i am prescribed this dose but it is too strong for me so i cut in in fours and take 20 mg at a time. my brother just told me that im not suppose to do that and my doctor is out of town so i cant ask til wed can you please help
Can you cut oxycodone er 80 mg up and only take partial?
Question posted by liysa60 on 16 Jan 2012
Last updated on 22 December 2016 by Nyr816
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
6 Answers
Nyr816
22 Dec 2016
Check with your prescribing Doc, but I am close to 100 percent sure that with these, the time release is actually formulated throughout the pill to prevent abuse. Meaning the pill will gel up if attempting to inject. That being said, cutting them into smaller doses should be fine seeing as the time release is still active throughout the pill... in older formulations, the green coating was the actual time release which was extremely easy to bypass, but I do believe the entire pill itself is formulated to be extended release... again though double check with your doctor just to be in the safe side
superhiway
15 Oct 2014
Let's try common sense. The doc has prescribed these for you to take one every 12 hours. I must assume you have had previous prescriptions for this med since no doctor should ever begin your therapy at this level.
First, if you really cannot tolerate that amount, then ask for the mg value to be lowered. They are available in many sizes. Second, since you have obviously tried taking an 80mg tab and haven't overdosed in that 12hr period, then it's not likely you would OD on 25% of that dose, whether it was released immediately or not. There's much debate whether or not crushing the (OP) pill destroys ALL of the ER properties. I personally feel it retains a good amount. But there is NO debate however when speaking of the old (OC) pills. The ER properties of those discontinued pills was definitely destroyed when crushed.
My point is, if you want to take only a quarter of the OP80, and even if it did release all oxycodone immediately, it would only be as strong as taking a couple of Percocet 10's. You should be able to tolerate that amount since anyone who has never taken pain medicine before, would also be able to tolerate it. It is a rather small dose in comparison.
pillman7
15 Oct 2014
heres how u will always know how to answer the cut in half question on any pill the only pills that are made to be cut in half are going to be scored the reason a pill is scored is to let the consumer know that the drug that's in it was distributed evenly through out the pill so that no matter what side u take ur getting the same dosage when the pill isn't scored that means that one half might have more of the main chemical then the other half because the drug wasn't distributed the same way k so remember that and youll always make the right choice
Buddy1971
16 Jan 2012
I may get a lot of flack for this BUT if you cut them just like M.S Contin(extended relief morphine sulfate,if you didn't know. I assume most peeps on this sight do but figure I'll through it in just the same) they are solid,the color isn't the time release & if you use a pill cutter & make sure they are 4 EQUAL parts they will dissolve just like if they were whole,chewing them up you will get the whole dose at once & take a real chance of O.D'ing because your dose dumping,plus if your on 80mg there are a lot of people who take 2 10mg oxcycodone so I imagine your tolerance is quite high. I myself wouldn't sweat it but I'm not a doctor. You could get 10mg Oxcycontin & just take to that way you would get the longer acting form rather then 4 5mg oxcycodone immediate release which only last about 4 hours. Talk to doc when they get back,but if your not nodding out with 4 parts of an 80mg like I said I wouldn't worry.
Inactive
17 Jan 2012
Hi Buddy, I'd NO idea this could be done! Why don't pharmacists tell people this? Seems a bit redundant to prescribe an ER med if you are able to split it, doesn't it? (I mean this with no disrespect to you, just wondering about big pharma!!)
sweet lemon
Buddy1971
17 Jan 2012
80's cost more for one thing that might be one reason? But it's the truth that once you take the color off they are solid pills & as long as you don't break bigger chunks off than the 1/4 she was talking about the tablet is going to dissolve at a set rate(just as if were whole,because in a sense they are,just smaller but just as hard & a whole tab. That color wipes off in about 5 seconds with regular water & even faster with an alcohol pad. Perdue Pharma in my opinion makes most of there money KNOWING there drugs are abusable,I mean they bought dilaudid,own Oxcycontin,M.S Contin ALL abusable & if there wasn't such a flack over Oxcycontin I doubt they would have changed them "voluntarily " when I started on Dilaudid they were owned by Abbot. Makes you wonder. But like I said it's the hardness that acts as the time release,that's why I mentioned not chewing them because that WILL destroy the time release & cause them to dissolve way too fast. That was the draw to drug abusers.
Buddy1971
17 Jan 2012
I forgot to mention they make 20mg Oxcycontin so she could just switch to them. And those are E.R not I.R oxycodone.
Inactive
18 Jan 2012
Hi Buddy, thank you for answering my questions. I also am amazed that Purdue owns all those meds, as you said, pretty incredible, isn't it?
I used to take OxyContin, and stopped abruptly in '09, before Purdue wrecked a medication that was great for some people, yet as you said highly abusable. It's unfortunate that Purdue monkeyed with it, as so many in chronic pain need it! But I suppose the people abusing it destroyed the medication for those that really need it.
Thanks again Buddy,
sweet lemon
Inactive
16 Jan 2012
Rajive is right! Please call your prescribing doctor and ask him to lower the miligrams to something you can manage. Or have him switch your med to an instant release form so you can break them up.
er means 'extended release', which means when you take the entire pill it releases slowly in body throughout the day. As Rajve explained, cutting them may release too much at once.
Best wishes and call your doc,
sweet lemon
Rajive Goel
16 Jan 2012
It is not recommended to break, dissolve, or crush Oxycodone ER tablets this could be very dangerous, as this will cause too much of the medication to be released too quickly.
Take care, best wishes!
Related topics
Further information
- Oxycodone uses and safety info
- Oxycodone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Oxycodone (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.