Before crushing a pill, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider if it is safe to do.
If it can be crushed, there is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish this.
This ensures you are given the complete dose prescribed by your doctor.
Illustration by Joules Garcia for Verywell Health
Which Pills Cannot Be Crushed?
Not every pill can be crushed.
Some drugs are also enteric-coated to avoid teeth staining or to prevent stomach acids from destroying the active drug.
For these reasons, enteric-coated pills or tablets should never be crushed, broken, or chewed.
If in doubt, ask your pharmacist.
Crushing the pill causes the drug to be released all at once.
This not only reduces the drugs effectiveness but also increases the risk or severity of side effects.
Opioid Drugs
You should never crush anopioid drug.
These drugs, used primarily for pain relief, have a high potential fordrug addiction.
Chewed pills can get stuck in your teeth, reducing the dose, or cause a bitter taste.
Do Not Mix Drugs
It is also not a good idea to mix crushed pills.
These includestatin drugs,anticoagulants(blood thinners), andcalcium channel blockers.
Summary
Crushing pills may be OK if you or your child have trouble swallowing pills.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193683
Food and Drug Administration.Grapefruit juice and some drugs don’t mix.
