Splitting "CR drugs"

This has been mentioned before. I apologise, I cannot track down the thread
I do not mean cutting the tablets in half, but taking them at different times. I am prescribed 8 & 4 mg requip XL to be taken 8 hours apart. If they do their job slowly over a 24 hour period I just can't understand why. Is it because there is a plan to reduce dosage? Can anybody enlighten me?. I'm afraid that I simply took the neuros instructions as gospel
Hi.

I've always assumed that the larger dose is taken before the busiest part of the daily cycle, i.e. when there will be the biggest demand for, and take-up of, the chemicals. Then the smaller doses before longer, quiet periods, just to keep you ticking over.

It's rather like eating a 16oz steak and a pudding just before you go to bed. When you're asleep there won't be any demand for fuel so it'll just turn to fat. But if, a couple of hours after the big meal you're going to burn it off doing some heavy building work, you'll need it.

Ray.
Hi AB
i dont believe that requip xl actually works constantly for 24 hours. most drugs seem to be in the system in a bell curve. the second dose might be to fill in the downside of the bell curve to make a plateau. according to the FDA the median time to peak concentration is 6 to 10 hours,ie usually about 8 hours.
it might look a bit like this where v is 8mg and is 4mg.


xxxxxxxxxvvvvvvvvvvvxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvxxxxxxxx
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

eating a fatty meal also increased the AUC (area under the curve) and the c max.
http://www.drugs.com/pro/requip-xl.html

selemat malam
terima kasih turnip
Just stopped myself from sending an urgent message asking what the o's were about. Rearrangement of glasses & distance between eyes & screen got it sorted.
Am enjoying your travelogue, possibly more than you are enjoying travelling?
best wishes (tinged with not a little envy) to you & your family