Swallowing Pills????

[kaylajr]

any tried and true tricks to help DD learn how

she is 12 and still can't so we either have to get liquid or chewable everything
or crush what we can

I just know it would be much easier on her if she could swallow pills and everything I have suggested has not worked so i thought you guys might
have an idea


TIA

 

[Deb in IA]

Our DD was about 12 and still having trouble with pills too.

We gave it to her in applesauce, and that did the trick!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I have a son who just turned 12yo who also cannot (will not?) swallow pills, either. One hint that I've read is to use some real small candy to get them over the fear. Hasn't worked with my son, maybe you can try it. Hopefully others can give you some good ideas that will work with my son, too.

 

[pfishgirl]

My ds is 15 and still can't swallow them...

 

[Mysteria]

I'm 37 and still have trouble swallowing pills. For anything bigger than a tylenol I swallow it with pop (soda) or anything carbonated. Let it bubble up in my mouth and then swallow. It seems to make it easier for me.

Myst

 

[Nette]

Well... when we give them to the dog we coat them in butter... Not sure how that would work for a kid though.

 

[experiment626mom]

Well... when we give them to the dog we coat them in butter... Not sure how that would work for a kid though.

 

[stinkerbelle]

has she tried practicing with tic tacs? (I reccommend orange - they won't upset the tummy much like a bunch of minty ones)

I second the "try it with soda" trick...and coated capsules are always easier then non-coated ones.

 

[BostonTigger]

How I was taught was to fill my mouth with some kind of liquid, pop the pill in and let it towards the back of the throat...then swallow.

 

[kaylajr]

Thanks for the ideas

Looks like I need to buy Orange tic tacs, soda and butter



Seriously we will try them all

 

[kerrynic78]

I could/would not swallow pills until I was about 15. Finally my mom got some m&m's for me to practice with and I swallowed some of those and that for some reason did the trick! I still HATE to swallow pills to this day but I just fill my mouth up with soda like Mysteria mentioned and it is easier.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

This may sound weird, but I remember having trouble when I was 13 or 14 and I practiced on pieces of corn until I got the nerve up to try it with real pills.

 

[ahutton]

One thing I was taught was don't throw your head backwards, as many pills float. Lean forward and it will go to the back and then swallow. Then more of the liquid is "behind" the pill and washing it down.

 

[wfloyd]

The mini-m&m's are also a good candy to try on. They are small enough so they won't get stuck. Even the regular ones will dissolve quickly enough so if they get stuck it won't hurt anything.

 

[Pam]

How I was taught was to fill my mouth with some kind of liquid, pop the pill in and let it towards the back of the throat...then swallow.

That's what I do, too.

To be honest, I was 21 before I could swallow pills. Everyone thought I was - said it was all in my head. But I just couldn't do it. Then suddenly it just clicked.

My son was the same way - nothing worked. Here I had this big, stapping kid who weighed 135 pounds and he couldn't swallow pills. The poor doctor would have to prescribe all medication in either liquid or chewable form! Then 2 years ago, when DS was 15, he was working the summer at Scout Camp and got stung by yellow jackets and had a mild reaction. He went to the health lodge and they gave him Benadryl. He didn't want them to know that he couldn't swallow pills, so after about 45 minutes of gagging, he got that pill down. Now he has no problem.

 

[KelNottAt]

I read a tip about using fresh white bread:

Start out by making a teeny tiny "pill" by rolling and smooshing the bread between your fingers. The first one should be so small it's barely even worth swallowing.

Then, as the child masters that size, make a bigger pill. Not too big, just baby-steps bigger. Keep repeating with bigger and bigger bread-pills until you've actually got something the same size as a real pill. Keep practicing at that size until the child feels confident. At this point, make the switch to "real" pills and (hopefully) it'll be a piece of cake.

Good luck,

 

[TLHB70]

We have been practicing with my DD too. We have found that a spoonful of ice cream helps her get them down. (of course!!!! )

 

[stinkerbelle]

Well... when we give them to the dog we coat them in butter... Not sure how that would work for a kid though.

Butter? eeww!
we give our dogger some pills in Peanut butter...but her heartworm is like a 'treat' to her...so she just gobbles it down. hehehe

 

[Sthronds]

I was on so much medication as a child that I had to learn. My mom bought these little cups that have a "basket" for the pill. You put the pill in, and it drops in your mouth with the liquid, then you swallow. It worked really well for me. I don't know if they make those cups anymore but you could look at a pharmacy. My mom also swears by bananas. With my cousin, she stuck the pill in the banana and my cousin had no trouble with the pill. Hope you find something that works.

 

[LynnTH]

I am 39 and a terrible pill taker. When I am sick my husband literally chases me around with pills and water and watches while I take them ( I just hate taking pills). It was really awful when I was pregant and had to take those very large pre-natal vitamins (can't they make them smaller). The only way I could take them was by taking them with chocolate milk - the milk coated them and made them easier for some reason. Maybe that would help??