crushing pills can prove fatal

[Tiddles]

Crushing pills 'can prove fatal'


Crushing pills to make them easier to swallow can cause serious side-effects that can sometimes be fatal, experts have warned.

The group, including pharmacists and lawyers, says pills often have special coatings that affect how they are released into the body.

Crushing them can mean this complex system is disturbed.
David Wright, who led the group, said people could often take drugs in patch, liquid or inhaler form instead.
'Increased risk'

It is estimated that 60% of older people have trouble swallowing medication.

Previous research has shown 80% of nurses in care homes resort to crushing tablets to help residents take medicines.
An estimated 75 million prescriptions a year are associated with adverse drug reactions.

Drugs that should not be crushed include the breast cancer drug tamoxifen and morphine.

Crushing tamoxifen could result in the person who is breaking up the tablet breathing in medication, which can be particularly dangerous if they are pregnant. Crushing morphine could lead to a fatally fast release of the drug.

Nifedipine, the angina and blood pressure drug, can cause dizziness, headaches and an increased risk of stroke or heart attack when crushed up.

In addition, special coatings can mean a drug is absorbed over a long period of time, so a patient only has to take a tablet once a day, rather than several times a day.

If these medications are crushed, the drug is released a lot quicker than it is designed to be.

The experts say patients and their families are sometimes crushing up pills on the advice of their GP or nurse.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6085192.stm

[Rowan]

Thanks for that Tiddles. This could be helpful advice to those of us who take many pills a day and have trouble in swallowing them.

Edited to add that I find swallowing pills difficult and take wthem with fizzy water which seems to help - either that or with a teaspoon of honey or other jams or jelly as is preferred.

[Emm]

I saw this on the news this morning.
I hope it doesn't apply to Paracetamol - I always have to cut those in half in order to get them down.

[Rowan]

...then they stick in the back of your throat and you want to be sick!! Capsules are far easier to get down. You can get paracetamol in caplets which are a better shape.

[Monsy]

You are all such wusses! I take 9 pills in the morning and amuse the wee one by swallowing them all in one go!

[dejavou]

You are all such wusses! I take 9 pills in the morning and amuse the wee one by swallowing them all in one go!

Here's me biting back a cutting remark

[Mgzy]

erm... aye Dej.. lol..

Cough..

(soz Mons..)

Tru tho tiddles.. Pills are designed to give out doses in the strength required.. Hence strong ones being made large and chalky.. slow release..

Grinding them means getting an instant overdose..

Not recommended