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How Much Dose Of Generic Drug Of Norpace Has To Be Taken?
Question: Dr want to switch me from Norpace CR 100 mg to the generic which is not time released. There is a drug shortage for the brand name and it is not available for script to be refilled. I currently take 1 in the morning and one in the evening which control symptoms fairly well. I also take 50mg of Toprol in the evening. The question is how much of the generic is going to be prescribed and what type of schedule for taking it? If it is to be taken every 6 to 8 hours and the lowest dose is 100mg then I will be taking significantly more than I was able to tolerate with the extended release.
Brief answer....given below
Detailed answer....
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
In your case,your total daily dose is 200 mg of extended release of NORPACE.
When immediate release version is taken,then the same dose is taken in 24 hours but dividing in 6 hourly schedule.
In your case,the dose comes to 50 mg 6 hourly of generic version.
Either you have to take 50 mg tablet or take a 100 mg tablet and split into two.
I hope it helps,however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
Detailed answer....
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
In your case,your total daily dose is 200 mg of extended release of NORPACE.
When immediate release version is taken,then the same dose is taken in 24 hours but dividing in 6 hourly schedule.
In your case,the dose comes to 50 mg 6 hourly of generic version.
Either you have to take 50 mg tablet or take a 100 mg tablet and split into two.
I hope it helps,however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I am seeing that no 50 mg version is available. It comes in a capsule..either 100mg or 150 mg. If it was that easy I would not have asked. Taking it every six hours is difficult to to do since this doesn't work at night to get doses correctly spaced. I was put on the extended release to eliminate the every six hours issue and not having doses evenly spaced or having to take so many pills. I also can not get a list of the inactive ingredients to compare the extended release to the generic to check for sensitivities. I am totally frustrated being forced by manufacturer shortage to even consider this. It was bad enough that my insurance dislikes paying for the brand name and places it on the highest XXXXXXX Heart meds are nothing to play with. Again it is a capsule not a pill and lowest dose is 100mg. I started out taking a total of 400mg of the extended release and the amount was quickly lowered to a total of 200mg....one in AM and one in PM.
Hello,
I can realise your frustration on this issue but the fact is that we can not run away from the problem and have to find the solution for this.
In my opinion we can have following solutions.
1.... You empty the 100 mg capsule in a plate,divide it into half and then can fill in the empty capsules which can be purchased from any store.This way the only problem is that the two doses wont be exactly equal ,but in my opinion a difference of few milligrams should not make any difference.
2... You can make a suspension of this medicine by putting the norpace capsules in cherry syrup.This cherry syrup can be prepared as follows..
Take 475 of cherry juice,add 800 gm of sucrose,add 20 ml of alcohol and then add sufficient quantities of Purified water to make a litre of solution.In this solution add 100 capsules of 100 mg norpace capsules.
The resultant solution will have 10000 mg of norpace in 1000 ml of cherry syrup resulting in a mixture with 10 mg of norpace per ml.
Shake it well and refrigerate it.This solution would remain stable for a month.
You have to shake it very well before every use.
After a month,you can discard the remaining solution.
The way to take 6 hourly dose is to take it at 6am,12 pm,6 pm and then 11 pm.
3.... You may take 100 mg every 8 hourly instead of 50 mg 6 hourly,provided your doctor agrees to it.
Thanks
I can realise your frustration on this issue but the fact is that we can not run away from the problem and have to find the solution for this.
In my opinion we can have following solutions.
1.... You empty the 100 mg capsule in a plate,divide it into half and then can fill in the empty capsules which can be purchased from any store.This way the only problem is that the two doses wont be exactly equal ,but in my opinion a difference of few milligrams should not make any difference.
2... You can make a suspension of this medicine by putting the norpace capsules in cherry syrup.This cherry syrup can be prepared as follows..
Take 475 of cherry juice,add 800 gm of sucrose,add 20 ml of alcohol and then add sufficient quantities of Purified water to make a litre of solution.In this solution add 100 capsules of 100 mg norpace capsules.
The resultant solution will have 10000 mg of norpace in 1000 ml of cherry syrup resulting in a mixture with 10 mg of norpace per ml.
Shake it well and refrigerate it.This solution would remain stable for a month.
You have to shake it very well before every use.
After a month,you can discard the remaining solution.
The way to take 6 hourly dose is to take it at 6am,12 pm,6 pm and then 11 pm.
3.... You may take 100 mg every 8 hourly instead of 50 mg 6 hourly,provided your doctor agrees to it.
Thanks
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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