Chew pills instead of swallowing: is it dangerous? Pharmacist explains what to look out for

Most types of tablets should be swallowed whole, according to the package insert.

But what if the pill is just too big?

Can you just chop them up?

Ibuprofen and Paracetamol: The most commonly used painkillers in Germany are of a size that is easy for many to swallow.

But not for everyone.

The problem is even greater with larger medicines, such as many antibiotic pills, when they are quite thick.

.

It is ground, pounded or even chewed.

But that comes with risks, as Dr.

Ursula Sellerberg from the Federal Union of German Pharmacists' Associations, ABDA for short, raises concerns.

Tablet survey

Do not easily split or chew coated tablets

Whether a tablet may be crushed depends on its composition.

Your doctor or pharmacist and the package leaflet will provide information on how to take the drug in tablet form.

If you deviate from this recommendation, you risk an

of the drug, as the Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung (DAZ) reports.

The reason lies in the altered release and absorption of the drug.

That is why tablets with retarding or protective (e.g. gastric juice-resistant) coatings should not be divided or ground, according to the DAZ.

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The protective coating that many capsules and tablets have ensures that the active ingredient is not released in the stomach but in the intestine.

If you chew or crush such preparations, the active ingredient comes into contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth and stomach, which is not intended by the manufacturer and can have side effects.

dr

Ursula Sellerberg confirms this in the Deutschlandfunk interview and mentions another benefit of such a coating: "One of the most important is that active ingredients often taste bitter.

Another reason for such a coating

or over a longer period of time at all.

If you chew the pill, it will take effect much faster."

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Medicines are usually taken orally.

Mortaring them is not a good idea in many cases.

© Andy Dean/Imago

Which tablets can you crush?

The package insert tells you whether a pill can be crushed.

"

, so you really have to look at the package insert in each individual case or talk to the pharmacist," says pharmacist Sellerberg.

If you have problems swallowing or are unsure, your doctor or pharmacist is the right person to contact.

Rubric list image: © IMAGO/imageBROKER/Andy Dean