Ever since I was a kid I've had trouble swallowing pills. I just can't force myself to do it. I have tried cutting them in half but most of the time that leaves a mess and doesn't work out, so please don't say that.
And suggestions>>
2007-01-15 10:43:11 · 25 answers · asked by steveo 3 in Health ➔ Other - Health
i have worked with both children and adults with this problem
all the health care facilites do this
crush pill and take with a teaspoon of applesause
check first that the pill can be crushed safely
some pills should not be crushed check with your pharmacist if your are not sure
but all pills with enteric coatings cannot be crushed and sustained action pills cannot
you can also find out if that medication is available in liquid form but they are usually more expensive
2007-01-15 11:01:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Let me take a moment to answer this very misunderstood psychological affliction. I'm a 50 year old male(beautyofthesea's friend) who has delt with this phobia for a lifetime, if ever there was an olympic event I could easily win the gold for "pill taking without swallowing whole event". So here it is in a nutshell...You go out and buy this clever little gizmo at the .99 cent store for .99 cents. It is a small plastic doohickey thet you drop the pill in then proceed to screw down until you have a fine powder form of what once was an all to dangerous "whole pill"..Then you proceed to dump the fine powder on top of a single serve cup of "Mott's" applesauce (no otther brand will do) then mix thoroghly and spoon feed to yourself.
2007-01-15 11:00:19 · answer #2 · answered by beautyofthesea 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I also have a huge issue with swallowing pills. Sometimes I can hold a pill in my hand for hours without taking it. Here's what I do (and this may sound silly, but it works okay for me): Before putting water in my mouth, I situate the pill at the back of my tongue longways. (You get some weird looks if you do it in public, ha). I make sure it is as far back in my throat as possible. Then, I take a generous sip of water (it's the only thing that works for me), move it to the back of my mouth as quickly as I can, and swallow without thinking. I hope I described that well enough. =/ Maybe it will help you?
2007-01-15 10:49:06 · answer #3 · answered by Delvala 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When I was a child, my mother always crushed my pills and put them in applesauce. (still can't eat applesauce to thiss day). As an adult, I have found it easiest to drink some water before I am ready to take a pill, and then I finally take the pill with warm water. This mostly works for me. If I don't take them this way, it feels as though they are stuck in my throat. May also want to try the kind that are coated, to slide down easier. Hope this helps a little!
2007-01-15 10:50:15 · answer #4 · answered by Lemme tell ya... 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't try to tip your head back to make them go down because it is a natural instinct for your throat to attempt to close up. Just put the pill in your mouth near the tip or toward the middle of your tongue and take a drink of water with it. It is the same thing as drinking and swallowing when you have food in your mouth. Just pretend it is food and it will go down much easier.
2007-01-15 10:50:59 · answer #5 · answered by justme 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Train yourself to swallow pills by starting out with something that's not medicine. Try swallowing M&M's like you would a pill. That way you get practice without actually taking medicine, and if it doesn't go down it tastes ok. Just don't do too many in a row. ;-)
2007-01-15 10:48:09 · answer #6 · answered by Amigurl 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
At the nursing home that my mother-in-law works at, they give pills to some people with some soda crackers, and for some reason that seems to help.
My mom used apple sauce.
A friend taught her children that the pill is a little boat going down and it worked for them.
None of these works for my daughter by the way, but it's worth a shot.
2007-01-15 10:49:51 · answer #7 · answered by limemountain 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Put the pill in a spoon and use another spoon to smash the pill into powder form. Did it all the time when I was younger and couldn't swallow pills.
2007-01-15 10:49:06 · answer #8 · answered by Katie Girl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is just a suggestion. The other comments sound good. Another one is to hold your nose closed while you are swallowing the pill. That may help.
2007-01-15 10:54:01 · answer #9 · answered by brenbon1 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The best thing to do is find out if they can be crushed or not (most can) and then just put it in ice cream or something like that. Scored tablets (ones that have a line down the middle of them) can be crushed. However, enteric coated tablets can't because they are time released.
2007-01-15 10:52:36 · answer #10 · answered by Brittany A 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