What do you call a fear of pills?

Question

Do you think I have one? Whenever I think about taking pills, I get really nauseous. Just the feeling of them in my throat, and the taste. And the chalkiness. It just makes me nauseous thinking about it.

Answer 1

Have you ever been prescribed a medication, natural supplement,
or vitamin, only to find yourself afraid to swallow the pill? Fear
of swallowing pills is a very common phobia. It stems from
fearing that you will choke on the pill. This can be a scary
feeling.

Know that you are not alone, and that you can learn to swallow
pills, or anything else for that matter! The vast majority of
people with a fear of swallowing are physically capable of
swallowing normally. The problems with swallowing typically
stem from the habit of tensing up the throat and neck muscles.

When you fear swallowing, you set off your body's built-in
survival reaction called the fight or flight response. The fight
or flight response triggers a host of physiological reactions
-- one of these being tensing up muscles as your body's
way of preparing you to flee the perceived danger.

Your body tenses, mainly in the throat, chest, and neck
areas, which gives you a sensation of difficulty in breathing
or choking. The fear you experience "trains" your body to
tighten your neck and throat muscles, and before you know
it, you're in the habit of feeling "unable" to swallow pills.

Even though this muscle tension feels uncomfortable, the
fact is that it is harmless. You are not choking, or in a life
or-death situation, when you swallow a pill.

So why does the fight or flight response feel so terrible if
it's harmless?

Your body is simply setting off an alarm, which can make it
feel like your body is out of control. That can feel scary. The
good news is that you are not in danger. You are safe, and
you can learn how to gain control over how you swallow.

Here are seven simple tips to help you train your body
and mind to swallow pills without fear:

1. Divide Or Crush the Pills.

Check with your doctor to see if you can cut your pills in
half or crush them to make them easier to swallow. If so,
get a pill cutter and cut the pills into smaller pieces before
you take them. Or crush the pills and mix them into a drink
or applesauce.

Note: Make sure to check with your doctor before dividing
or crushing pills. You should never divide or crush a time-
release pill, since that would destroy the purpose of that
medication.

2. Learn How to Swallow Effectively.

The latest research on swallowing suggests that the throat
muscles are not the most important factor in moving food
down the pharynx. It appears that the plunger action of the
tongue plays a major role in the swallowing process.

Many difficulties with swallowing pills occur because people
toss pills into the back of the throat. This does not help you
to swallow. Instead, it can cause pills to lodge in your throat,
or can stimulate a gag reflex.

A gag reflex is a natural reflex that occurs when the throat or
back of the mouth is stimulated. If you experience a gag reflex,
it means that you are putting the pill on your throat or mouth.

Learning to swallow pills is a skill that practically everyone
can learn with practice.

Here's how to swallow pills:

Instead of putting the pill on the mouth or throat, place it
on your tongue. Place the pill on the tip of the tongue, and
then take a sip of water or juice. Then tilt your chin down
toward your chest (looking down) so that the pill floats to
the back of your mouth and swallow.

OR

If you prefer, you can place the pill on the back of your
tongue, sip a drink, then tip your head back and swallow.

Notes:
Make sure not to tip your head back too far, as it will make
it more difficult to swallow.

Make sure to follow label instructions on when and how to
take the pill.

Avoid lying down for at least thirty minutes after taking your
pill. Lying down immediately after taking a pill can make you
feel like it's "stuck" in your throat (even though it's not), and
can delay the pill's journey to the stomach. You'll feel more
comfortable if you wait a half hour or more before lying down.

3. Create Positive Swallowing Experiences.

Practice swallowing items like Tic-Tacs (R), mini-M&Ms (R),
small Red Hots (R), or Smarties (R) candies. This practice
will get you into the habit of swallowing, and at the same time
it will create a foundation of positive swallowing experiences.
Start with something small in size and work your way up to
items that are similar in size, shape, and texture of your pill.

