(benzos) alprazolam stability

[burn out]

Caution patient using ½ of a scored orally disintegrating tablet to discard the unused portion of the tablet and do not save for future use, because the remaining tablet portion may not be stable.
http://www.healthline.com/ahfscontent/alprazolam/4

i have read this and similar things on other websites, saying to immediately discard any unused portions.

my questions are, is this true and if so how do you explain it? i mean the pills is just binders and fillers and alp, so why would breaking it half cause the unused portion to be any less stable?

if this is true, how can i possibly do a taper? in your experience, if you cut a xanax pill in half and then use the other half a couple of weeks later, is it just as potent?

[leftwing]

hmmm, interesting...

where abouts have you read this? i'm interested in checking it out.

my doctor has tapered my from benzos before which have resulted in me having to halve pills, yet has never said throw the other portion out. i've also halved xanax bars before and had them keep in the bottle for a while before i'd used them and have never noticed any drop in effect. nowhere before have i heard anyone else claim this and there are dozens of people on here who have had to halve pill when tapering or dosing.

that statement is rather vague, saying it may not remain stable. under what conditions exactly is it referring to? like i said, ive kept halved pills in the air tight container for a period of time and never noticed anything degrade.

some pills have an outer coating but as far as i am aware they don't play a factor into "keeping" the pill.

interesting statement you raise burn out

[burn out]

i've read it on the site i linked and a couple of other sites i found when searching for "alprazolam storage" i think. for instance, here is another:

Patients should be advised when taking alprazolam orally disintegrating tablets to protect the tablets from moisture, remove the tablets from the original bottle immediately prior to administration, and immediately discard partial doses.

http://doublecheckmd.com/DrugDetail....d=12099&view=w

if indeed it is losing potency after being cut, this could potentially have serious effects on a taper plan.

[tobala]

The alprazolam molecule itself is very stable, there should be almost no reason to throw any out.

[leftwing]

^exactly.

i noticed you did a sneaky edit burn out which i didnt catch until just reopening this.

i see the statment says "disintergrating tablets", meaning sublingual tablets?? even then i don't understand how it would degrade.

[Gaz_hmmmm]

It's refering to the stability of orally disintegrating tablets!!!!

Orally Disintegrating Tablets

20–25°C (may be exposed to 15–30°C). Protect from moisture. If a half tablet is used, discard remaining portion because it may not remain stable. Discard cotton after opening the container and reseal container tightly after each opening to prevent introduction of moisture.
Extended-release Tablets

25°C (may be exposed to 15–30°C).
Solution (Concentrate)

Tight, light-resistant containers at 15–30°C.

The reason it says they could become unstable is cause of moisture in the air affecting the binders that normally disintergrate when they come into contact with water/saliva.

The alprazolam in the pills will be fine, though the pill maybe abit mushy!!

[leftwing]

^burn out edited his post with the info on them being disintergrating tablets.

and yes i agree that there shouldnt be any drop in potency of the alpro unless it is being stored wrongly.

[mugabe]

if alprazolam was kept in a clear plastic baggie, is there any change of it degrading from light or heat over time.

[shoolameet]

I have broken bars up and then used the other pieces weeks later and there is absolutely no difference. These links are all BS.

[Captain.Heroin]

Yeah, I break up pills all the time, they are still just as potent as ever. I echo everyone's sentiments here.