Can you cut celexa in half?

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Can you cut celexa in half?”. Celexa is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. 

In this blog, we will discuss all there is to know about splitting your celexa in half. We will also discuss best tablet splitting strategies in order to achieve uniform dose separation and will also discuss why it is sometimes needed. 

Can you cut celexa in half? 

Yes, you can cut your celexa tablet in half. The tablet usually has a split line, located in the centre. That line can be used to snap the drug in half. Not doing it right can result in dose variation and you might end up taking a bit more or less than you’re actually supposed to. 

Celexa, an antidepressant, is available in various strengths. These include:

• 10 mg
• 20 mg
• 40 mg

Now, these strengths are used in different ways to take as much dose as your doctor has prescribed. If you’re new on celexa and your doctor starts your treatment with celexa from a 5 mg dose, you need to split your 10 mg tablet in half to take 5 mg. 

Similarly if your doctor prescribes 50 mg, you need to take one 40 mg and one 10 mg tablet. Pill splitting is also used by some people to reduce the cost of medication, but improper splitting can sometimes result in inadequate therapeutic response. 

Pill splitting is recommended only if your doctor has prescribed it. You should always ask your doctor for effective and reliable ways to split your tablet in half, while ensuring equal dose distribution. 

What are the best ways to cut your celexa in half? 

Following are a few ways to split your tablet in half:

Use a tablet splitter

Tablet splitter is a small device used to break tablets in equal halves. Though it is a reliable technique, it might crush weaker tablets instead of splitting them. Use these splitters only if your celexa can withstand the pressure without being crushed into tiny little pieces. 

Use your hands

Yes, it does sound like a less reliable method to split your meds, but if the tablet has a deep split line or a groove, it is easier to just hold the two halves of the tablet and snap it in half. If you try that out but observe uneven sizes of the two halves, do not continue doing it

Note: It is not recommended to use a knife or scissors to break your pills in half. These methods can crush your tablet down or disturb the uniformity of dose by cracking the tablet from the sides. 

What are the best tablet splitting practices? 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended best tablet splitting practices. These include:

Make sure you read the leaflet or tablet guide carefully and see if it has some instructions to properly split your tablet in half.

If you have to split your tablet to achieve lower doses, split at the time of taking it. It is not recommended to split all of your tablets at once. This might cause them to deteriorate over time. 

Make sure your tablet is meant to be broken in half. Some tablets are not that stable and they don’t have split lines in them. This is probably because the active ingredient is not uniformly divided in them and they should be taken at one time. 

If your healthcare provider has recommended to split your dose, you can ask him for a guide in order to do it in the best possible way. Your doctor will give you a demo and recommend some tablet splitting device, if necessary. 

Sustained release tablets should not be splitted. These tablets are designed in such a way that they take hours to dissolve and release active pharmacological ingredients in your body. These are modified release tablets, used to control and maintain the concentration of drugs in your body. 

If you change the brand of your medication, make sure if the new formulation has any split line or if it is meant to be splitted at all. 

The process of breaking your tablet in half should be done only if recommended by your doctor. It is not advised to do such practice on your own. 

Why do you need to cut your celexa in half? 

In usual practice, your doctor prescribes you a dose which is easier for you to take. Normally, there is no requirement for you to split your tablet in half. This happens when your doctor wishes to achieve lower doses, which are not available as a separate formulation in the market. 

Lower doses are required when you are a new celexa user. For those who get diagnosed with depression for the first time, it is not recommended to start from higher doses. 

Celexa is not tolerated well by everyone so it’s best to try the lowest dose first and this where your doctor might ask you to take 5 mg which is not available in the market. The lowest available strength is 10 mg. This is where you’re supposed to split your 10 mg tablet in half.

Another reason for taking this lower dose is Celexa withdrawal. Just like you start from the lowest possible dose and reach a relatively higher dose, similarly when it’s time for you to stop using celexa, your doctor gradually starts decreasing the dose until you finally stop using it. 

Usually 10 mg is considered the final dose before stopping the med but some people don’t get stable even after stopping 10 mg and end up requiring 5 mg celexa to relieve some of the withdrawal symptoms.

