Abss: olanzapine - pill cutters … tiny pills

[Abss]

Hello all, thank you for all the amazingly helpful guidance and support given on this site. 
 

I’m new to this pill cutting lark. Olanzapine is teeny tiny…can someone recommend a pill cutter that cuts evenly and well please? I’ve so far managed to mangle a few with a rather flimsy pharmacy bought chopper! 

[Frogie]

@Abss

 

Welcome to SA. We are a volunteer ran site helping people such as yourself taper off psychiatric medications or have tapered off and are now healing.

 

This is your introduction page where you will receive information, ask questions and meet other member such as yourself. We ask that you only have one introduction page so we can keep all your information in one place.

 

First can you please create a signature page.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

The easiest way to taper Olanzapine is to use a scale and crush and weigh the tablets. That way you get the exact dose you need.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering off olanzapine (Zyprexa)

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

 

Please reach out with any other questions you may have.

Edited June 23, 2022 by Frogie

[Abss]

Thank you @frogie really helpful. This may sound stupid, but when you’ve crushed the tablets, can you just mix with Jam or something to help digest?
 

Hopefully the signature now works! 

 

[Frogie]

@Abss

 

You would need to order some gel caps off Amazon and you will them with the powder. You want to get at least "0" or "00" so they can be filled easily.

 

I did a week at a time.

 

Signature looks great. Thanks!

[Abss]

Thank you. Essentially a mini pharmacy is required….!

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, Abss said:

Thank you. Essentially a mini pharmacy is required….!

 

Don't forget to buy a lab coat!  Just joking.  Another member and I were discussing this the other day:

 

Their comment:

 

On 6/19/2022 at 3:26 AM, Kaervin said:

I wonder how many people going on ADs for the first time didn't realize how acquainted they would become with mathematics, percentages, cutting/weighing pills, etc.. just to come off of them with the least amount of disruption.

 

My reply to the above:

 

Crazy! 🤪

 

I because very good at using Excel spreadsheet to work out how many capsules of a particular dose I would need for my taper.

 

And opening capsules, graduated cylinders, syringes.  I never did get myself a lab coat to wear whilst creating my concoctions.

 

Every now and then I would think how ridiculous it all was and just shake my head with a wry smile.

[ChessieCat]

I found it helpful to write down my "recipe".  Some days my brain wouldn't work properly and it meant that I didn't get so anxious and double/triple/quadruple checking and worrying about whether I had got it right.

[Abss]

The video link was excellent, thank you. @ChessieCat
 

Thank you also for the guidance to @brassmonkey experiences. I can see how insanely hard it is to measure when you get to tiny doses and that visual divisions become necessary, as 4mg is the minimum scale weight.  This seems very challenging when precision is key (the video made this very clear) any further tips appreciated! 

[hayduke]

Hi @Abss

My personal experience:  I found water titration was by far the most satisfactory way to get very consistent dosages, which matters because there is already enough yo-yo action going on in the body with wds.  Probably even more important at lower doses.

Cheers

[ChessieCat]

On 6/27/2022 at 11:42 PM, Abss said:

4mg is the minimum scale weight

 

Are you meaning 4mg dose or 4mg physical weight?

 

Brassmonkey managed to weigh very small amounts using the Gemini 20 scale.  It was only at the very end that he had to weigh and then manually divide up his doses.

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

[Abss]

Thank you @ChessieCat and @hayduke

 

I’m hugely embarrassed….the teeny tiny pill is certainly not even one gram, but certainly must weigh more than 2.5mg as that’s the drug content (albeit I have reason to believe it’s not split evenly through the pill)….so for sure the itsy bitsy teeny weeny pill must weigh more and therefore the scales you kindly sound perfect and the liquid taper also sounds really sensible. Appreciated. 

[ChessieCat]

The physical pill has drug + fillers.  The physical pill weight is different from the amount of dose that a pill contains.

 

13 hours ago, hayduke said:

 I found water titration was by far the most satisfactory way to get very consistent dosages

 

cross-over-changing-form-eg-tablet-to-liquid-of-drug-or-changing-brand-of-same-drug