Can you take a half-capsule of medicine?

Question

My mom wants me to take TwinLab Allerdophilus pills but they're gigantic, so I'm wondering if it's okay to take half of one of the capsules rather then the whole thing at once. Opening it and swallowing the contents would be much easier than swallowing something that size (approx. 3/4 inch--I'm prone to choking on things that big). Thank you in advance for answers!

Answer 1

I've got a two-part answer for you.

With this particular one, yes, but I wouldn't. Generally, you will get the best results from a product if it's taken the way it's directed and you may get less (or almost none in a few cases) of the nutrients if you open the capsules. This particular one isn't enteric coated, so it will still be effective if you swallow the contents, but not all of the Probiotics will get into your intestinal tract where they need to get if you mix it in water or yogurt.

For other products, reading the label will tell you if it's a flat-out "no" or just a "not as good". If it says "enteric coating" in the ingredients or if the pills are called "time-released" (or "delayed release"... anything like that), you should not take them any other way than what the bottle says. Those pills are designed specifically to dissolve at a specific time in your digestion and opening the capsule (or breaking the tablet) would defeat that purpose.

If you are allergic to milk, there are dozens of good Probiotics out there that don't have milk in them (and a number of them are smaller pills). Shop around and ask about the size of the pills (if you can't see them in the bottle) before you buy them. Good luck!

Answer 2

Just eat yogurt, don't take pills.

Answer 3

If your only wanting to take half the amount in that capsule theres no way of knowing how much you are really getting. Some medicines you can empty out the capsule and swallow, but not all are safe to take that way. Call a pharmacy and ask, they are usually happy to answer questions like this.

Answer 4

Of course you can! You can also open it and mix the contents in a little yoghurt or fruit juice. It's quite OK.

Wishing you all the best!

Lisa J