Graves' Disease Support Group
Graves-Basedow disease is a medical disorder that may manifest several different conditions including hyperthyroidism (over activity of thyroid hormone production), infiltrative exophthalmos (protruberance of one or both eyes and associated problems) and infiltrative dermopathy (a skin condition usually of the lower extremities). This disorder is the most common cause of...
I'm down to one 5mg of methimazole per day and seem to being doing fine on that dose as far as my labs go. I feel good too, generally.
I was taking my entire pill in the morning, but it would wear off by mid-afternoon. So I cut it in half and took 2.5 mg both morning and evening, but even with a real pill-cutter, the pills mostly just crumble into dust when I try to cut them,which tastes HORRIBLE and I felt worse - I think because the dose never got high enough to make me feel better. So, now I'm taking one pill at noon, which seems to be okay. I'm a morning person and usually feel my best in the morning, and then the pill keeps me going all afternoon. But, noon is a hard time to take a pill - I'm usually on the go and so now I forget it a lot more often. I went an entire year never missing a dose, even while doing field work in the boonies in China and traveling nearly non-stop, and now I'm forgetting it at least once or twice a week.
So my questions:
1) Do you have any tips for cutting pills in half?
2) Is there any way to make pills more "extended release"?
3) My pharmacist says that 2.5 mg pills don't exist, so I have to keep cutting up 5 mg pills if I want to split the dose. Is this true? Anyone got a source for 2.5 mg?
4) Have you played around with dosing? If so, when and how often do you find works best for you?
Thanks,
CB
I was taking my entire pill in the morning, but it would wear off by mid-afternoon. So I cut it in half and took 2.5 mg both morning and evening, but even with a real pill-cutter, the pills mostly just crumble into dust when I try to cut them,which tastes HORRIBLE and I felt worse - I think because the dose never got high enough to make me feel better. So, now I'm taking one pill at noon, which seems to be okay. I'm a morning person and usually feel my best in the morning, and then the pill keeps me going all afternoon. But, noon is a hard time to take a pill - I'm usually on the go and so now I forget it a lot more often. I went an entire year never missing a dose, even while doing field work in the boonies in China and traveling nearly non-stop, and now I'm forgetting it at least once or twice a week.
So my questions:
1) Do you have any tips for cutting pills in half?
2) Is there any way to make pills more "extended release"?
3) My pharmacist says that 2.5 mg pills don't exist, so I have to keep cutting up 5 mg pills if I want to split the dose. Is this true? Anyone got a source for 2.5 mg?
4) Have you played around with dosing? If so, when and how often do you find works best for you?
Thanks,
CB
I would suggest cutting along the dividing line on the pill as best as possible. Make sure the blade is as sharp as possible.
Unfortunately the MMI only comes in 5 mg sizes. I did hear about this one company wanting to make the 1 mg sizes but this was about three years ago and I haven't heard anything since then.
Everyone's dosing is different. I still have to dose three times a day and not twice a day or even once per day.
{{{hugs}}} :-)
I hope someone starts making smaller pills! This seems just silly for us to have to cut them down so much. Halves is one thing, but quarters? thirds? 4.375ths?
Hopefully I'll figure out a good dosing thing - probably morning and night. Three times a day seems like it would be tough with my schedule, but maybe I'll give it a whirl for a while too.