# xr tablets



## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Just curious what the dangers of taking an XR tablet of an antidepressant or xanax would be if it is cut in half.May sound like a stupid question!


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## 14416 (Jun 21, 2005)

Well, as you know.. it's going to destroy the time release mechanism of the drug.Basically, if you were taking 25mgCR of Paxil, it would release it pretty much all at once... Would that kill you? Probably not. But you might experience more side-effects with it.Xanax XR... Probably the same thing if you're tolerant on it. I was taking .5mg of the regular Xanax, but moved to Xanax XR just so it would last longer and I'd get more coverage. If I cut the Xanax XR .5mg in half, it wouldn't have made a difference if it was all released at once, because I was already taking .5mg of Xanax. The problem is when you're not tolerant of the medicine and you cut, break, or crush the pill and it all gets released at once; that's when you seriously risk overdose. This might not happen with the anti-depressants, but it's very common in pain medications like OxyContin. They have 10mg, 20mg, 40mg, 80mg, and 160mg pills that are control-released. If anyone crushed up OxyContin that wasn't tolerant to the medicine (mainly the 40mg, 80mg, or 160mg pill--but it's not good to do it at all, obviously!) and took it however they decided to, they risk overdose, because it's releasing WAYYYYYY too much medicine at once... way way way too much! They actually discontinued their 160mg pill for awhile when OxyContin was getting a lot of bad press (it's eased up some); they just recently started manufacturing it again.It all depends on the medication, the person, if their tolerant, and that kind of thing.The CR's, XR's, and SA's weren't made to be cut or broken, but there are *some* instances where it wouldn't hurt you,like the example of me and the .5mg regular Xanax and the .5mg Xanax XR.Man, I rambled.. Haha, sorry!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Grant is right.Usually if you mess with the coating on the medication you screw up the time release mechanism.That means you get the whole dose at once. The danger is that you will overdose on the medication. Depending on what it is will determine the danger. Somethings at 3X the usual dose are very dangerous, others are not quite so much. That also means the drug will not last as long so instead of getting what you need over 12 hours it only lasts as long as the non-time released version.If you think your XR meds are too strong talk to the doctor about getting them at a lower dose.K.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Thanks for your answers! I was really just curious. I have never ( and will never take oxycontin). I hate pain pills in general and have heard terrible things about that drug.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't know that the drug when used as prescribed is so terrible. For a lot of people it is the only thing that really controls the pain.The problem is that one can overcome the time-release mechanism and when you use it that way it can be a big problem. K.


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## 14416 (Jun 21, 2005)

Yeah, really it's not a bad medicine, at all.It's the person with the problems who destroys the time-release mechanism.Surprisingly, my pain is so bad... I'm talking where I'm up all night ALL the time just cringing my teeth and stuff, that OxyContin might be something I try in the future; My new doctor has mentioned it as a possibility if all else fails.Typically, these aren't given to IBS'ers, but I've really exhausted all IBS medications... even the off-label ones my Dr. tried (The GI ended up saying there was nothing left he could do).What I'm getting at is, I had a best friend who abused OxyContin. I didn't know for a year, until I found out he had been addicted to OxyContin for like a year and a half. He would crush the pills up, and well... let's just say he didn't take them orally.I saw what it did to him, but I knew he definitely wasn't taking it how he was supposed to, so it didn't scare me away from the medicine if it was ever prescribed for me.It's actually a pretty safe medicine, because you can start low, and there is no APAP (tylenol) in it (it's safer on the liver).Percocet contains oxycodone (active ingredient in OxyContin) and APAP (Tylenol). There is a ceiling with that med, because of the Tylenol in it... With OxyContin, there really isn't any ceiling. I know of people who take 160mg 3 times a day for legitimate pain issues. Sorry, sometimes I just get into story telling mode. Basically, OxyContin isn't a bad medicine, at all really. It's just the person that abuses them that has the problem!


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Agreed. No drug is inherently 'bad' unless abused--with some exceptions.


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