You may find it helpful to line up the long side of the candy
parallel with your tongue so that it goes down easier. As
you get used to swallowing similar items comfortably, your
throat and neck muscles will get into the habit of being
relaxed when you swallow pills.

Remember, practice make possible!

4. Moisten Your Throat.

Sip a little water or juice to moisten your throat first. Pills go
down better when your throat is moist, and the moisture
keeps pills from sticking to the mouth. Moisture makes
pill surfaces more slippery and easier to swallow.

When you take a sip of water or juice immediately before
swallowing, take a medium sip. A big sip makes it more
difficult to swallow. A very small sip will not be enough to
float the pill down the esophagus. After you swallow, drink
the remainder of a glass of water or juice to help the pill
dissolve more quickly in your stomach.

Take pills with cool water or juice. Avoid hot liquids, which
can dissolve the pills before they reach your stomach,
causing throat irritation.

5. Add Food to Help You Swallow.

Place a small piece of food, preferably something slippery
(e.g. Jell-o (R), pudding, applesauce, peaches in syrup) on
your tongue next to the pill. Then take a sip of water and
swallow.

If you desire, chew on the food a moment, and then swallow.
You'll find the pill sliding down along with your delicious treat!
Take advantage of individual serving sizes available at your
grocer.

You can also wrap the pill in a small piece of bread and
swallow the bread with the pill inside.

6. Strengthen Your Neck Muscles.

Use this simple exercise that a recent study from the Medical
College of Wisconsin has shown to strengthen the neck
muscles that open the throat during swallowing.

Here are the instructions:

"Lie flat on your back and raise your head high enough to see
your toes without raising your shoulders. Hold this position for
one minute, and then relax. Repeat twice more.

After resting, repeatedly raise your head and look at your toes
without raising your shoulders. Do this a total of thirty times."

This is one set.

Each set takes about ten minutes. Make it a goal to do three
sets spread throughout the day. (Start with one set and work
gradually up to three sets over a period of several days if it
is difficult for you.)

The Medical College of Wisconsin study shows that after two
to three weeks of performing three sets of this exercise daily,
people in the study found that their ability to swallow was
dramatically improved.

This is exciting news! Try it and see how your throat opens
up.

7. Learn Anxiety Reduction Skills.

To address the root cause of your anxiety and fear, consider
learning anxiety reduction skills like the ones in our Conquer
Anxiety Success Program.

In our course you learn how to overcome fight or flight reactions
(e.g. learn how to relax those tense throat and neck muscles),
how to transform anxious thoughts (e.g. fear of choking), and
discover over seventy step-by-step strategies that show you
how to transform your life.

You are not alone, and you can feel better!

Answer 2

Hi,

It's most commonly called dysphagia, which means difficulty swallowing, although this is a very broad term:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphagia

The fear of pills would be pharamcophobia but that usually encompasses taking any kind of medication. Phagophobia is the term for a fear of swallowing but it encompasses a fear of eating as well.

A really good source for the names of phobias:
http://www.phobialist.com/reverse.html#S-
Some that are on there will blow your mind. Poor people.

Answer 3

I've been a nurse for a long time and i feel the same way After all Those years dishing them out, i want no part of taking them. It's probably all in your mind.

Answer 4

hey matt how u doing? i noe excatle wat u talkin about and alot of ppl laff at mean wen i tell dem excatly wat u stated above.


have u told ur parents and ur doctor how u feel wen ur about to take them?

does it feel like ur going to choke on dem, does it take u about 2 water bottles to finally swallow them?

daz how i feel.

sumtimes wen i take ma medication i listen to my ipod or i smell somthing scented to keep the smell out of ma mouth to distract myself.

CHECK THE WEBSITE I SHOWED U AND IT MIGHT HELP U

I THINK DA FEAR IS CALLED MEDICATION PHOBIA


good luck wit dat

Leila





http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/medsbasics/a/confusingmeds_5.htm

Answer 5

pilliphobia