Can You Cut Or Split Duexis?

Our pharmacist answers the latest question regarding whether or not you can cut/split the medication Duexis.

Oct 02, 2017

Bernard asked

I am taking Duexis. I have trouble swallowing pills to begin with but these are rather large. I asked my doctor to prescribe something different but he said no. He told me I could cut it in half but I still have problems swallowing it. He then he said to crush it. My pharmacist said the pill cannot be crushed. Can the pill be crushed? If not what alternative medication can I take? Thanks.

Answer

You are correct that Duexis cannot be crushed. The tablets must be swallowed whole. Do not split, divide, chew, or crush the tablets. It significantly alters how the medication is released. Having said that, there is no reason the doctor cannot switch you from Duexis. Duexis is actually a combination of two different drugs that have been available for years.

It is a combination ibuprofen 800 mg and famotidine 26.6 mg. Both of these drugs are available over the counter actually. Famotidine is commonly known as Pepcid and ibuprofen is commonly known as Advil or Motrin. In my opinion, unless your insurance is giving you a good price on Duexis, there is no reason that you cannot to switch to something else. You can combine medications overt the counter to get the same drugs and dose! Duexis without insurance costs hundreds of dollars whereas you could simply get the components over the counter significantly cheaper. It doesn't really make sense to stay on it if there are issues.

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