Does anyone have an opinion on the best and most effective way to take your medication (non-time released of course) I have heard different things from different people. I always just swallow mine. I know of others that feel that if they let the pill dissolve under their tongue it feels more effective and kicks in faster? Does anyone know anything about this? I'm wondering if there may be a more effective way to take my methadone that could aid in my break thru pain until I find out if I can get the 10mg increase or not? I dont' really know much about it, I've always just swallowed everything...
Never crush or dissolve any type of pill not meant to be crushed or dissolved, this could lead to a dangerous level of medication and even death. The best way to take medication is just to simply take it as prescribed by swallowing with water.
Oh No, I realize that Kissa. I know that medications that are time released etc...are not to be crushed etc... But I know that with my medicaiton, methadone, that I am able to cut them up, etc...I was told this by my doctor and take them however I want. I also know that when my grandmother was dying they would put her medication under her tongue and let it dissolve because she was not able to swallow, or they could not make her swallow. I also know that many people have taken medications rectally, and I know that when I had the stomach flu that this was an option provided me by my pharmacist as to hwo to keep my meds down. So I do know that with my particular medicaton that cutting it up, etc...is not an issue because it is not a time released medication. So I was only curious if there was any information or facts as to if the medications become effective more quickly, etc...if they are dissolved or if they are swallowed.
Hi Tina - I think your reasoning is correct. As long as the medication isn't intended for time release and/or the medication doesn't explicitly say not to crush, dissolve, etc., there should be no reason why you can't take it that way. I know what you are getting at because I've done this myself. Not sure if my logic makes sense or not, and maybe it was all in my head, but I'll tell you how I felt about it. When I was having lots of pain and thought I couldn't possibly wait the 30 to 45 minutes it normally would take for the meds to get through my belly and into my bloodstream, I would cut them up into tiny, tiny pieces AND then I'd take them with water FOLLOWED by a cup of hot coffee. My squirly mind was figuring that the hot liquid would also help the pills dissolve quicker. And I also thought that the smaller the pieces, the quicker my gastric acids could get through the "hard" outside of the pill. I bet that Shoreline or Arranger or somebody much more experienced with pharmacology is sitting out there reading this and laughing there but_s off at my total ignorance, but that's how I figured it. Now, on the other hand, the manufacturers of these drugs must make them in a pill form for a reason, right? I mean, if they could find a way to get the medicine into our systems quicker by putting the actual medicine in tiny beads or sprinkle on powder, I'm sure they would do that as a great marketing tool. My other "belief" is that taking medicine on an empty stomach will allow my system to absorb it quicker. So there you have it....those are my thoughts on the subject. I'm sure someone will come along and tell me how utterly ridiculous I am. The bottom line Tina is this: it's a very sad state of affairs when you have to start thinking up ways to get your meds into your system more quickly than they are meant to be absorbed BECAUSE your incompetent pmanagement doc won't properly medicate you. I hope you can find someone else really soon. All the best - KathyMac
Well I haven't heard anything from them yet. I am getting ready to call. In a way I guess I putting it off out of the dread of what will probably happen. Ugh. But I DID speak with the nurse for my gynocologist, the doctor that is handles the majority of my medical condtiona, everything but the pain. But she is the one that decided on methadone but the stupid healthcare system I have to use because of my insurance only allows certain doc's to prescribe methadone which is why she had to refer me to the PM doc in teh clinic. The doc herself was not in but I did speak with her nurse (I actually called about a different question but figured since I had her on the line I would be proactive) about the situation with my PM doctor. She too felt it was "off" that my dosage would be raised and then lowered again two weeks later for no apparent medical reason being that the only thign that had changed during htat time was the theft of my medication. I also asked that this conversation be kept out of my chart, between myself, her and my gyno and she agreed that it would NOT be put in my chart. I did tell her that there was a possibility that there not be a problem and that they would call me back and say that I was good to raise to 50mg and the problem would be solved...at least for now. But I told her as it was, I am afraid to call my PM! She clearly doen't like me and that makes me not want to call her about anything and that is not only wrong but also dangerous. And that I feel my hands are tied and I have nowhere to turn. So she is going to talk to my gyno when she is back in the office on Friday. So we'll see what they have to say.
