Swallowing tablets whole

[NoNameNowAgain]

Does anyone have any tips on how to relax and do this.

Chin lowered to the chest as you are about swallow as it opens up your throat.

Literally pretend you’re just drinking water. I’ve taught my DD to do this as well and it works.

For tablets just pop them in, take a swig of water and tilt your head back. Wait for them to sink to the back and then swallow. I agree with the tapping,stomping whatever, and just swallow as if it's food. You'll get used to it in time.

Capsules require a different method. They float to the top, so put them in your mouth and bend forward to swallow.

Head forward as you swallow, opens up the throat. Not back as everyone seems to think.

Pop tablet in mouth
Take big swig of water from a bottle
Clench / unclench fist on hand that isn't holding bottle while swallowing and breathe out through nose
Another couple of big swigs of water

I was one of those weird kids who insisted upon tablets from the age of 4 because medicine tasted disgusting. I occasionally get caught out by 'dry' tablets (cheap paracetamol are the worst), but any size capsule or with a coating is fine.

If water or yoghurt doesn't work for you, then cold milkshakes like Frijj are a good halfway house. Have a good slug of milkshake so your throat feels cold, then put the tablet just at the front of the 'bump' of your tongue, neck a couple of mouthful of milkshake as though you're absolutely gasping for a cold drink.

If it catches on the first mouthful, keep going for three and 99 times out of 100, it'll go down without any trouble - if it does catch, don't panic, just breathe through your nose and then drink some more.

Once you get the knack of it, life is so much easier (same can be said of learning to self inject for some of us - that's really easy).

I taught my DS to do this aged 6 with food. Pop a small portion of ham in his mouth and just before swallowing, add the tablet. Much easier than with water. It's just like swallowing lumpy food. DS is autistic and doesn't tolerate the texture of liquid medicine so learning to swallow pills was essential for us.

Your swallow triggers at your faucial arches (the arches either side of your uvula) and this sends a signal to the brain stem which enacts all the following movements in the pharynx. So tipping your head down actually makes it harder for the swallow to trigger (due to gravity away from the faucial arches) but it does open up your vallecuale (the space between the base of tongue and epiglottis where tablets often stick)

Tipping your head back makes you more likely to choke due to the physiology and anatomy changes but it's a common technique. Capsule and tablets make no difference to the process and anatomical movements.

The best advice I've found with patients is to have it in a spoon of yoghurt / custard etc.

Realistically, a huge proportion of the population struggle with tablets. Everyone has to find the way that works for the. Usually involves changing the form of the medication tbh!

(I'm a swallowing specialist in case it was fairly obvious!!)

Use a flip top water bottle. Tablets in mouth, close lips around water bottle and take a big swig of water. Don't let any air get in.

My DH has to take many tablets a day and although he sometimes has problems swallowing food, he can take 8 or 9 tablets together with this method. He prefers to put the tablets on a spoon, tip them into his mouth all together and then go for it. Putting them in one by one just prolongs things and is noticeably more difficult.

Why do pharma companies make some of their drugs so HUGE?? I'm getting the heebie jeebies reading all the different swallowing methods, as I am wuss of the year and have spat out so many tablets because I feared I would choke, it is unreal.

I could be 4 years old. I had to get massive (size) antibiotics in liquid form like for kids. I ask the doctor every time what size are those pills, if they are big it's no dice.

I was in hospital for a procedure recently and this man in blue (lovely nurse) brought me a container of pills. Take them all now he said. I looked in the container and said NO NO NO. They are too big. Off he went to check if any could be broken or crushed, some could, the others were changed to liquid form. He laughed I didn't.

So I am baby Spect8. Not trying anymore hints and tips. Small tabs ok, big ones not ok.

I stick the tablet in my mouth, take in some water (more than a sip, less than a gulp), throw my head back and swallow the water. Usually the tablet goes down no problems.
However, gel capsules are not my friend, they make me reach every time.

Honestly, I have no idea how I figured it out, but it took me until my mid 20s. I was at work (retail) and felt absolutely vile, had taken some liquid cold remedy stuff before work but it had worn off, so in desperation to feel better went to the pharmacy nearby. They gave me cold and flu tablets, and I felt too ill to ask for something else so took them back to work after picking up my lunch.
Sat in our back room and said to myself "you swallow bits of food bigger than this. You can do it." big drink of water so my mouth wasn't dry, then popped tablet in, then another big drink while tipping my head back and it worked!

Eventually got to the point where I can swallow most regular sized pills, although as a previous poster mentioned, cheap paracetamol sometimes require a second big drink as they try and stick! I don't need to tip my head back now, either.

I have some sensory quirks and the taste and texture of most liquid medications is awful so being able to take tablets has been a game changer!

I have to take pills daily. Can't usually do it with plain water. Fizzy drinks if possible. I put the pill in my mouth, bring up a bit of saliva to coat the pill in (no idea if this actually helps or is in my head!), take a swig and it should go down, if not the repeat. I still can't manage anything the size of those Seven Seas omega 3 tablets which are like bloody horse pills, but works for most.

My MIL takes them with little bottles of drinking yoghurt - she says it’s a lot easier as the yoghurt sweeps them down more easily than water.

Just remember you've swallowed bigger bits of pizza/bread whatever
hate in tv when someone takes a couple of paracetamol and dry swallows them as if

No hot drinks. Tablet splitter.

No idea why but I find it much easier swallowing tablets standing up rather than sitting down.

I know this sounds weird but I literally just drop them down the back of my throat. I can’t put them in my mouth and wash them down with water - they just don’t go - and I taste them 🤢 open wide, drop down throat, couple of sips of drink if you need, done. Coated tablets also help if you can get then

@DifferentYearSameShit i literally do this 🙈 it’s the only way I can do it!

I also cannot take them with water. I have to have mine before I brush my teeth as then my mouth is nice and dry.

I kinda pretend that i am chewing without actually chewin the tablet which then goes down. I take a swig of water after.

I’ve been taking pills my whole life so it’s just a thing I do every morning, I usually put them in my mouth and then take a massive gulp of drink. Goes down no issues.

I take between 36-50 tablets in the morning and just do it in a oner with a big drink of squash.
I find the more I think about things harder they are

Thanks all. I’ll try swigging from a bottle.

Yes, thanks. That’s interesting but I was doing quite well until Christmas Eve when it took so long the coating dissolved. We’re on our own again now but I still seem to have lost my nerve.

It may help you to think it’s about your mindset.
ie if you think you can’t, then likely you won’t.
i have had problems with this too, and if I think about opening my throat, that helps.
so sort of “believe” you can do it.
I also try to imagine the pill is bigger than it is, and so open my throat up wider than truly necessary.
I also can’t swallow with plain water, as my mind thinks it’s too “thin” to carry the tablets.
I use either yogurt, or I mash up a piece of banana in my mouth, then pop the tablet in to swallow.
I think that my mind believes that the thicker consistency will softly carry the tablet down my throat… it can be very upsetting to unsuccessfully swallow a pill.. especially when if it starts to melt and you get that disgusting taste. Gee, that alone makes me gag.
good luck, it feels like a very real problem to those who suffer this difficulty.
dont pay heed to those who sneer or minimise your fear.