How do I take tablets?

Dora_the_Explorer_5

How about practising swallowing something whole using Smarties swilled down with a drink of something nice?

trace_567

Years ago when I couldn't take tablets for fear of them getting stuck in my throat I used jelly. I made up a pack of jelly, then put the tablet into a large teaspoon of set jelly, then swallow the jelly.
Also depending on the tablet if trying to swallow with water, dip the tablet into the water first (doesn't work with uncoated tablets as they disolve), then put them to the back of your tongue and swallow them with water. It helps them slide down bit easier.

Poppy9

I was trying to teach my then 10 year old daughter to swallow tablets as she had been prescirbed some by GP instead of the grotty tasteing medicine. She couldn't do it at all as she was afraid of choking. Recently though her hayfever flared up and as it was the weekend I couldn't get her neoclarityn perscription. I had ordinary clarityn tablets in the house which I take and checked with friend who's a pharmasist if DD could take. These tablets are tiny so I just told her to try and swallow it with a cup of water. It worked.

I think you need to start with small tablets to practices. Tic Tacs spring to mind. I would find it hard to practice with smarties as I would be afraid of choking. Proper tablets are meant to disolve, will smarties though or do you need to crunch them?

moonrakerz

My method:
Take a mouthful of suitable liquid - water, milk, whisky. Hold it in your mouth and tip your head back as if you are going to gargle, drop the pills into the pool of liquid at the back of your mouth and swallow.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Poppy9 wrote:

Proper tablets are meant to disolve, will smarties though or do you need to crunch them?

Tablets and capsules are designed to be swallowed whole. If tablets are very large they can be cut in half with a pill-cutter and swallowed one immediately after the other. Unless the instructions specify the tablet or capsule should be held in the mouth until it dissolves.

Poppy9

Dora,

What I meant was that when you swallow tablets whole if they get stuck they will disolve quite quickly. With smarties I didn't know if this was the case:o

Jays

Poppy9 wrote:

Dora,

What I meant was that when you swallow tablets whole if they get stuck they will disolve quite quickly. With smarties I didn't know if this was the case:o

Poppy9

Not all tablets dissolve quickly, as Dora said some tablets and capsules are designed to be swallowed whole. The slow release tablets and capsules are either designed to stay intact to a certain point in your digestion tract and then dissolve, or dissolve slowly therefore releasing their medication slowly. These tablets cannot be crushed or crunched. Capsules in particular might 'stick' (for want of a better word - I don't want to worry those who can't swallow whole).

There has been lots of ideas about how to swallow tablets whole, alot of which are used in hospitals (I had not heard of the jelly idea, but think it sounds like an excellent suggestion).

VickyA

If you cannot manage your tablets with the suggestions here, and find you are not advised to crunch them, talk to your doctor/pharmacist about the problem. Many medications can be prescribed as a medicine, or in smaller tablet or caplet (tablet shaped like a capsule) shaped.

Best wishes
Jays

Februarycat

I cannot swallow tablets, what I did awhile back was have a spoonful of yoghurt and I crushed the tablet as best as I could and put it in the yoghurt and manage to get it down that way.
You can buy pill crushers but like others have said some capsules are suppose to be taken whole.
Hope you manage to get your tablets taken.

black-saturn

I cant swallow tablets if I'm thinking about it. When I swallow I try and focus my mind on something else instead of the tablet then I can swallow it without heaving. That goes for a lot of other things too :eek:

barjam_2

i usually crunch mine up also, until i read a tip take them with a drink of something fizzy ie lemonade etc... works ecerytime for me