DD12 refuses to swallow pills...

[dj2]

thanks again for all your replies.

she won't chew the chewable because of the flavor, and since the swallowables dissolve so quickly, they do kind of leave a taste on her tongue, too.

she used to be able to swallow a little red sudafed, but she doesn't get medicine often (thankfully) and she forgot how. i had to make a late night run to the store for liquid sudafed recently. at least that's readily available!

we tried the "hide it in some food" approach. but she's older, and there's no way to hide it that she wouldn't be aware of. i tried sticking it inside a piece of elbow macaroni, icecream, applesauce, etc. no luck. i even gave her the first bite of apple sauce w/o the pill, and she held it in her mouth forever just feeling around for it--the little stinker!

I'll ask the doctor if there's anything else we can use, but i do want her to learn how to swallow pills!

MELSMICE, i absolutely love the spit-out-the-cookie technique! We'll definitely try that one. and you gave me an idea that maybe she can put the pill in her mouth and then take a big bite of a cookie and swallow it all ltogether. i don't think this is the kind of a pill that you can't crush. also, our next flight won't be until jan 2005, so we'll have lots of time to practice on mini M&M's (thanks Sue).

dj

 

[BevS97]

I used to have the hardest time taking pills - I still don't like it, but I am much better now.

when I was a teen, a Dr suggested making a bread 'pill' - take the center out of a nice squishy slice of bread and make it into a pill shape - you swallow that first, and then swallow the real pill.
I can always swallow the bread, and the action of swallowing the bread seems to open the throat so that the real pill goes down afterwards.

Bev

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

my dd who is now 15 yrs old was like that. when she was little she would end up spitting up any med. or pill we would give her. i remember crushing one and putting it in i think it was ice cream. i actually bought KIDS CHEWABLES until i think last year............lol. really no one would believe that she would gag or spit up........but now she can take pills, as long as they are not the really big ones. ........hope everythin goes ok.

 

[dani blaski]

I had this problem until I was in my teenage years- I would use applesauce because it was very slippery. If she has trouble taking capsules, tell her to put it in her mouth with some water, aubstance, etc and bend over then swallow. It reaaly work and that is how I swallow capsules to this day ( they make me gag )

 

[rascalmom]

Check with your pharmacy - componding pharmacists can give you a topical form of Dramamine. We used this on our DD12 in July and it worked great. You just rub some of the compound into your wrist & it is absorbed through the skin. I'm not sure if it requires a prescription, but the ease would make it worth getting the Rx from your doctor if necessary. Works very quickly.

 

[mom2rb]

OK this is the only thing that works for me. It also works for my little brother. Get a drink (not water), soft drinks or milk work best, fill your mouth up with the drink, tilt your head back and open you mouth wide. Drop the pill in your mouth and swallow. The pill never touches your throat. That is the part that makes me gag.

The only down side is that everyone that ever sees you do this will laugh and make fun of you. It really does look strange.

 

[CatLady]

Another option is Motion-Eaze. It's an herbal oil, and you rub a little bit of it behind your ear, to be absorbed by the skin. The big selling point of motion-eaze is that it works after you start feeling bad. With the others (bonine, dramamine), once you start feeling nausea, pills are too late anyhow.

The main drawback of it is that it has a very distinctive smell... kind of like eucalyptus. I kind of associate the smell with people getting sick on boats, so I personally am not a big fan of it only because I've had to be on boats with too many sick people.

Anyhow, i's a liquid in a little vial. You may be able to find it at a scuba diving shop (the ones in this area carry it) or a boating store.

Good luck. I was the worst about taking pills when I was your daughter's age, and i still have problems with "powdery pills". I even buy my vitamins in capsules because they are easier for me to swallow than regular pills are!