fear of swallowing pills

[jane1695]

i am a victim of pills too.. i cant help myself being afraid of swallowing those pills. im 16,yeaa not that bad of still having that fear.i suppose. but worst of my experience,my body immune system is not that good,i often fall sick,n so wen i gotta take these pills,i dread,reallly dread.i tell u wat, it took me 30 mins to swallow that thing for the first time. the 2nd time an idea came over me,i melted it into suspension.then mum suggested that i break the pill into half. my uncle said that i shud take it with a tea. while my fren said that i shud crush it into powder or rather very small pieces... or,worst ever, chew n grind the pill with my teeth. thats the bad idea ever. the most effective for me is crush i into powder n quickly gulp it with water. it help,most of the time;)) well,good luck!

[caregiver222]

The "trick" to getting pills down into the tummy is very simple:

Place the pill UNDER your tongue.

Take a good drink of water or juice.

The pill will automatically go down.

[mommy4585]

Definitely consult your pharmacist before crushing or chewing any pills.  This can be dangerous with some medications.  You might try swallowing the pills with either regular milk or chocolate milk.  It is thick and makes the pills go down a lot easier.  Also check with your pharmacist to see if your medication comes in a chewable or liquid form.  Good luck.

[SassyLassie]

Hi Jane~Unfortunately, some pills should not be crushed, it seems it does something to hamper the way it works, changes the chemistry of it I guess. I would ask the pharmacist if it is OK, and if he/she has any suggestions. If you are really afraid to swallow them, maybe taking them with a spoonful of apple sauce would help. I know they do it that way to older patients in the hospital that can not swallow too well. Also, maybe spread some butter on them, they should go down easier then.

Good luck.