No one wants to take large horse pills when they’re sick, especially if they have a scratchy or painful throat situation.
A common solution for folks taking large tablets is to cut them into halves or even quarters, depending on their size, to make them easier to swallow.
One woman says she has learned to never do this with Mucinex DM after she had a bad reaction to the decongestant and cough suppressant.
A clever plan backfires
In a video posted to TikTok, user Jorden (@__jorden__ on TikTok) said she thought she was “finessing the system” by cutting the pills to make them easier to swallow.
She learned the hard way that this is not an appropriate way to take this medication, she says.
“This is very specific advice, but I’m telling y’all right now, do not cut Mucinex DM in half to try to make it easier to swallow,” she says in the video. “I understand why they check ID for this sh*t now.”
The creator says she thought she was “finessing the system” with her pill cutter from Walgreens. However, she alleges she hallucinated.
“Finessed my damn self. Folks be seeing the Hat Man when they take too much Benadryl,” she says. “I saw the little Mucinex man from the commercials. I’m sitting there sipping on my water, dizzy as f*ck, trying to counteract the sh*t, and he’s sitting on the other side of the room smiling at me.”
She concludes, “Read the directions. Swallow the pill whole.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jorden via TikTok direct message and a comment on the video.
@__jorden__ i got that 12 hour extended release in about 3 hours time
♬ original sound – jordEn
Why can’t you cut pills like Mucinex DM?
Mucinex DM is advertised to consumers as providing all-day relief and comfort to those experiencing a myriad of respiratory symptoms. It can do this because it is a slow-release tablet when consumed whole. If you cut this tablet, or crush it, the medication will be released all at once, increasing the risk of side effects.
When can you cut pills?
It is a good rule of thumb to only cut over-the-counter medication if it has a scored line going through it, and prescription medication only if a doctor directs you to do so.
Several viewers offered their own advice, whether from experience or because they are in medical training.
“Student RN here – extended release pills should never be cut!” one commenter wrote. “Totally janks how fast the med hits your system.”
“Some meds have warnings to not cut or empty and take the powder straight cause itll dissolve too fast,” another echoed.
“Because mucinex DM is extended release but cutting it gives you an immediate effect,” yet another wrote.
Some viewers shared that they have had bad reactions to the medication, and plan never to do so again.
“Mucinex in general has me tripping and can’t sleep,” one said. “I avoid it like the plague.”
“I took this one time and felt like I was dying,” another commented. “Knocked me clear out. I will never take this again. I’ll stay congested.”
“No bc i had the most insane fever dreams taking them, I’d rather suffer in sickness than take them again,” a commenter wrote.
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