Tom recently got Effexor XR in a 225 mg. coated pill. Is this necessarily going to be ineffective? Jan? Anyone? He previously was taking one 150 mg. XR capsule plus one 75 mg regular capsule.
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The only way you are going to find out is to try it.
Since you can't reliably tell by looking in the toilet, and results can be misleading (e.g., is it the drug or the XR coating?), and effectiveness can vary with transit time, your safest path (IMO) is to ask the doctor to give you a revised Rx (and explain why).
Pretty hard to know by trying whether or not an antidepressant is working, especially when it's not the only thing he's taking.
While he may not get the full dose benefit, depending on his transit time, the XR formulation is more of a continuous release, as opposed to the burst of medication you get with the standard formula. This gives you a more steady blood level, instead of the peaks and valleys of the standard Effexor dosing.
So, even if there might be some waste, it might be a better option and better over-all result. That said, the proof is in the pudding. If he exhibits symptoms of withdrawal or under dosing, he will need to return to the split dosing with different formulas, increase the daily dose, or take smaller doses of the XR, but twice a day.
Good questions to discuss with his doctor. Each patient needs to be treated individually. Even discounting the shorter length of gut, he may metabolize the drug differently. Hope this helps give you some perspective. I am sure you already know it is never as simple as it seems it should be!
Jan
So, even if there might be some waste, it might be a better option and better over-all result. That said, the proof is in the pudding. If he exhibits symptoms of withdrawal or under dosing, he will need to return to the split dosing with different formulas, increase the daily dose, or take smaller doses of the XR, but twice a day.
Good questions to discuss with his doctor. Each patient needs to be treated individually. Even discounting the shorter length of gut, he may metabolize the drug differently. Hope this helps give you some perspective. I am sure you already know it is never as simple as it seems it should be!
Jan
Hi Connie,
I have had some wonderful 'Wooppss!' events with LP drugs or slow release etc. As an epileptic they put me on a 24hr slow release pill that was supposed to keep me sezure free...I had absolutely no results and was sezuring out like crazy until one day I fell asleep and woke up 5 days later.
Darn pills were accumulating in the bottom of my pouch until something that I ate apparently disolved the protective layer and boom! I got it all at once.
Now I am very careful about anything that does not disolve properly in the 1st half of the gut. I also have a pill cutter or crusher that works very well on some difficult vitamins...
You need to be frank with your pharmacist and ask what you can do to make sure that you get the optimum dose with the minimum of waste or nasty side effects.
Sharon
I have had some wonderful 'Wooppss!' events with LP drugs or slow release etc. As an epileptic they put me on a 24hr slow release pill that was supposed to keep me sezure free...I had absolutely no results and was sezuring out like crazy until one day I fell asleep and woke up 5 days later.
Darn pills were accumulating in the bottom of my pouch until something that I ate apparently disolved the protective layer and boom! I got it all at once.
Now I am very careful about anything that does not disolve properly in the 1st half of the gut. I also have a pill cutter or crusher that works very well on some difficult vitamins...
You need to be frank with your pharmacist and ask what you can do to make sure that you get the optimum dose with the minimum of waste or nasty side effects.
Sharon
I switched from one Wellbutrin ER to 3 pills a day that equalled the same dose after my first surgery. I had all kinds of medications floating out of my stoma. I stay off of all ER or coated medications now and it saves money and they work well.