How do you teach someone to take a pill???

[MaryAnnDVC]

Because of DD's (13) bone structure, her patella (kneecap) rubs against her femur and causes bruised bones. She goes to PT, but we're going to WDW for two weeks next week, and the orthopedic surgeon recommended taking Motrin to get us through vacation without too much misery.

Jr Motrin (chewable orange) costss A LOT more than adult Motrin. I want her to learn to take a pill! Her knees are hurting now, so I told her this would be a good time to try taking them...she needs to take two.

First she had to IM all her friends and tell them I'm forcing her to take A PILL. She's now working on the 3rd pill, since the other two have fallen apart. Actually, she's now fishing it out of the glass of water. And she's waterlogged.

She just suggested that, at this rate, I might want to just spend the money on the chewables.

My older DD was the same way, but is now good at it, thank goodness, because she's on long-term meds which probably don't even come in chewable. (But no one can be in the room or she can't do it.) But when older DD had Lyme Disease, she had to have 14 bottles of liquid antibiotics to get through a month! I had to go to the pharmacy every couple of days to get more.

Oy...she just had to mop up the floor and her legs because she spewed the water out...with the pill.

Any suggestions?

 

[stinkerbelle]

well, I suggest practicing with a tic-tac or something so that you don't end up spending more money on more motrin!

i know it took my brother a while to learn...i think my mom was mashing his pills up in applesauce for the longest time.

but I think maybe just practicing with somethign else (a tic tac/skittle/M&M) might be easier.

how are you telling her to do it? put on tongue, big gulp of water and one big swallow?

 

[Pooh67_68]

I take a sip of water(don't swallow) tilt head back drop in pill than swallow.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

I taught both DD and DS the applesauce way.

First we do a test run with just the applesauce on the teaspoon. Then the 2nd time I put the pill in the center of the spoon with the applesauce covering it.

DD doesn't use anything now, not even water. DS though was doing fine with the applesauce way until he decided one time to swish around the applesauce and he ended up not being able to swallow the pill. So DS who is 11 will not try the applesauce way again just yet. He's back to chewable junior strength.

Since your DD is older I'm sure she'd do fine with this method.

 

[KristiKelly]

Pooh67_68, I do the same thing. DS7 has taken 1 Motrin by mouth, when I didn't have the liquid. He is a big-time gagger, but has no problems getting them down with a mouth full of water. DS has no problems taking pills - Is that a good thing???

 

[Cruisin]

It is easy.

Just have her chew up a little mouthfull of something, doesn't really matter what. Maybe try banana, applesauce, bread with jam or peanutbutter or cheese whiz,...... whatever she wants, even her dinner.

Once the food is chewed enough to swallow it safely. Tell her to put the pill in her mouth and kind of surround it with the food (with her tongue) . And then all she has to do is swallow the bite of food, pill and all!!

Works pretty well.

At age 13 you should be able to trust her not to take too big a mouthful and choke herself.

 

[SandiH]

A pediatrition told my son to put the pill and water in his mouth and actually put his chin to his chest (looking down) - it apparently pushes the water and pill back and it's easier to swallow.

I also would start with something small to teach swallowing. A tic tac or M & M.

Good luck!

 

[deirdrefitch]

When my kids were younger, pediatrician told me to use M & M's to teach DS how to swallow pills. Kind of a psychological thing.
Child knows M & M's taste good, and if they get a bind, can chew the candy if need be. The child therefore relaxes, which relaxes the esophagus, enabiling the child to swallow the pill easier.
After a couple of test runs, this worked pretty well.
Hope this helps!

 

[coliebird]

I'm 33 and I still have a hard time swallowing pills. When I was pregnant, I got chewable pre-natal vitamins. There was no way I could swallow those horse pills. The biggest thing I can get down is an aspirin and sometimes it takes a while so I can sympathize with your daughter.

Good luck.

 

[puffkin]

I put a little water in my mouth, slide the pill in, then drink more water until i am forced to swallow. It usually goes right down. I have to do the water twice or I gag. I would practice with a tic tac as well.

 

[Cinders]

We used M&Ms for practice with older DS when that didn't work we put the M&Ms in a spoonful of yogurt or applesauce. "Making" someone do something sometimes automatically makes them defensive (tense) so you may do better giving her a small bag of plain or mini M&Ms, applesauce or yogurt then bribe her with $5 if she can teach herself to swallow the pill/M&M within 2 days. Then leave her alone to experiment out of site.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Depends on the type of pill.....

With capsules - they float. Put the pill on the child's tongue, big drink of water - tilt chin down on chest and swallow. This is the most common problem - kids trying to throw their head back which actually pushes the capsule towards the front teeth.

With caplets or tablets - tilt the head back and swallow.

Good luck!!!!

 

[oogieboogie]

Another way you could do it is stick the pill in a banana. Have her eat the banana and the pill will go in easily.

 

[kimwim8]

I can sympathize. I still cannot take pills with anyone watching. Dh makes fun of me if he catches me taking a pill. Even birth control (little teeny tiny) pills made me gag.

Applesauce did it for me.

Up until I was 16 or 17, I still took baby aspirin (chewable). I would have to take so many, like 6 or 7 per dose that my mom finally told me she wasn't buying them anymore, so I either swallow pills or suffer (ah, tough love).

I wish you guys luck. It's not easy. It's still a mental game for me.

Oh, and those prenatal vitamins are HORRIBLE!!!

 

[dbogen]

Have her dring thru a straw. There is something about the way you suck thru the straw that prevents the toung from catching the pill in the back of the throat. That is how I taughtr my boys (8 and 11). In fact while in Disney with friends their 16 dear son had a fever. They ran out of chewables so I made him try the straw trick with adult advil. It worked and when they took him to the walk in and the nurse handed him a pill he was happy he new how to take it and that mom had a straw in the purse. I hope this helps and that she feels better soon.

Deanna

 

[my3kids]

Put the water in a Coke bottle, or use coke. The help is in the angle you have to use to drink from the bottle. Put some liquid in the motuth, throw in the pill, then drink from the bottle. The tip of head backwards send it right down.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I was 21 before I learned how to swallow a pill. Give me a piece of gum and I couldn't keep it in my mouth for more than 5 minutes without swallowing it. Go figure. Now I can pop pills very easily. I tried all the tricks in the book to try to get pills down before that and nothing ever worked. I was shocked when I finally got one down. The best thing I can tell you is to tell her to hold her head back and drop the pill towards the back of her throat.

 

[mep319]

Wow! DD7 has been swallowing pills since 5! She hated the taste of medicine..liquid or chewables always has so as soon as she was "big" enough for adult pills she started swallowing...at first using a straw helped. She will actually swallow her chewable vitamins! I always like the taste of my flintstones when I was a kid...oh well! She has migraines and can take an adult dose of Advil according to the Doc....in case I get any comments about adult dosing a 7 yr old!

 

[jipsy]

A little water, held in your mouth.

Tilt head back slightly, drop in pill.

Quickly follow with more water while you swallow.

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

Originally posted by Pooh67_68
I take a sip of water(don't swallow) tilt head back drop in pill than swallow.

that's how my 6 year old takes his alergy medicine