Crushing prescription medications can make it easier to swallow pills. However, consuming crushed drugs can also cause serious -- and sometimes fatal -- side effects, says BBC News. This is because crushing pills increases the release and rate of absorption of the drug into the body. Some types of drugs state on their labels that the product should be swallowed whole and not crushed.
Embeda
Embeda is a prescription drug indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain when a continuous around-the-clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time, according to its product label. The oral formulation comes in capsules that contain extended-release pellets of morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride. The product label warns that the product should be swallowed whole and the pellets are not to be crushed, dissolved or chewed due to rapid release and absorption of a fatal dose of morphine, and release of naltrexone which can cause withdrawal in opioid tolerant individuals. In 2009, the FDA sent a warning letter to King Pharmaceuticals, Embeda's manufacturer, informing the company of their violation for not including in the product label and advertising several warnings that include the potentially fatal overdosing from crushing the capsules.
Xanax XR
Xanax XR is a prescription drug containing alprazolam that is indicated for the treatment of panic disorder, according to its product label. The product label warns that adverse events, some life-threatening, are possible due to direct consequence of physical dependence to alprazolam, especially in patients who take higher doses. The drug is delivered through an extended-release oral formulation, and the product label instructs users to swallow the pills whole and to not crush them. Severe side effects, including sedation, memory impairment and fatal respiratory depression, can result if too much drug is absorbed too fast into the body.
Procardia XL
Procardia XL is a prescription drug containing nifedipine that is indicated for treatment of angina, a type of heart disease characterized by chest pain and discomfort. Procardia XL comes in extended-release tablets that the product label says should be swallowed whole and not crushed. Side effects from the drug include severe reduction in blood pressure, dizziness, headache and, in rare cases, heart attack; these side effects are exacerbated if the drug is consumed after crushing the pill.
Tamoxifen
Tamoxifen is a prescription medication used to treat breast cancer by blocking activity of estrogen in the breast, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The drug is available in a tablet that should be swallowed whole and not crushed. Crushing the medication can release vapors of the drug that could be inhaled, which could be dangerous to women who are pregnant or seeking to get pregnant, since tamoxifen can cause birth defects. Side effects, such as increased pain and vision problems, could be exacerbated if the drug is crushed prior to consumption.