Dose splitting is also done when celexa is prescribed to children. Multiple factors are considered before determining the dose for little children as their physiological composition is different from adults. Their dose is often calculated in accordance with their body weight.

How to ensure the proper use of celexa? 

• Make sure celexa is the right choice of antidepressant for you. Stick to your doctor’s recommended dose. Do not take more or less than that. 
• Ask your doctor before taking celexa if you’re pregnant, trying to conceive or if you’re a breastfeeding mother. 
• If you fail to understand how to use the drug properly or have any other question, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• In case of overdose, immediately reach out to the hospital. Make sure you properly guide them about how much drug you have taken and when. 
• If you have missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if a lot of time has passed and your next dose is near, do not take it. It’s better to skip the missed dose and take the next one.
• Report any problems with bleeding or bruising to your doctor. If you see any unexplained blisters or rashes on your body, or experience any problems with urination, or if you feel changes in your vision, immediately report to your healthcare provider. 
• Keep the bottle away from children and pets. In case of overdose, immediately take them to the hospital. 

Conclusion 

In this blog, we discussed if it’s okay to split your celexa tablet in half. We also learned about splitting practices recommended by the FDA. Tablet splitting is usually required when your healthcare provider tries to achieve a lower dose for you.

Lower doses are not available in the market as a separate formulation. Celexa is only available in three strengths: 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg. Make sure you ask your doctor before splitting your dose. 

Some people try this technique for cost reduction but it might lead to uneven dose distribution. It is strictly not recommended to split tablets and store them for later use.

Splitting tablets can mess up with their stability and could result in deterioration of active pharmacological ingredients within the tablet, if left unused for a long period of time.

FAQs: can you cut celexa in half 

Can you cut citalopram 20mg in half?

Yes, you can cut citalopram 20 mg in half. However, celexa is also available in 10 mg strength. So, instead of splitting your 20 mg to make 10 mg, but 10 mg tablets. However, if you need to split the lowest available dose in the market, it could be done by either directly splitting it with your hands or you can also use a tablet splitting device. 

Can you cut citalopram tablets?

Yes, you can cut your celexa tablet in half. The tablet usually has a split line, located in the centre. That line can be used to snap the drug in half. Not doing it right can result in dose variation and you might end up taking a bit more or less than you’re actually supposed to. 

Is 10 mg of Celexa effective?

Yes, 10 mg celexa is effective and is used as the initial dose. It can help relieve the symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). 

Can you take celexa every other day?

Celexa is supposed to be taken every other day. Antidepressants take time to start making changes in your system, usually 3 to 4 weeks. This time duration varies from person to person. Some people begin to notice effects earlier than the others. Make sure you take it every other day and don’t stop your treatment halfway. 

Does Celexa make you more anxious at first?

Yes, celexa makes your anxiety worse before making it better. It is a known fact that celexa , in fact every other antidepressant, takes at least 4 to 6 weeks to start producing noticeable therapeutic results. However, it starts producing side effects way earlier. 

How do I taper off 10 mg of Celexa?

10 mg is usually the lowest dose before the tablet is discontinued, but you can further taper it down by splitting your 10 mg celexa in half and taking 5 mg instead of 10 mg. Take this dose for a few days until your body adjusts to the new decreased dose. However, it is not recommended to stop using your antidepressant without your doctor’s approval. Celexa withdrawal symptoms include:

• Chills
• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting 
• Nausea
• Headaches 
• Excess sweating/night sweats
• Disturbed sleep, insomnia, nightmares
• Dizziness or vertigo
• You might feel something called brain zaps, which feels like a shock firing in your brain 
• Heightened anxiety and nervousness
• Mood swings

References 

• US Food and Drug Administration – Best Practices for Tablet Splitting https://www.fda.gov/drugs/ensuring-safe-use-medicine/best-practices-tablet-splitting
• James M. Ferguson, M.D. – SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse Effects and Tolerability https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181155/
• Celexa – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-8603/celexa-oral/details
• Citalopram (Oral Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/citalopram-oral-route/description/drg-20062980
• R J Milne et al. Drugs. (1991) – Citalopram. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in depressive illness https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1711447/