Side project.. How to taper Slow Release (SR) tablets..??

Hi All...

Pls forgive the divergence from benzos..

 

Im finally down to my lowest size tablets, -12hr SR Oxycontin 10mg... (2x a day)

I really want to trickle it out and slide off slowly, -if possible..

 

Im very tolerant, and get interdose WD..

Half life, or more, the therapeutic effect -4hrs (non SR)..

Possible solvent unknown..

 

Obviously cutting the tablets just reduces the effective dose time, not the dose value...

Attempting to extract the active ingredient doesnt sound like a great idea either..??

-So im not sure where that leaves us..??

 

I could get oxynorm capsules, an instant release powder, but it has a strong addictive pull from past experience, but this might be the nature of the beast if I get away from the SR mechanism (as above) anyway...??

 

This might be a question/situation that doesnt have an answer, but I cant think atm, so thought I would ask... Im not even sure if there are SR benzos??

 

Thanks..

 

I can see why you're asking for help here since I've just spent some time online and found nothing to answer your questions.  I hope you get some responses. 

Following

It's my understanding that slow-release or extended-release pills are made in layers to give the extended coverage.  So you can't break them up into pieces like you would a regular pill since the pieces won't contain the same amount of active ingredient.  I think you can half and maybe quarter the pills, but that's about it.

Greetings, Cantfly. 

 

I have no idea if this is a credible source, but it turned up in my first-pass search:

 

Oral Dosage Forms That Should Not Be Crushed | Institute For Safe Medication Practices

https://www.ismp.org/recommendations/do-not-crush

 

Oxycontin

Slow-release; Note: crushing, chewing, or dissolving tablets can cause rapid release and absorption of a potentially fatal dose

 

Libertas

 

It's my understanding that slow-release or extended-release pills are made in layers to give the extended coverage.  So you can't break them up into pieces like you would a regular pill since the pieces won't contain the same amount of active ingredient.  I think you can half and maybe quarter the pills, but that's about it.

Thanks, yeah, quarters seem fine, thats what I use for the interdose wd..  Its a bit “clunky”, esp now at lower doses.. But well within “safe” limits (for me, I guess I best add..)

Yes, the old tablets had like layers of pressed fibre, the new formulation is more a matrix that turns to a gel..  I hear the recreational users arent happy, they apparently have to use an extraction process using a microwave.. -apparently, dont quote me..

 

 

Greetings, Cantfly. 

 

I have no idea if this is a credible source, but it turned up in my first-pass search:

 

Oral Dosage Forms That Should Not Be Crushed | Institute For Safe Medication Practices

https://www.ismp.org/recommendations/do-not-crush

 

Oxycontin

Slow-release; Note: crushing, chewing, or dissolving tablets can cause rapid release and absorption of a potentially fatal dose

 

Libertas

Thanks.. Yes, prudent to mention and be aware of.. I would hate to set a bad example here..

Just in my case we are kinda talking sub-therapeutic doses now..

 

***

Back to the old plan.. -Have a good long hold, then drop off as best as possible...

 

Thanks Everyone.. I appreciate the time and thoughts...

 

I can see why you're asking for help here since I've just spent some time online and found nothing to answer your questions.  I hope you get some responses. 

Thanks Pam, Yes, Iv talked to various professionals, even specialist detox clinics, but in the rare cases they run into this fine doses issue (mainly paediatrics), they have other “tools” to use like IV pumps or alternate meds..  Most suggest crossing to codeine or similar..

I used to work for a company that manufactured extended release tablets. It was bought out by Johnson & Johnson in 2001 then shut down in 2007.

 

Anyways, the pills that company made were in layers - 2, 3, or 4 layers. When that company first started it was quite the technological breakthrough, making tablets with different layers. One layer had no drug in it, and it was on the bottom (to use a viewpoint). All they layers were pressed together  as a tablet and then coated with a hard water-insoluble casing, with holes laser drilled on the side of the tablet opposite the non drug layer. The non drug layer would absorb water through the casing, expanding and pushing the other drug layers out of the holes. These pills you can't divide, crush, chew, dissolve, etc.

 

Most tablets were just 2 layers. But some drugs (like Concerta for ADHD) need to steadily increase the dose throughout the day, so those pills had additional layers with larger dose of drug in each layer.

 

Now extended release pills are made like you said, the pill makes a gel out of which the drug slowly dissolves. My metformin pills are like that. Those pills you could probably cut in half at least, and maybe quarters, to reduce the dose and still maybe get a "sustained release" property out of them, but I can't promise you that. I bet the "sustained" would NOT last near the amount of time the original pills do.

 

I think your best bet would be to switch over to "oxynorms" (I like that) and dose more frequently.

 

Otherwise I don't have any help for you. I took Norco every day for 4 weeks once, increasing the dose till I was taking 20 mg a day. I suddenly realized what I was doing and stopped. It was a very unpleasant week that followed. My friend is a nurse who works in the jails, and is always complaining about the heroin addicts stuck in the jail over the weekend. "The noise they make is awful" he says. I suddenly had more sympathy for those heroin addicts.

I used to work for a company that manufactured extended release tablets. It was bought out by Johnson & Johnson in 2001 then shut down in 2007.

 

Anyways, the pills that company made were in layers - 2, 3, or 4 layers. When that company first started it was quite the technological breakthrough, making tablets with different layers. One layer had no drug in it, and it was on the bottom (to use a viewpoint). All they layers were pressed together  as a tablet and then coated with a hard water-insoluble casing, with holes laser drilled on the side of the tablet opposite the non drug layer. The non drug layer would absorb water through the casing, expanding and pushing the other drug layers out of the holes. These pills you can't divide, crush, chew, dissolve, etc.

 

Most tablets were just 2 layers. But some drugs (like Concerta for ADHD) need to steadily increase the dose throughout the day, so those pills had additional layers with larger dose of drug in each layer.

 

Now extended release pills are made like you said, the pill makes a gel out of which the drug slowly dissolves. My metformin pills are like that. Those pills you could probably cut in half at least, and maybe quarters, to reduce the dose and still maybe get a "sustained release" property out of them, but I can't promise you that. I bet the "sustained" would NOT last near the amount of time the original pills do.

 

I think your best bet would be to switch over to "oxynorms" (I like that) and dose more frequently.

 

Otherwise I don't have any help for you. I took Norco every day for 4 weeks once, increasing the dose till I was taking 20 mg a day. I suddenly realized what I was doing and stopped. It was a very unpleasant week that followed. My friend is a nurse who works in the jails, and is always complaining about the heroin addicts stuck in the jail over the weekend. "The noise they make is awful" he says. I suddenly had more sympathy for those heroin addicts.

Thanks Hope, I was hoping you would weigh in if anything stood out to you..

Thankfully im getting below those brutal 2-3 ish week symptoms, -now its more the long term “deep” SX Im trying to ease through.. light at the end of the tunnel, for sure.. 

-Next time I have an “oops” im sticking to bandaids..!!

 

Thanks again..