[Rio_]

It's not as difficult for me now as it was when I was younger, but the pills I have for period pain are pretty big and they're really hard for me to swallow. I've only had to do it three times so far, but the first two times I got through nearly a whole glass of water and when I finally managed to I think they must have gone down sideways because I practically choked, and the third time I ended up taking it with food instead...it says you're supposed to take them with or after meals, and I was very careful not to chew it, but even so I'm not sure if that was a good idea. Is there a better way?

[untold27]

I am not much of a pill expert, but maybe you can cut the pills in half or even crush them.

My parents do that (for different reasons). It's worth a shot.

[January]

Hi Rio,

Try putting the pills in pudding or applesauce. It will make it easier to swallow. Also, if it's a solid pill, call your pharmacist and see if it's ok to crush it in pudding, etc. Just make sure you eat every bite of the pudding or you won't get your full dosage. Again, be sure to check with the pharmacist because some meds are time released and crushing them won't work.

Also, keep a tiny peice of bread to take when you swallow your pills. If they feel like they are stuck, chew the bread and swallow it with a drink of water. It will push the pills on down and you won't choke.

Jan

[Perna]

Yes, if it says you can take them "with" meals then you can do food at the same mouthful :-) Whatever is easiest for you. Usually pills are supposed to be taken with meals anyway so there's some "buffer" to your stomach dissolving and before they get into your system.

Practice can help; do you take a vitamin? Get a large multi vitamin to take each day and "practice" by figuring out how to take that. Then just about any pill should be doable according to what you learn and how well you come to get "comfortable" with taking pills.

Most pills are usually not easy to "chew" and taste awful but they're not "fragile" so I treat them "rough" and businesslike, just "accept" they're going down whether they like it or not :-) What's the worst that can happen if you have a difficult time with it? It will taste bad. So do brussels sprout :-) So what?

[Maven]

Hey! I love brussels sprouts!

I used to take Midol when I was a teen, and they were kind of big for me, so I'd split them in half (you can buy pill splitters to make it easier). To help swallow them--and I used to have trouble taking any pill, so this is my own method I came up with to take pills--I took a miniature marshmallow, ripped it almost in half, slipped the pill (or pill half) in, and sealed the marshmallow back up, trying to make sure it was sealed well, so it wouldn't pop back open, and popped it in my mouth. I gently rolled it around to get the powdered sugar off of it, which leaves the very slippery gelatin, and let it go towards the back of my throat, relax my throat as soon as I was able, and the marshmallow will slide right down.

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, untold27. I've done that before with migraine pills - didn't taste that great, but it did work. These pills have mefenamic acid in them, though...I might be worrying about nothing, but I don't know if it'd be a good idea to cut them up - the outer part might be there for a reason.

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, January. Applesauce is exactly what I put it in last time - good to know that's ok! (Although I'm not sure what strange side effects putting it in applesauce could possibly cause, but I worry without much reason quite a lot. ) Having a bit of bread straight afterwards sounds like a good idea as well, thanks for that suggestion.

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, Perna. That's a relief! I've never had pills that are supposed to be taken with or after food before, so I wasn't sure.

I used to take a vitamin, but I kept forgetting so I gave up. They were quite small pills anyway, though. Dad takes cod liver oil capsules, and they're pretty big...I'm guessing they can't be chewed , but I could practise with them.

That's true. In the case of these pills, though, the fact that they have acid of some sort in them makes me wary of chewing them.

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, Maven. Could you have mine at Christmas then, please?

I don't think I've seen a pill splitter before - but as I explained further up the thread, I don't know if splitting these ones would be a good idea. That's a very cool method with the marshmallow, though!

[Christina86]

((((((((Rio)))))))))))))

What kind of pills are they? Capsules or hard ones?

I've taken a LOT of pills in my life. I'm used to taking them by now, but if they're capsules, you can open them and mix it with some jam or peanut butter on a spoon - actually doesn't taste all that bad! The only reason they'd be in a capsule is to ensure they actually get into your stomach before they work (or could be time-release, but it's not a big deal if they work a bit faster!)

If they're the hard solid pills though, I'd say go for any of the methods people said (like the bread). Chewing those kinds of pills is usually pretty nasty tasting.

If you're still not keen on pills, maybe there's a liquid form you could take instead? Better to ask your pharmacist, also about methods to take your pills.

It's more just a learning experience and constant practice and eventually it comes pretty naturally. (I can now swallow pills whole without water because my body is used to it).

Good luck.

