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HOW TO USE DIGITAL SCALES TO TAPER SAFELY

Reasons to taper medication

When using some medications such as painkillers or antidepressants, there are some patients who feel ready to reduce their dosage with a view to stopping altogether.  In some situations, it may be beneficial and necessary to taper medication in order to reduce the potential side-effects of stopping to take the medication instantly.  We advise seeking medical advice should you wish to follow this approach to ensure that patients are following the correct dosage approach, naturally we are not health professionals.

If this is a course of action you choose to take, a good digital scale will be part of your essential tool-kit to ensure that you are tapering safely and accurately.

Common approaches to tapering with a digital scale

Once patients have sought the recommendation from a doctor, it may be possible to ask a pharmacist to split the medication ready to start the tapering process.  Should a patient decide to follow a DIY approach, the first step would be to crush the pills to a powder and weigh them accurately. 

Patients may start by reducing dosage by 10% and following that gradual process.  When reaching the end of the tapering approach, it may be necessary to reduce by a smaller 5% increments in order to minimize the severity of any withdrawal symptoms.  If withdrawal symptoms seem to be stronger, you may slow down the tapering. 

Key elements required to taper medication with a mini-digital scale

The key element to look for when choosing a digital scale to help taper off medication is accuracy in order to ensure that you are taking the appropriate dosage.  A calibration weight can be useful to ensure that the scale is measuring accurately and consistently over time.  Having a TARE function can also help if you need to blend different medication for any reason.  Dalman has a selection of On Balance pocket digital scales such as the MTT-100CK-20 or CTP-250 models for measuring medication for tapering.  All feature a compact design with clear readability.  Both the CK-20 and the CTP-250 can measure up to 0.001g accuracy and the CTP-250 also comes with a locking tweezer.  All our products carry a 10-year warranty.

Should you wish to order large quantities don't hesitate to contact us through our contact page.