Hi Misfit Toy, I just saw you'd flagged me (I hadnt checked that for ages so you've got very lucky Ive seen it).
With the florinef, its very small pills but the are scored down the middle of them so its easy to get them in halves with lining up the score with a pill cutter (cause of their size its not as easy to break them in half with fingers). To quarter them, I do that with pill cutter too but at times they crumb some on doing this so that's not so easy.
With florinef as for using it with POTS it acts on the salt in the body.. helps hold onto this so to raise blood volume. You should take plenty of fluid with these and make sure you have adequate salt. (salt loading with extra fluids is usually tried before even starting florinef).
I recommend starting these how my specialist started me on these which was only a quarter of a pill at first. You should work up dose with them to make sure you are fine with these. Then I think it was about 4 weeks later of taking daily quarter pill, we went up to half a pill dose per day He tested my potassium levels before I started these and did a potassium test to check my potassium levels again at half a pill (he may of checked it also at the 1/4 pill dose).
Some time later, a few months or more later, it was when I could get to another appointment (I could notice possibly slight betterment with half pill dose though wasnt fully sure), my dose was increased from half to 1 pill per day which further improved how they work for me. (Ive never got any negative symptoms from florinef). Note as these can affect sleep so take it in morning and should be taken after eatting.
He did tell me from the start to take one banana a day while on florinef as it can drop potassium and bananas are good for potassium.
If the dose is going to work, you will find it works very quickly as this isnt a drug which one has to wait for it to build up in the body.
Some people with the low blood volume may need 4-6 grams (or is it up to 8g? I forgot) of extra salt per day.
Florinef can be good to use too in conjunction with medical compression stockings was well though if you are laying in bed, these probably may not be a good idea though I used to wear mine all the time.
My specialist was relucutant to put me at any higher dose then 1 pill per day as he says people adapt to this so in his view it isnt a good idea but it isnt uncommon for some specialists to allow their POTS patients to try up to 2.5 pills per day (but make sure if you do something like that to have your potassium checked at times). The hospital has told me I can trial up to 2.5 pills.. (ive only though trialed it up to 1.5 pills per day due to my specialist views on it. I may though trial it higher in future).
Cause this drug acts so quickly, I dont think it shouldnt be too hard to be able to distinguish any possible side affects of this from whatever else you are trialing, it will probably be quite obvious if you are reacting poorly to it. I do suggest though dont start anything else at exactly the same time.. I suggest to wait a week on this (that should be enough for you to get some idea how it will work for you at that dose) before trialing your next med or whatever with it.
I suggest if he gave you a list of things to newly trial, to trial this one first seeing you should know quickly how it goes for you where as some of those others affects may come in with time.
Let us know get on with it.
