Mildrend asked
Can Duexis be crushed?
Answer
Unfortunately, Duexis must be taken as a whole tablet and cannot be split, divided, chewed, or crushed per the package insert of Duexis. If you cannot tolerate taking the whole tablet, you do have a few options.
Duexis is a combination of two commonly prescribed medications for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It contains:
- 800mg of ibuprofen
- 26.6mg of famotidine
Both of these ingredients have been available individually on the market for years. Ibuprofen is available over the counter in a 200mg dose and a prescription in higher strengths. It is commonly referred to by the brand names of Advil and Motrin. Famotidine also is available over the counter and as a prescription. It is the active ingredient in Pepcid products for heartburn. These two ingredients were combined with each other and is marketed as the prescription Duexis. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug and works well for different kinds of arthritis but can have the adverse effect of causing either ulcers or bleeds in the stomach/GI tract over long term use. Famotidine is supposed to help prevent these adverse effects from happening, to protect the stomach in a way.
As you mentioned, the tablets for Duexis are large! I have actually had many patients state they have trouble taking it. One option for you could be to have your doctor write two separate prescriptions for you since both components of Duexis are available individually in smaller forms. Both ingredients can be crushed/split when prescribed alone. This also may be a way to save a significant amount of money.
Duexis can be expensive since it is a new brand name medication. Ibuprofen and famotidine are available generically at a much reduced cost and taken together as individual prescriptions should be just as effective for treatment. There are also many different therapies for arthritis that come in forms that are easier to take and may cost less money. I recently had a patient on Duexis and I wanted to make sure you are aware of a manufacturer coupon available for Duexis if you are going to be staying on it. It cannot be used if you have a Medicare plan but if you have private insurance, it could save you some money.
Here is the link: http://www.duexis.com/patient/savings-plus-program. Please feel free to email us any follow up questions! We are always more than happy to help! I thank you for using our service and hope you will again in the future.