I too have broken my pills into smaller pieces. It's funny, I have had the same mentality on it that you do! That the smaller the peices, the faster they would be broken down and absorbed. It might be in my head but it seemed to work! The problme with the methadone is that it starts to get gooey and stick right away. If i try to break it with my teeth it gets stuck on them. Ick. Which is why I was wondering about the just disoloving it under my tongue. It's just that sometimes the pain is pretty bad and like you said, I don't feel I can wait that hour, hour and a half for the pills to kick in! Especially not if I want to keep my job.
Like the others mentioned and you said yourself, any thing that is time released should not be altered in any way. On the other hand, other meds that are PO (Oral) can usually be crushed or cut. Even Kadian which is time released Morphine can have the capsule broke open and dump the pellets on some Applesauce and take it that way. As long as it is not chewed. It states this right on the prescribing info.
Some people just can't swallow pills. Others of course want the medication in their system faster. But remember this, it may go in faster, but it will go out faster as well. For instance, a heroin addict that injects heroin will get an instant high, however, it will go away rather quickly. Same with IV meds Vs. IM meds. IV goes straight to the bloodstread, where IM hangs around in the muscle and tissue longer.
There are meds, like the Tylenol rapid release capsules that are addressing this issue. They are trying to get the medicine into your system quicker.
Most meds like Vicodin, Percocet, etc, can be broken crushed and taken that way if you have problems swallowing a pill or need just a half of a dose. It is true that it will go into your system quicker, because your body and the gastric acids do not have to know disolve that whole pill first. But again, it will also metabolize alot quicker.
If you eat a big meal, you may delay the amount of time that medication is into your body. For instance alcohol, only 20% is absorbed in the stomach. 80% is absorbed in the instestion. You have what is called a Pylorus valve that closes off all food until it is digested in the stomach before releasing into the intestions. That is why when you eat first and then have a couple of drinks, you may not feel it, until suddenly later when that valve opens and everything is dumped.
If you have trouble swallowing pills, as long as they are regular pills (Vicodin, Etc) you can break it or crush it and put it in some applesauce. If you need it in your system faster, then I would say don't eat first. However, you may experience more nausea and other problems. You should always follow the recommendations from your Doc or Pharmacist. Some meds should always be taken with food and vice versa.
Just remember that faster it goes in, the faster it goes out. And Kathy, you're right. Certain liquids will disolve a meds quicker, but don't underestimate your gastric acids. They will do just a fine job of disolving as well.
How does one do that? Take a pill rectally? I've never really understood that.... Do you have to crush it or something or do you just insert it and it dissolves or something?
you Just shoot that baby right up there. maybe put a little vaseline on the end and waaa laaa. LOL.... I have heard it does work but I am not even going to go there myself, its a one way street!
And the pill will just dissolve on it's own in there....yikes. I have heard that this works well in cases of the stomach flu etc....but I was never sure if you inserted the entire pill or what? Just seems like it would take a long time for it to dissolve once it was in there? Hmmm...interesting. But I guess if you aren't keeping anything down it would be a godsend! I had that problem once before, terrible stomach flu and I couldn't keep any of my meds down and someone here recommended I take it rectally, but I couldn't figure out how you do it? It just seemed weird to put the whole pill in there....but nwo I wish I had because that was a really crappy week. I think I ended up in the ER actually....
hi tina,
i agree with all that has been said.I just wanted to aid that kathy has said it right it is a sad sad sorry site that you have to do that,i am sooo angry with your pm dr.I really really wish thatuncaring sob dr could live in pain for 1 week,that would change everything.I do hope your meds gets fixs soon. Hold on this too shall pass...kelsey
one more thing,i wanted to tell all (if they didn't already know).My dr told me to take my pain meds with muscle relaxer (robaxin) and i always forgot i would take them later. He said that it would make the pain meds work better.Anyways,i did this yesterday and i went from a 9 on pain scale to a 0.Wow, i haven't seen a zero in a long time,i guess it is because i took them together.i hope that what it means because i just took my first dose of the day with the robaxin because i just woke up i work 3rd shift. Has this happen to others? kelsey
Most Effective way to take meds 
