[dllfo]

Any of you have problems with your meds sticking to your pill container?

In the last month my pills (capsules, pills, vitamins, etc.) have started sticking to their container. You can hold it upside down and the meds still stick to the container.

The pharmacist says when I washed the old container with hot soap and water I did not get all the moisture out. I told him I used a hair dryer to dry it out, but he insisted it was my fault since the pills were not sticking to each other in their original containers.

I bought a new container, identical in size, etc. to the original one. Now... 6 days later the meds are sticking again. To the NEW container. So how about your meds?

For years I did not have this problem, now I do. Old container or new. Ideas as to how to stop it? I am only filling the "days" about half way. I also considered that I had packed the individual days too full. By forcing it closed I might be cracking the capsules or something. So as I said, I am only filling them about half way right now.

[Jomar]

Are they stored in a warm or humid area?
Do you store them in a different place or did something change in the heating of the room?
Have you tried storing them in a cooler room or area to see if they still do it?

[mrsD]

attract moisture. If you are storing your magnesium supplement with other drugs/vitamins, I'd suggest you stop.

Some other drugs also do this... spironolactone is one example.
Levothyroxine now comes with TWO HUGE silica gel canisters to protect it. Almost all RXs are dispensed in the original container for that reason.

I don't like pill dispensers for this reason. Also some drugs may evaporate---into the container and destroy others. I don't recommend people MIX drugs in one vial to carry around for this reason.

The fillers called excipients also factor in, and according to this article even LIGHT is a factor combined with moisture:
http://pharmtech.findpharma.com/phar...54/article.pdf

hygroscopic -- brings moisture from the air to it
deliquescent-- gives off moisture or evaporates

I would NOT store quinine (if you are still taking that) with other drugs. It is not stable to light (needs amber protection) or humidity.

[dllfo]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to help me. My meds are stored in the same exact place since about 2002. We have Central Heat/Air and I am very sensitive to temperature changes, as well as humidity. Our home is 76-78 degrees in the summer and 68-72 degrees in the winter. I keep a digital read out next to my chair, so I can see, as well as feel humidity changes. Our area is very dry in the summer months. VERY dry with no rain for months.

Are they stored in a warm or humid area? No.

Do you store them in a different place or did something change in the heating of the room?
Nothing has changed. That is why I am so puzzled.

Have you tried storing them in a cooler room or area to see if they still do it? There aren't any "cooler" rooms in the house. I can keep them in a refrigerator if that would help.

The only changes are the vitamins MRSD suggested. I now put SloMag, Vitamin D, etc. in the container. The pharmacist used tweezers to lift the individual "pills" out, noting nexium and flomax were sticking to each other. I have used both for at least 2 years and they never did that before. SloMag has orange "dye" on it from the Neurontin capsule.

My BRAND NEW pill container has this same moisture in it now. The "liquid" is clear and a very small quantity.

Plan B is to get one of the container with 8am, 10am, noon, etc. on it, THEN put my capsules together. Medication pills together. Vitamins together. NOW I CAN MONITOR WHICH GROUP STICKS TOGETHER.

The Walgreen's Pharmacist suggested cleaning the sticky substance out with alcohol, not
hot water and soap. He also said not to clean the container before I used it. I followed his instructions.

What is so frustrating is that I have used mostly the same pills in the same container through MANY, MANY seasons. Same Air Conditioner/Heater. Same carpet, same wooden end table with a glass top, same wooden drawer, yada yada yada. Sorry, my frustrations are showing through. ONLY vitamins have changed. Maybe MRSD can think of something in the vitamins that might cause this change. I have seen white powder in the container on a couple of occasions. Not sure why.

Any suggestions appreciated......Dave

[mrsD]

It is the SlowMag.

Keep this away from ALL other tablets/capsules.
Keep in its own container, which comes with a moisture absorbing packet. (that packet gets stale very quickly).
With time, if you keep the SlowMag for more than 6mos without using it up, it will become sticky too.

You can ask your pharmacist to save the silica gel containers they normally throw out for you. Only accept ones from drugs that have coated tablets, so no drug dust adheres to them.
Some silica absorbants can be restored by blowing on them carefully with a blow dryer. But that has to be done carefully, so the container does not melt.

[dllfo]

Thank you, my pharmacist asked me ... to ask you .... if you know what it is in the SloMag that makes it do that. He looked at the ingredients and could not figure it out.

I have removed all the cal mag and I had already put the "silica" container in the container.

I think you said Mag64 or something like that is also good. Does it stick to other meds also?

[mrsD]

his/her chemistry homework while in school.

Have you ever had a salt shaker stop working? Ever hear of putting some grains of rice in them to keep the salt flowing? This reference claims that small amounts of magnesium are in salt-- this is the first time I have heard of that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopic

SlowMag AND the generic have magnesium chloride as the active ingredient. And like table salt (which is mostly sodium chloride) it will draw moisture from the air to itself. This is called hygroscopic behavior.

So the active ingredient in the SlowMag is the MAGNESIUM itself!

Both generic and the brand name will sweat if removed from a tightly closed container. Most pill minders are not safe from the atmosphere. If you try and keep SlowMag for many months after the initial breaking of the seal, it will sweat right in the bottle. This does not affect the actions of it, but it does taste salty if you swallow one. Like many delayed release forms, there is an immediate release layer, with a matrix for later absorption in the middle.

I had 10 semesters of chemistry when studying for MY degree.
I guess pharmacy schools have changed. 2 of the 10 were inorganic chemistry with 8hr labs/week, where this principle is taught!

[dllfo]

mrsd, thank you again. You have a rare ability to make complicated things simple.

My pharmacist is a nice man, about 60-65 I would guess, but one of his more endearing qualities is being humble. He does not try to talk down to the customers and he is not afraid to say he does not know ... BUT he follows up with a phone call with the answer later.

As for vitamins, he admits he has not followed the industry much. He also does not care for the AMA and high powered drug companies either. Privately, he says he thinks we should be paying about 1/3 the cost for many drugs. BUT he does not make the rules. He did tell me he was happy to see I am now taking more vitamin/minerals than meds.

I cleaned my sticky pill container with alcohol last night, then used a hair dryer to make SURE it was dry. I put my pills in it and kept the Slow-Mag in its original container, with a drying agent in it. Many of my medications have plastic containers with "silica" or whatever in them.
The plastic container might be better to use in the Slow-Mag?????? Thanks again....

[mrsD]

I don't understand cleaning the pill dispenser with alcohol.
Since the problem was created by water, water should dissolve away any residue. Alcohol "sounds" impressive tho...but I don't think it is necessary.

Magnesium chloride is more soluble in water.

If any residue of magnesium is left behind in the pill dispenser,
it will attract moisture again. So if it continues, then you have
not cleaned it out well enough.

I'd blow dry the container well, before using. The crevices can hold minute amounts of water, that you cannot see.

[dllfo]

final footnote here..... I took the Slow-Mag out and I have not had any more problems with the pills sticking together.

Thanks again...