But is it safe to cut cholesterol-lowering medications like Crestor or Lipitor in half?
First, it’s important to remember thathigh cholesterolcan increase your risk of having a heart attack orstroke.
Taking cholesterol-lowering medications can reduce these health risks.
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It’s important to take medications as prescribed by your provider.
You will also learn the best way to split cholesterol pills.
Your provider might even be able to prescribe the pills in higher doses.
However, you cannot split every kind of cholesterol pill.
Scored Pills
Some pills have a line or groove on them.
The line is called a “score.”
Pills that are scored are easier to split because the line helps you get two equal halves.
Most cholesterol-lowering medications are not scored.
The exception is gemfibrozil (Lopid) tablets.
Having poor vision or arthritis can make it especially difficult.
you’re able to also ask your pharmacist to cut the tablets in half for you.
A pill cutter or splitter is thesafest and most accurate wayto halve your pills.
If your pills are different sizes, you may end up taking the wrong dose.
Pills of this kind may have SR, ER, or XL after the drug name on the label.
If you cut these pills, they can lose their ability to release the medication over time.
That means you may end up getting too low of a dose.
Usually, the manufacturer will include a warning on the bottle.
Always take your cholesterol medication exactly as your provider prescribes it for you.
Some cholesterol medications like Lipitor and Crestor are safe to split.
Others, like those that are extended-release or come in capsules, cannot be split.
You should always ask your provider or pharmacist before cutting your pills in half.
you’ve got the option to also ask your pharmacist to cut the pills for you.
2019;40(43):3516-3525. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz458
Food and Drug Administration.Tablet Splitting.
Grissinger M.Tablet SplittingOnly If You Half To.P T. 2010;35(2):69-70.
2018;3:e83-e89.
Published 2018 Jun 28. doi:10.5114/amsad.2018.76826
