Swallowing Pills????

[Tinkim]

My son has a problem swallowing pills too. He is 11 now. I actually had the same problem when I was younger. I couldn't swallow them until I was about 12 or 13 but I don't know what happened to make it easier. For DS, he had a broken leg and was in the hospital for a while. He didn't like getting the pain meds injected after they removed the IV and he had to take stool softeners which came in liquid but the taste was nasty and hot. He suffered through quite a few shots and I had him try pudding. Put the pill in a spoonful of pudding and since it is thick it seems to do the trick. He hasn't mastered it but when he "needs" to take a pill we still use the pudding. Good luck. It is very frustrating not to be able to swallow a pill. Lots of meds come in liquid form but not all so it is important to be able to swallow a pill.

 

[chyam]

I'm in my 40's and still can't do it! But give me a hunk of steak no problem! Heck I take Advil chewables for children! But I have found that with some if I drink it with that liquid "smoothie's yogurt I can get some down.

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

I put the drink in my mouth first, then slip the pill in and swallow quickly (followed my more drink, just to "be sure"). I like using 7-Up, or fruit juice. I'd recommend whatever drinks are her favorite, to encourage big gulps of it getting down at once. (I can take bigger swallows of 7-Up than water for instance.)

The bread trick sounds good... little less scary than candies... honestly, I think eating some of those candies whole would freak me out, LOL.

 

[Figment22]

I got this tip from another DISer. Have your child try swallowing by using a straw to drink the water to take the pill with. Apparently, you position your tongue differently when drinking through a straw vs. straight from the glass. My son (also 12) took a sip, put the pill on his tongue, took another sip through the straw and Voila! Pill swallowed!

 

[jekajekalynn]

When I used to volunteer at a group home, we used to use a spoonfull of pudding or yogurt and put the pill in it to help the ppl who had problems swallowing pills.

 

[Pooh67_68]

I take a drink of water, (don't swallow) tilt head back, drop pill in and swallow.

 

[hugsquared]

I was 21 before I could do it. My parents did the bread thing with me when I was about 15...didn't work on me One day, for what ever reason, I just did it. Now I can swallow a mouthful and not give it a second thought. I heard some one say once that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but I can't remember who

 

[wdwgirl03]

I couldn't swallow pills until I was a junior in high school. What I do now is put the pill in my mouth, then fill my mouth with water or whatever and then swallow. Seems to work for me!

 

[rayelias]

I'm 35 and I cannot swallow pills conventionally.

If I try to use a liquid to help, all that happens is that I have a half-dissolved pill left in my mouth after I swallow the liquid.

The only thing that works for me is getting the pill all "saliva'd" up in my mouth, forcing it to the back of my throat and swallowing. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it gets stuck on the way down. Sometimes it still breaks apart in my mouth.

 

[ElizaB39]

I didn't read the whole thread but my friend gave her ds a bag of m&m's a glass of water and said, "go practice." It only took one bag for him to learn!

 

[phorsenuf]

I learned when I was about 9 or so. My mom was real sick and had to take pills daily. When I got sick one time and had to take some I couldn't swallow them, I knew how, just couldn't do it. She made a game of it and when it was time for me to take mine she would take one of hers and we would have a race.
Sounds silly, but it worked.

The strange memories we hold on too, huh?

 

[ASFCurly]

I was out of high school before I could start swallowing pills. I had to take something every day, so I had them give me the smallest perscription they could, and I have worked my way up since then. Some of it is in her head, I know it was in mine. So first maybe cut it in half, or even quarters, and put it in food, and then in her favorite drink, and once she can do that make the pieces bigger and bigger. I can now swallow more than one at a time. You can practice with tic tacs or candy, if she doesn't have to take something daily.

 

[halestrm]

For me it was chin up so the neck is straighter, it helps with shoulders back. It was milk, swallow, pop pill to back of mouth (off taste buds), quickly add milk, quickly swallow.

My mom made me brush my checks and tongue all the way back in the beginning to help with gag reflex.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Pharmacy tech here...... From the scientific side........

Many people make the mistake with capsules to try to throw them to the back of their throat. But capsules float! Take a big drink of something, lean head back and pop in the pill. Tilt head forward and swallow. Voila!

Lots of good ideas here on what to practice with.... another idea is the "pill fairy". She only comes if the pill goes down. She might bring a dollar, or maybe a small toy. When she is sure the problem is solved, she moves on to help the next child.

Our poor kids didn't get much patience.... DH and I both work in the pharmacy and they had to learn to swallow pills at a very young age.

 

[kaylajr]

Thanks for all the suggestions
It helps to know she is not alone

I had issues ( still do) swallowing pills it is not easy but i do it
for some reason I have been unable to help her
so we are going to try these ideas

thanks alot everyone

 

[Alicia87]

My DD (almost 15) just learned in March how to swallow pills. She was getting ready to have open heart surgery, and there was a med that she would have to take orally so her surgeon told her to place the pill in her mouth and drink the water through a straw. First time she did it, her eyes got really big and she looked kinda shocked (we thought she was choking), but she was just so excited she had actually swallowed a pill for the first time!!