Can i crush tagamet

How do you know when it's safe to do that? A question sent to us by a reader gives me the opportunity to discuss this. The woman wrote: "My elderly mother has a hard time swallowing her medicine. It depends on what her mother is taking. Some medicines are specially prepared to deliver the medicine to your body slowly, over time. If these pills are crushed or chewed, or the capsules are opened before swallowing, the medicine may go into the body too fast, which can cause harm.

In one report sent to us, an 83 year-old woman was taking Cardizem CD diltiazem for high blood pressure. The capsule was too large to swallow so she chewed it. Soon after she swallowed the medicine she became weak, had a very slow heartbeat, and had to be hospitalized. Cardizem CD is one of a long list of drugs designed to release drug slowly over a hour period. Chewing it breaks down the formulation, causing unintended absorption all at once. This leads to blood levels that are too high, which may be intolerable to some.

In other cases, medications may have special coatings to protect your stomach or delay absorption until the drug gets into your intestines, so it won't be destroyed by stomach acids.

Breaking these tablets destroys the coating, so again you might absorb the medicine too fast or make it ineffective. Or you could be inviting undue nausea and vomiting. Often, you can identify drugs that should never be crushed just by looking at the name. Many gradual-release medicines have names that end with:. Beware though! Other letters may be used to mean gradual release or may indicate some other property of the drug.

In fact, some pills that should not be crushed or chewed may not have any letters at the end of their names. We do have a tool on our website that lists drugs that should never be crushed or split in two or more pieces. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom.

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them.

However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Do not let anyone else take your medicine. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.

You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Cimetidine pronounced as sye met' i deen. Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used? Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow?

What special dietary instructions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose? What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

Brand names. Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow? Before taking cimetidine, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to cimetidine or any other medications.

Be sure to mention any of the following: anticoagulants 'blood thinners' such as warfarin Coumadin ; antidepressants mood elevators such as amitriptyline Elavil , amoxapine Asendin , clomipramine Anafranil , desipramine Norpramin , doxepin Adapin, Sinequan , imipramine Tofranil , nortriptyline Aventyl, Pamelor , protriptyline Vivactil , and trimipramine Surmontil ; chlordiazepoxide Librium ; clopidogrel Plavix , diazepam Valium ; lidocaine Xylocaine ; metronidazole Flagyl ; nifedipine Adalat, Procardia ; phenytoin Dilantin ; propranolol Inderal ; and theophylline Theobid, Theo-Dur.

Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. If you become pregnant while taking cimetidine, call your doctor.