Many meds lose their potency when cut in half and become worthless. Is that true of Cialis or can a 20mg pill be cut in half leaving 2 x 10mg pills?
Can 20mg Cialis tablets be cut in half?
Question posted by 2ndaddress on 1 Oct 2009
Last updated on 10 September 2020 by AnonieMouse
Added 27 May 2010:
Can Viagra and Levitra also be cut in half without becoming worthless?
11 Answers
Official Answer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on March 21, 2023.
Cialis tablets come in four different strengths and can be cut in half as they are not coated in any extended-release coating.
Cialis has been licensed to treat erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, can be a total inability to achieve an erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections.
More recently, Cialis was also approved for the treatment of the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
AnonieMouse
10 Sep 2020
I split many of my pills to save money. If you’ve ever compared the price of different milligram pills, you know the drug companies are totally ripping you off for smaller dosages. Many times you can get twice the dosage for virtually the identical price.
Erectile dysfunction drugs are a good example of ways you can save lots of money by pill splitting. Although it’s not recommended, and I’m no doctor, I also take them with grapefruit juice. This allows me to take about half the dosage I normally would for the same result, saving even more money. (Grapefruit juice is a whole lot cheaper than Viagra and Cialis.) Again, I am not a doctor and I am not recommending that anyone do this. I am simply relating my own experience as food for thought.
Lastly, I always start small and work my way up slowly. I don’t like taking risks. But I do like saving money, and I know for a fact that drug companies are not our friends. So when it comes to ED drugs, I take only the generic. I don’t have the money to take the namebrand even if I wanted to.
Again – I am not a doctor and I am not giving medical advice or even suggestions. I am simply relating my own experiences with my own body.
NottaDr
18 March 2020
Short answer yes you can split it.
I work at a Pharmaceuticals manufacturing Plant and I can only offer my experience as to how and why tablets are made the way they are.
Reasons:
First, all tablets are made to have a 100% homogeneous mixture. This means any sample taken from a tablet will have the exact consistency as any other sample taken from the tablet.
Second, some tablets are made with a coating on it for extended release. These should never be crushed or broken this is very dangerous because instead of getting the dose over an extended period you get the entire dose at once.
Third, some tablets have a score line on them so they can easily split into equal parts.
Conclusion: Cialis dose not have a coating on it so it is not time released and can be split. Cialis doesn't have a score line so it is hard to split into equal parts. All tablets are made to have a 100% homogeneous mixture, so if split into equal parts the have equal doses.
Derrickgordon
14 Jan 2019
Is the Cialis tablet effective when you only take half a tablet
chaplainnick
19 Sep 2018
You may get 5 mg instead of 10?
barbqbob
25 July 2018
I will say 10 mg each
Renewed_male
8 March 2018
I've been cutting my 5mg pills in half and have found they work fine. At the time I purchased tadalafil (generic Cialis) the 2.5 mg pills were not available, but now they are, and at a reasonable price, I have purchased 2.5mg for future.
Bigolepleaser
17 Feb 2018
I've cut many pills that weren't labeled to cut in half ... they are not scored could it be to make more money ?By cutting them you save but taking whole, you don't .
chaplainnick
19 Sep 2018
You’ll never know the answer! One expert yes, the other no, and Of course there’s always get a maybe. May I Split them they cost too damn much! 5 mg for the prostate.
Inactive
16 Oct 2012
I'm am not a doctor yet but am in school to become one. If a pill is not scored to be cut (has little lines) then it should not be cut. When pills are made and pressed, they have a mix of chemicals in them some might not be as distributed as others. Thus, cutting a unscored pill might and most likely will diminish its potency. It's egg shaped for a reason. It won't harm you. It just may be lacking is all. It doesn't have an enteric coating so there's no time release.
robertnick3
27 July 2014
Wrong. I am a pharmacist and the mixture of drug and fillers is evenly mixed-it has to be to turn old so many tablets.
Pharmaceutical companies use advanced technology to ensure this along with quality control.
robertnick3
27 July 2014
Scoring tablets just makes it easier to break in half. Only those specific drugs that are long acting because of their formulation should not be cut. It will always say on bottle-do not crush or break tablets.
NottaDr
18 March 2020
I work at a Pharmaceuticals manufacturing Plant and I can only offer my experience as to how and why tablets are made the way they are.
Reasons:
First, all tablets are made to have a 100% homogeneous mixture. This means any sample taken from a tablet will have the exact consistency as any other sample taken from the tablet.
Second, some tablets are made with a coating on it for extended release. These should never be crushed or broken this is very dangerous because instead of getting the dose over an extended period you get the entire dose at once.
Third, some tablets have a score line on them so they can easily split into equal parts.
Conclusion: Cialis dose not have a coating on it so it is not time released and can be split. Cialis doesn't have a score line so it is hard to split into equal parts. All tablets are made to have a 100% homogeneous mixture, so if split into equal parts the have equal doses.
J'swife
1 Sep 2010
My husbands doctor suggests splitting pills to save money says its ok
Marvell
14 Oct 2009
Yes, you can split a 20mg Cialis pill in half.
Cialis pill isn't coated with any extended release coating so it's okay.
Related topics
Further information
- Cialis uses and safety info
- Cialis prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Cialis (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.
