?).I have heard of the prozac trick.
I don't know if other medicines would be "spoiled".
That's a good question.John
Posted by Janelle on May 6, 2002, at 21:35:45
In reply to Opening Capsules and Mixing Into Water?, posted by fachad on May 6, 2002, at 10:12:02
Could you two guys please read my thread a bit above about Klonopin, Depakote and GABA and provide any info you might have about the question I raised there?
I'm trying to figure out if combining Klonopin and Depakote was a factor in why the Depakote addition plunged me into that deep, dark depression.
Thank you!
Posted by Elizabeth on May 7, 2002, at 1:10:02
In reply to Opening Capsules and Mixing Into Water?, posted by fachad on May 6, 2002, at 10:12:02
It's fine with doxepin or Prozac (I got creative when I was taking Prozac back in 1990). If you do it with a sustained-release formulation, like Effexor XR, though, it would all be released and absorbed at once, as if you had taken a large dose of immediate-release Effexor (or whatever) all at once. That could have a number of bad effects. Some other drugs have coatings to make them easier to digest (buffered aspirin, e.g.).
In general, you should ask your doctor before trying something like opening capsules or breaking/crushing tablets. A pharmacist might also be a good person to speak to.
-elizabeth
Posted by medlib on May 7, 2002, at 3:53:39
In reply to Opening Capsules and Mixing Into Water?, posted by fachad on May 6, 2002, at 10:12:02
Hi Fachad--
As Elizabeth said, if the med has XR or SR after the name, don't mess with it. Many timed-release meds are micro-encapsulated (which dissolve at diferent rates); if you divide the capsule contents into 2 new gel caps you'll likely get uneven drug delivery.
Not all meds are soluble in water. Drugs aren't likely to spoil when refrigerated, but they *do* settle to the bottom. You may need to stir vigorously and drink quickly. If you go to the link below and type in a drug name, then click on it on the list retrieved, you will find solubility characteristics (2nd paragraph) in the "Description" section. It also will tell you whether that med is available in oral form. Your doc would have to specify "oral" when he writes the Rx (pharmacist can't substitute).
http://www.rxlist.com/interact.htm
Hope this helps---medlib
Posted by dazer on May 7, 2002, at 5:23:19
In reply to Re: Opening Capsules and Mixing Into Water? » fachad, posted by medlib on May 7, 2002, at 3:53:39
Hi,
the question more important is this: the caps you are dividing are gastro-resistant or not?
If they are, do not open them, cause this will made the total immediate absorption of drug in your stomach and not during guts-transit.
Considering XR or SR label is a wrong method, cause (for example) EFFEXOR XR has a prolonged relay, but it is NOT for the kind of the caps, but cause caps contains micro-sferoydes that, in any case, have XR proprietyes.
So You can drink a glass with m-sfer. from an open caps and it will be just like you have taken them from an enclosed caps.
Watch the propriety, it is written on the box (i.e. gastro-resistant).
Hope it helps you, bye.
This is the end of the thread.
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