size of roaccutane tablets?

LegacyUser

hey guys
have talked about going on roaccutane with my derm and this is not a thread about should i/shouldnt i etc. all i want to know is what size the capsules are as i have severe problems swallowing tablets. as it is i have to break the standard paracetamol type ones in half, and iv heard roaccutane is very big indeed. is this true? (im hoping not as it will mean i cant take it )

thanks

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Carcharodon

They come in different sizes, 5mg and 20mg(maybe 10), 5mg is fairly small but the 20 is a good bit bigger (one and a half to twice the size of a peanut..) big enough as far aas tablets go i suppose...they are oval in shape and you cant beak them.
Take them with plenty of water or milk and you should have no problems, you will have to take them so regularly it will become for easy for you

angeldelight

For people saying just swallow them, use plenty of water... sometimes it's just not that easy! I have the same problem myself, if they're above a certain size I just retch... not very pleasant. I don't know why and it's not because I don't want to take the medicines or anything it's involuntary.

OP, there is a generic isotretinoin (what's in the brand Roaccutane) in the UK, you could talk to your pharmacist and see if it's available here. Has the same strengths but might be a slightly smaller size.

Failing that I would talk to your doctor and just mention that you have a genuine problem swallowing large tablets/capsules. Sometimes the contents of capsules can be put into yoghurt or something, sometimes they can't... DON'T do this unless you get the go ahead from your pharmacist!

LegacyUser

thanks so much guys, and its reassuring to know im not the only one out there with a problem! its great they come in different size,i mean i could always ask if i could take 4X5mg ones instead of 1X20g one if i was having problems. though it's reassuring to know that even the 20mg ones aren't the size of horse pills lol!

thanks again

The_Conductor

Or get your doctor to prescribe 5mg tablets, instead of the 20mg ones (and then obviously you would have to take a commensurate quantity of the smaller tablets to make up the dose you are on)...

[Jackass]

the 5mg ones are tiny, smaller than any tablet i've ever seen before. The 20mg ones are very big by tablet standards tho...just tell your doc to specify on your perscription to only give 5mg tabs or whatever dose your on

LegacyUser

I used to have trouble swallowing tablets, but I guess 2+ years on Roaccutane widens your oesophagus sufficiently to accomodate huge objects! (no puns there please!)

The 5mg ones are about the size of your nail on your baby finger, not too bad. The 20mg ones should be suppositories, they're pretty f*cking big! I was on them for most of my treatment, so I'd say at this stage I could swallow a whole mandarin with no trouble :rolleyes:

Good luck with the Roaccutane, if you've any questions then post away and I'll try help you. I'm just after finishing a >2 year course of the stuff It was hard work, and I got every side-effect in the book, and I was one of my derm's longest-"serving" patients, but I've got very little active acne now... Now let's just see if I relapse :rolleyes:

tinkerbell

I don't know anything about roaccutane but I do know the difficulties in swallowing a bloody tablet! I find it so difficult and can only take really tiny ones. I can't really take capsules, only on a rare occasion. Usually I end up trying to swallow the tablet and I just can't, then it starts to dissolve in your mouth and you've to spit it out, minging!

But! Recently I was sick and had to take a few tablets that were in capsule form and each time I just kept repeating to myself "you can swallow it, you can swallow it" and it would work. Don't put too much water in your mouth either or you will gag (this happens to me a lot). Put water in your mouth, then tablet, then more water, throw your neck back, repeat the mantra "you can swallow it!" and it'll go back.

Works for me and I'm probably one of the worst for taking them! Usually I have to get any medicine in bottle form and it's disgusting!

LegacyUser

'I have the same problem.
I find it difficult to swallow small tablets.
I keep trying bu eventually the tablets are disolved in my mouth.
Breaking them in half helps a bit but i think its just the thought of swallowing it thats the problem'

xebec

So is it just a mental issue? Follow tinkerbells advice and tell yourself that you can swallow it and hopefully it'll work! It's unlikely that there's any physical thing stopping you swallowing anything so large, so stop, make yourself relax, take deep breaths, tell yourself that you can swallow it and do it.

Villaricos

heya,

another one here with difficulty swallowing tablets - my trick is to take a mouthful of water and then pop in the tablet, it should just flow down with the water. Works for me.

there is also the fact that taking a tablet everyday you will start to get accustomed to it. People can adapt to a lot of things life throws at them so dont give up just yet!

and good luck on the 'tane!

dudara

You should not break tablets in half, unless told that it is safe to do so by your doctor. Tablets are designed so that the drug is released in a timed manner in your stomach. Breaking the tablet can interfere with this.

Tell your GP about your problem. It's not uncommon at all. I know a few other people who suffer from the same issue, so your doctor should be able to suggest some other means of delivering the prescription.

Esel

Ask a pharmacist how big the tablets are, and ask their advice about making it easier to take them.

Me, I just pop them in my mouth (four at a time sometimes!) and take a good drink of water. They just flow down with the water. No swallowing 'effort' required.

You could practise this with m&ms or multivitamins or something? You will be amazed how easy it is.

LegacyUser

'Jeez, I thought I was odd in not being able to swallow tablets!!!Thank God.....I`m not alone....Woohoo!'

[Jackass]

When I was smaller and into my early teens I had problems swallowing tablets (choking incident as a child ) but the way I got over it was to fill my mouth with water, pop the pill through my lips, look up for a second or two and then just swallow the water...

Do a practice run with no tablet and then with...I promise you, they both feel the same and you don't even feel the thing going down...it is a mental thing, but after a couple of times and hen you get more used to the idea you can eventually just pop it in your mouth, quick sip of water and you're sorted.