Can you crush or split rivaroxaban?
The answer belongs to the form, not the drug name. An extended-release tablet meters the dose out over hours; crushing it delivers the whole day at once. Match the product below to the one on your box — if yours is not listed, read its own label.
What each label says
Swallow whole — the label says not to crush or chew it
“Tablets: XARELTO tablet must not be split in an attempt to provide a fraction of a tablet dose.”
On the label for Xarelto · DailyMed
It depends on what you mean — read the sentence
“Options For adult patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, XARELTO tablets (all strengths) may be crushed and mixed with applesauce immediately prior to use and administered orally.”
On the label for Xarelto · DailyMed
The label allows it, in the terms quoted
“XARELTO tablets via nasogastric (NG) tube or gastric feeding tube: After confirming gastric placement of the tube, XARELTO tablets (all strengths) may be crushed and suspended in 50 mL of water and administered via an NG tube or gastric feeding tube.”
On the label for Xarelto · DailyMed
Swallow whole — the label says not to crush or chew it
“Advise the caregiver the tablet must not be split in an attempt to provide a fraction of a tablet dose [see Dosage and Administration.”
On the label for Xarelto · DailyMed
Swallow whole — the label says not to crush or chew it
“For children who are unable to swallow whole tablets, XARELTO oral suspension may be used.”
On the label for Xarelto · DailyMed
It depends on what you mean — read the sentence
“Options For adult patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, rivaroxaban tablets (all strengths) may be crushed and mixed with applesauce immediately prior to use and administered orally.”
On the label for Rivaroxaban · DailyMed
The label allows it, in the terms quoted
“Administration of rivaroxaban tablets via nasogastric (NG) tube or gastric feeding tube : After confirming gastric placement of the tube, rivaroxaban tablets may be crushed and suspended in 50 mL of water and administered via an NG tube or gastric feeding tube.”
On the label for Rivaroxaban · DailyMed
It depends on what you mean — read the sentence
“Options For adult patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, rivaroxaban tablets may be crushed and mixed with applesauce immediately prior to use and administered orally.”
On the label for RIVAROXABAN · DailyMed
The label allows it, in the terms quoted
“Administration of rivaroxaban tablets via nasogastric (NG) tube or gastric feeding tube: After confirming gastric placement of the tube, rivaroxaban tablets may be crushed and suspended in 50 mL of water and administered via an NG tube or gastric feeding tube.”
On the label for RIVAROXABAN · DailyMed
It depends on what you mean — read the sentence
“Options For adult patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, Rivaroxaban Tablets (all strengths) may be crushed and mixed with applesauce immediately prior to use and administered orally.”
On the label for Rivaroxaban · DailyMed
The label allows it, in the terms quoted
“Rivaroxaban tablets via nasogastric (NG) tube or gastric feeding tube: After confirming gastric placement of the tube, Rivaroxaban tablets (all strengths) may be crushed and suspended in 50 mL of water and administered via an NG tube or gastric feeding tube.”
On the label for Rivaroxaban · DailyMed
The label allows it, in the terms quoted
“NG) tube or gastric feeding tube: After confirming gastric placement of the tube, rivaroxaban tablets (all strengths) may be crushed and suspended in 50 mL of water and administered via an NG tube or gastric feeding tube.”
On the label for RIVAROXABAN · DailyMed
Frequently asked questions
Can you crush rivaroxaban?
It depends on which rivaroxaban product you have, which is why this page quotes each label separately rather than answering for the drug name. At least one form is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day's dose at once, which is the reason those instructions exist.
Why does it depend on the form and not the drug?
Because the restriction is built into the tablet, not the molecule. Extended-release and enteric-coated tablets carry a coating or matrix that meters the dose out over hours; crushing destroys it and delivers everything immediately. The same drug in an immediate-release tablet often has no such restriction, which is why a list of drug names cannot answer this question and a quoted label can.
What if I can't swallow the tablet?
Ask the prescriber or pharmacist rather than crushing it anyway — most drugs that cannot be crushed exist in another form (liquid, dispersible tablet, patch, or an immediate-release version taken more often) and switching is usually straightforward. Some labels explicitly describe an alternative, and where they do it is quoted above.
More on rivaroxaban
Quoted from FDA labels for reference, not medical advice. Never crush or split a tablet against its label to make it easier to take — ask the prescriber or pharmacist, because an alternative form usually exists.