Sleeping Meds

[AJ]

Hang in there Tracey. There will be better days.

[gtchamp]

I'm feeling a drugged induced sleep coming on. I think (hope) it is a good one. Tomorrow is a big day. Mom goes in for knee replacement surgery. Ahhh, can barely type and eyes are closing. Drifting away.....nighty nighty.
Trarcey

[paul m]

Hello Tracey. I hope you find the strength to get through the day. I know it will be tough on you. Take Care. paul m

[gtchamp]

Update: My mothers surgery went very well and she is doing great. My dad, his progress is a bit slower. I was tired today. Had a bit of a scare in the waiting room. I was by myself and started choking on a drink. Next thing I knew the top half of my body was bent over and shaking all over. My drink was being thrown all over the place. Only one person noticed. Funny...they were all engrossed in the tv. I called my husband, he came immediately. I thought it was a seizure cause it felt like one but he is convinced I was just choking and lacked oxygen. Who knows but it scared me. I do know I am really really tired. It is 7:00pm. I am going to lie down now.

Paul: I finally picked up my increase in meds.

Can you believe the pharmacist told my husband that I should cut a 250mg tab of Epival? I always thought since they are coated you shouldn't do that. Who knew? I have to take 875mg. He is trying to save us money.

[paul m]

Hello Tracey. A pharmacist is always the best place for info. My general rulee of thumb is if it is scored it can be split, but that is not always accurate either.

That choking would scare anyone and with you having a history of seizures, it must have worried you worse. Hope you continue to manage everything ok. You have alot going on. Take Care. paul m

[uni]

Hello Tracey. That does sound like a pretty scary experience you had. Glad it turned out o.k. I hope things are on the upswing for you now, with your parents, your meds, and your state of mind.

[Atlantis]

Hi Tacey,
When I was taking 875 mg Epival I also had to split my pills, and my pdoc told me this when she perscibed this dose. When I picked up my script the pharmacist told me also. I hope this helps.

[gtchamp]

Thanks Uni, Paul and Atlantis for the support. I am so very very tired. I am not sure where this fatigue is coming from. I went to bed last night at 8pm and woke at 7:30am. Still am tired. Supposedly, I talked to my hubby last night and repeated everything this morning. Had no memory of it. I guess exhaustion is setting in. I do worry about that. I see my doctor on Monday. We'll see what she has to say.

Atlantis, thanks for the info about Epival. That eases my mind.

PS. I confirmed the choking incident this morning with a nurse and she feels it is not a seizure. Was just due to lack of oxygen. Darn scary though! I have to report it to the doctor.

Lord, give me strength to make it through this day.

[uni]

I hope you made it through the day o.k. And you definitely are a champ, gt or otherwise.

[AJ]

Splitting tablets

A scored tablet can be split, but only on the score line.

Not coated and not controlled, extended, or slow release formula's:
Most often can be cut and sometimes crushed.

Film coated:
Most often can be cut. Sometimes the manufacturer puts a film coating on a tablet to make it easier to swallow, or to mask a bitter taste, among other reasons.

Enteric coated:
Most often this coating has been used to delay the breakdown of the tablet until in the small intestine vs stomach. This is most often done to reduce stomach upset that can be caused by the drug in question. Generally speaking it is better not to cut these tablets. Sometimes in clinical practice that is not always possible.

Extended release, sustained release, long acting release
These should not be split, unless scored. The drug has been designed to slowly release a specific amount of drug over a specific time frame. Cutting this kind of tablet is equivalent to dumping a truck load of dirt. It means the drug is introduced into the blood stream all at once, instead of slowly over time. This can spell trouble, and in some cases be down right dangerous.

Having said all that I must emphasize the importance of discussing your particular medication with your pharmacist. These are only guidelines to give you better understanding of how different tablet coatings work.

[paul m]

Hello AJ. Great explanations thx. take Care. paul m

[gtchamp]

Hi guys. Thanks for all the info about scoring a pill.

Thought I would give an update on my mom. Everything to do with her knee surgery has gone very well. Physically she is progressing well, however, I have concerns in other areas and have expressed it to the staff. She was hallucinating today. She can't stay awake for more than a few seconds and talks jibberish. Yesterday she had two panick attacks. I was there and to be honest was a bit frightened. I know she suffers from anxiety and depression but she had never had this before. She could barely breath. It was scary. Anyway, they are cutting back on the pain meds and I think her tranquilizers too. I am concerned about that (the tranqs) because I know she takes them as needed and I know...for her that can be often when she is at home to control her anxiety. I am not sure what will happen when we get home. Hmmm????

Tomorrow is a new day. I am tired still but hanging in there.

Take care.
Tracey

[paul m]

Hello Tracey. Thx for keeping us posted. Sometimes pain meds do strange things to people in the short term. Take Care. paul m

[AJ]

How is your Mum today Tracey?

[gtchamp]

Hi AJ, my mom is doing fantastic today now that they have taken her off some meds. She even did stairs today!! She is perky and happy. I, on the other hand, had a bit of a body breakdown today. When I was visiting her, I felt like I was going to pass out several times. The nurses brought me ice to bring me around. Anyway, I ended up in emerg. I broke down in tears in triage. They put me in a special room. I was diagnosed with all the symptoms of extreme stress and anxiety. It's weird cause I don't feel stressed but my body is breaking down. Gosh I hate that!!!!!! So, after talking to a mental health nurse and coming up with a plan on how to get sleep tonight (I have been up since 4am) and promised I would eat, we can only hope things will be better tomorrow. I see my GP then. Hubby wants to come. Things must not be looking too good if he wants to come as he never comes. I'll keep you informed. And here I thought I was doing pretty good.