Oxycodone Can I Cut In Half

Please explain the meaning of medication half life.Brother was prescribed oxycodon 20mg every 8 hrs. Then decided to take instead 1/2 tablet every 4 hrs and it really did terrible things to him.For three days he was awake and moving;argumentive;and unaware of what was actually going on.Thought pattern was totally disorgqanized.Since the tiny pills are not scored I finally made it clear to him they are not to be cut in half and he is not to change the prescription instructions ever.

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If they are extended release they can NOT be cut in half. Death can occur. Once they are cut, the layering that allows the medication to be slowly released is all dumped into the system. Quoted " Do NOT break, alter, chew, dissolve, or split OxyContin sustained-release tablets. Doing so may cause the release of too much medicine into the bloodstream, which could be fatal." - I know you said they are oxycodone but the sustained release ones are usually called Oxycontin and at a 20mg dosage I am pretty sure that is the Sustained Release. I definitely hope your brother no longer does that.

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Hello, Edie! How are you?

The medication half-life is how long it takes a medication to clear 50% of its therapeutic level from your body, then you can figure the full elimination time, because it takes 5 to 6 half-lives.

What happened here is most likely that he was unintentionally overdosing himself. The 20mg dosage is only available in Oxycontin, which is the time released version that's usually taken every 12 hours, though it is changed to 8 in some cases of severe pain. Cutting these tablets can cause you to absorb too much of the medication, at once. They've tried to change them to prevent this from happening, but the risk is still there.

The FDA classifies this medication as a narcotic analgesic, so it has the potential to be habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation.

You were very wise to tell him what you did, one should always follow their doctor's prescribing instructions.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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I also world never cut a medication n 1/2 unless it says it's ok or I ask the pharmacist I never knew why u couldn't but heard a long time ago that if it doesn't have a line on it to break in 1/2 then don't ever do it NOW after reading about it I know why

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Re: Verwon (# 2)

I just wanted to thank you for your reply to that person's post. You are very informative and kind. Sometimes, I will read through the questions and come across one similar to my thoughts and worries and questions, then I will read the replies.
This previous question is somewhat similar to mine, and I truly appreciate and thank you for your time, kindness and thoughtfulness in your reply. I'm sure that you have helped so many of us . Have a blessed night and thank you again for your time.

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