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Does The Breaking Of A Metaprolol Tablet Decrease The Effectiveness Of The Medicine?
Question: metaprolol was prescribed after aortic valve replacement. I get 25 mg tablets. the order was to split these little buggers in half and take half twice a day, Splitting frequently demolishes the tablet. Can I live with once per day 25 mg dosage. I take crestor, generic Plavix and Niaspan. Do not have an MI history although I rcd a stent 8 yrs ago. What is the half life of metaprolol in the body?
Brief Answer:
Hi split them with a knife
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Wellcome to Health Care magic,
I am Dr Muhammad Ahmad a Resident of Cardiology and will help you in this regard. I have read your question in detail and understand your concern.
Metoprolol has to be used twice a day because one has to maintain a sustained level of the drug in body for better protection of the aortic valve and heart.
Metoproplol is a cardioprotective drug, it slows down the heart rate so it decreases bp, it increases time of ventricular filling and it increases blood through your coronary arteries, all there things leads to a good heart.
It also saves you heart from getting dtressed out in stress situations like fear, anger, exercise, exertion, anxiety etc, and saves your heart from racing up which would put pressure on your replaced wall and would prove detrimental to youe hearts health.
It just has a HALF LIFE of 4..5 hours in body so it's level would decrease by evening if you took it in morning and if stress situation occured in evening and there is no evening dose taken, your heart can get effected so this drug is recommended to be taken twice a day.
Most of metoprolol brands are produced with pills having a split line in them so that they can be split easily if you dont have split line you can get a brand having one.
You can use knife or a paper filer or cutter to cut it. You can even make a powder of the pill and use half in morning and save up half in evening. This can be hard and inconvenient but is worth an effort to save your heart.
i hope this answered your question. I you have more questions i am happy to ask otherwise close and rate the discussion.thanks :)
Wish you health :)
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad
M.B.B.S
Resident M.D Cardiology.
Hi split them with a knife
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Wellcome to Health Care magic,
I am Dr Muhammad Ahmad a Resident of Cardiology and will help you in this regard. I have read your question in detail and understand your concern.
Metoprolol has to be used twice a day because one has to maintain a sustained level of the drug in body for better protection of the aortic valve and heart.
Metoproplol is a cardioprotective drug, it slows down the heart rate so it decreases bp, it increases time of ventricular filling and it increases blood through your coronary arteries, all there things leads to a good heart.
It also saves you heart from getting dtressed out in stress situations like fear, anger, exercise, exertion, anxiety etc, and saves your heart from racing up which would put pressure on your replaced wall and would prove detrimental to youe hearts health.
It just has a HALF LIFE of 4..5 hours in body so it's level would decrease by evening if you took it in morning and if stress situation occured in evening and there is no evening dose taken, your heart can get effected so this drug is recommended to be taken twice a day.
Most of metoprolol brands are produced with pills having a split line in them so that they can be split easily if you dont have split line you can get a brand having one.
You can use knife or a paper filer or cutter to cut it. You can even make a powder of the pill and use half in morning and save up half in evening. This can be hard and inconvenient but is worth an effort to save your heart.
i hope this answered your question. I you have more questions i am happy to ask otherwise close and rate the discussion.thanks :)
Wish you health :)
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad
M.B.B.S
Resident M.D Cardiology.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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