[Rio_]

(((((Canders))))) Thanks. They're hard ones, not capsules...I'm not sure if I've ever taken capsules before, actually! That's a good idea about mixing them with something, though, I wasn't sure if they'd still work if you did that.

I think there is a liquid form of mefenamic acid, I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that you're supposed to give younger children that to make sure they get a more accurate dose. I'd rather be able to take the pills, though - it'd be a good thing to learn.

That's good it comes naturally eventually! Thanks again.

[(JD)]

Try practicing swallowing larger bits of food, with water or drink... once you realize that you can do this... and sense the physical action of your throat, you might be able to open up and swallow the pill easier.

Many ppl with abuse issues, just for information, often have this trouble also, along with quick gag reflexes.

[Rhapsody]

Please keep in mind that some pills are time released, therefore, they should not be crushed or cut in half, if this is done it could enable the medicine to be released in your body faster than it should be - creating negative consequences..... please check with you GP to see if this particular medicine if one of them.

[Rhapsody]

Helping the Medicine Go Down (Part Two)

http://www.linkup-parents.com/medicine2.htm

Pill Swallowing Made Easy

http://www.aboutourkids.org/aboutour...wallowing.html

[sujunew]

when i was little i co uld never take tablets at all. when i was 10 i was put on a trial, of which there was no 'liquid' option- the only 2 options were 6 smaller tabs a day or 3 large. It didn't matter- they all ended up down the drain... until the pipes clogged and my father had to become 'plumber'' to fix them... after he sorted out the kitchen plumbing, the shower pipes and the bathroom sink pipes I was not in his good books lol. Anyway, I had to learn to take them. I have never understood it either, but for someone who so readily ODs, why do i have so many probs taking them? It kinda cycles for me too- sometimes i can take all my tabs at once, other times (like at the mo) I literally throw up anything that is in my mouth (I think it is almost mind over matter, but does create a lot of cleaning)!! So sorry, no tips but just lots of encouragement. p.s. at 1 stage things went so well with swallowing tabs that i even managed to swallow 1 of mine without water a couple of times... not now tho!

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, Sky. That's a good idea. I've heard about people with abuse issues having quick gag reflexes, but I didn't know they sometimes have trouble taking pills as well.

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, Rhapsody. I'm not sure if these pills are time-released, but as I explained further up the thread, I'm not sure if splitting or crushing them would be a good idea anyway. Thanks for the links, too!

[Rio_]

Thanks for replying, irishsj. Sorry you have trouble taking pills as well, but that's good you can sometimes. Thanks for the encouragement.

[Maven]

On the issue of splitting or crushing the pills, I bought a pill splitter yesterday (my pdoc told me to cut my Paxil in half, since I can't get the dosage in a single pill), and saw you can buy pill crushers, too. The pill splitter was $4.99! You could buy the pill crushers separately, but a combination pill splitter/pill crusher was $10.99!!! Holy crap!!!

[Juliana]

Yikes. I use my Xacto knife and my cutting mat... because sometimes I need just 1/2 a Clonazepam. I have those tools in my office too... goes with my job... good thing, or it might be difficult to explain.

[(JD)]

Pill cutters are sold in almost every pharmacy, and help prevent the smashing, or losing of any part of a pill. One thing to note: do not cut any pill that doesn't have a score line across it. The pills that have score lines are completely "mixed" but the ones without only contain all the ingredients and are not equally blended. (This means you could cut the pill in half and get the entire dose of med anyway, while the other half only has fillers.) The ones with score lines are fully blended, and so taking any small piece of pill will generally produce a balanced effect.

[Rhapsody]

Just in case YOU have not read any of the article I attached above thru link...... I would suggest trying this method - I know other people this has worked for.


USE A STRAW:

Put the pill on your tongue. Then using a straw, suck down three big gulps of water. With a straw there is no pill floating around in your mouth like there is if you just try to swallow a pill with a big mouthful of water.

The 2nd and 3rd gulp will help push the pill down..... Dont think about it - JUST DO IT!!

[Liberada]

Thanks Rhapsody! The first link said </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
The secret lies in patience...

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> I've got a lot of things, but patience has never been one of them. I saw the straw trick in the second link. I'm going to try that with my son. *sigh* I'm used to having cats. Just pop the jaw open and poke it down their throat! Kids, apparently, don't work that way.

[Rio_]

Whoa! That's ridiculous, how can they justify it being that expensive?!

[Rio_]

I didn't realise you shouldn't cut any pill without score lines - another reason not to split these ones! Thanks for the info, Sky.