Jul 21, 2018
Betsy asked
I was prescribed tramadol and wondering if it could be crushed?
At a glance
- Immediate-release tramadol tablets can safely be split and crushed. Extended-release forms, such as tramadol ER and Ryzolt, cannot however.
Answer
Tramadol immediate-release tablets can safely be cut, split or crushed. However, tramadol is available in several other dosage forms, including all extended-release products, which should not be crushed. Below are the tramadol products which should not be crushed:
- Conzip (tramadol extended-release capsule)
- Tramadol ER capsule
- Rybix (tramadol orally disintegrating tablet)
- Ryzolt (tramadol extended-release tablet)
- Ultram ER (tramadol extended-release tablet)
- Tramadol ER tablet
Again, the only tramadol product that can be crushed is the immediate release tablet (brand name Ultram).
Crushing a medication that has an extended release mechanism is dangerous and should not be done. Doing so can ruin the extended-release properties of the dosage form, delivering the entire dose at once. This can increase the risk of side effects and overdose.
