SUSTIVA + TRUVADA: CAN THEY BE CUT IN HALF?

[newbie76]

I have a problem with my meds.

Since about 2 weeks now I feel like the pills get stuck at the back of my throat. Approximately where the neck meets the chest.

Last night I drank 2 iters of water and ate a kiwi and an apple almost without chewing to try and push them down but I still had this feeling.

My bf says that perhaps the pills had in fact gone down but I could still "feel" them there because they touched the walls of my throat while in transit. I am not sure.

My question is: can Sustiva and Truvada be cut in half for easier swallow? Or have they got some kind of slow-release coating which you shouldn't interfere with?

I am worried that the pills will reach the stomach much later than they're supposed to and consequences could be serious.

Any advice please?

[Miss Philicia]

How can you eat an apple without chewing and swallow it, but you can't a pill?  Sounds psychological to me, which even if so I realize that doesn't help you obtain your goal, but I guess it's something to work on.

Look for Queen Akasha's recent similar thread:

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=17425

I'd tend to go with newt's answer that the pills are not designed to be broken, and I'd be wary of really considering that a long term answer.

[newbie76]

No, I don't think I have explained myself properly!

I have no problem swallowing the pills. The problem is that the pills seem to get stuck at the back of my throat, after I have swallowed them.

[Miss Philicia]

No offense, but like you're boyfriend is telling you:  they went down, you just THINK that they didn't

I'm sure everyone has felt this at some point, but they've gone down.  I'd still not start slicing up your pills.

[newbie76]

No offence taken! I surely hope you and my bf are right!!! Thank you anyway, I will try with some yogurt tonight! 

[minismom]

I asked about cutting a 600mg susteva in half and was told that I should NEVER cut them in half or crush them.  Funny thing is, they were given to us by a pharmacist who told us to cut them because mini only needs 300mg and they were having problems getting her 100mg capsule to go with her 200mg capsule.  We quit giving them to her.

[a2z]

Newbie, I had the same sensation as you.  Turns out I had a hiatal hernia, which according to my ENT is not in and of itself serious, as well as a swollen throat from stress/reflux.

If you can get to an ENT, in the meanwhile try the following:

Swallow some water BEFORE swallowing the pill
Take your pill with some applesauce

If you have swelling/reflux the way I did, the doctor may give you some medication that'll likely reduce stomach acid.  Make sure it isn't contraindicated with the pills you are taking.

Good luck.

I have a problem with my meds.

Since about 2 weeks now I feel like the pills get stuck at the back of my throat. Approximately where the neck meets the chest.

Last night I drank 2 iters of water and ate a kiwi and an apple almost without chewing to try and push them down but I still had this feeling.

My bf says that perhaps the pills had in fact gone down but I could still "feel" them there because they touched the walls of my throat while in transit. I am not sure.

My question is: can Sustiva and Truvada be cut in half for easier swallow? Or have they got some kind of slow-release coating which you shouldn't interfere with?

I am worried that the pills will reach the stomach much later than they're supposed to and consequences could be serious.

Any advice please?

[MitchMiller]

Some pills can be cut and some can't.  You should call the pharmaceutical company's info line.  Some pills are coated to affect how they are absorbed in the stomach.  The only VL blip I ever had occurred after I started cutting my 600mg Sustiva in half.  After I stopped, I went back to undetectable and have been there ever since (taking meds now almost 5 years).

[newbie76]

Thank you for the replies.

I have talked about it with the nurse and I told her that I now dip my meds in honey before putting them in my mouth and I swallow them with an Actimel and she thought this was the best thing to do. She also didn't recommend cutting them but she said that if the problem persits they'll have to push a little camera down my throat to check for obstructions.