Capsule shells - where can I buy them?

[Wombat140]

Well, I've got prescribed a higher dose of Augmentin - 800 mg amoxicillin/134 mg clavulanate twice a day for 2 weeks, then 400/67 twice a day for two weeks. The trouble is, that formula is sold only as liquid and it's foul. I mean, foul. Tastes like equal parts aspartame and air-freshener. I'm not sure I can manage it.

 

Doctor's secretary suggested buying empty capsule shells and putting it in those, which would be perfect. But she doesn't know where to get them, apparently she's just heard some other patients mention them.

 

Please can any of you help? I'm in the UK, so somewhere in the UK would be quicker if possible, but of course an American firm that ships to the UK would be fine if not.

Can I just put the powder in the cases, or does it need to be mixed up into liquid form first?

And how exactly do you fill them, do they sell a thing for doing that? Sounds a pretty fiddly job otherwise, but then I'm REALLY good at fiddly jobs, that's one thing!

 

Thanks very much,

Wombat140

[LNN]

You can buy the capsules on amazon - at least in the US. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=gel%20capsules%2000

Check on the sizes. My kids can swallow size 0 and 00.

 

Amazon also sells pill fillers - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=gel+capsules+filler&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Agel+capsules+filler

 

As for whether you can put in dry power or mix it - check with a pharmacist. I think turning it into a liquid will make it leak. Also, once Augmentin is liquified, it expires in 10 days. But I don't know about what happens effectiveness-wise if you take it as a powder or how a powder would equate to a liquid in terms of what a proper dose would be.

 

But I'm confused. In the US, augmentin comes in pill form. Is your dose not available in a pill?

[Wombat140]

No, I've been able (after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing) to get it as pills before, but this is a different mixture with less clavulanate and more amoxicillin, and they just don't seem to have it in pills. I did check, believe me! Unfortunately my PANDAS doctor insists on having the prescriptions made up by his own local pharmacy and posted to me, for complicated reasons I don't quite understand, so I couldn't try another place.

 

Thanks very much for the information. That solves that problem! Managed to find a UK supplier on Amazon, then got the capsules and the filling gadget directly from the supplier's website (www.bulkpowders.co.uk if anyone wants to know). Been doing that a lot lately. If Amazon don't like it, they shouldn't fiddle their taxes.

[911RN]

Try adding chocolate sauce to medication in liquid form (per dose... right before taking)...may find it more palatable. Everything tastes better with chocolate (and bacon:). I can't imagine trying to fill filler capsules with the liquid...most doses are like 5 ml minimum unless the doc is special compounding and concentration is much greater. Seems like it will take lots of capsules per dose.

 

Some pharmacies in US will add flavors to liquid med to make them taste better- you have to ask.

 

Augmentin is horrible...supposedly it is banana flavored. Not sure what banana they copied. Not one I've ever eaten!! Air freshner is about right. Thick, chalky and gritty.

 

Chocolate syrup is idea I have shared with parents in ED with kids that hate liquid meds and I've had anecdotal reports back that it worked. Just think of it as making a banana split- yeah, right

[Ozimum]

Hi Wombat,

 

So glad you've found a doctor! Yay! Would love to hear how you go. DS meanwhile is doing really well.

[Wombat140]

Glad to hear that Ozimum.

My mum asked the pharmacist who made it up whether it's all right to use the dry powder. (The capsules definitely aren't waterproof.) He said something about it might not be dispersed properly in the jar, not mixed properly or something, and adding water would mix it up properly... Mum couldn't get any clearer explanation than that. I don't understand that, couldn't you just shake the jar to stir up the powder before filling the capsules? Any ideas? have any of you done this and it worked?

[911RN]

Glad to hear that Ozimum.

My mum asked the pharmacist who made it up whether it's all right to use the dry powder. (The capsules definitely aren't waterproof.) He said something about it might not be dispersed properly in the jar, not mixed properly or something, and adding water would mix it up properly... Mum couldn't get any clearer explanation than that. I don't understand that, couldn't you just shake the jar to stir up the powder before filling the capsules? Any ideas? have any of you done this and it worked?

 

I have added water to powder to formulate medications (for years) to dispense to patients in MD office and ER...I'm not sure how the pharmacy would be able to advise you on how much of the powder equals a dose of the proper mg ordered. These are concentration solutions...so many ml of medication "in solution" equals so many mg of medication per ml. Then the proper dosage is given from there. There are fillers in the powder- I bet that is what the pharmacist is talking about. It is medication, sugar, flavorings, fillers etc. He could not be sure powder (even if shaken) would give proper dosage of "medication" or it could just be rest of the stuff. Even when in liquid form- you have to shake before giving because the different particles settle out in solution.

 

I thought there would be issues with trying to fill capsules with liquid medication. You may be left with trying the chocolate sauce idea with the nasty tasting liquid as dispensd:D