Son can't swallow tablets?

[putonyourwarpaint]

My son has been put on daily tablet form medication. I told the doctor that he can't swallow tablets but he said it's ok to crush them and put in food.
We've been trying yoghurt but he can still taste the medication and is reluctant to eat it.

Does anyone have any advice?
We have tried many many times to get him to swallow a tablet. He doesn't seem to be able to get it. He seems to have a need to move the food/drink around his mouth first before swallowing (he is autistic so I think this is a sensory thing).

He wants to do it so no amount of bribery will work as it's simply a physical issue.

I'd try putting into something stronger tasting such as orange juice

My daughter has her tablets crushed into a teaspoon of Nutella.

You can practise taking tablets using small things, such as hundreds and thousands, one strand at a time.

I always thought head back to swallow tablets. No no no no no.

Chin down to the chest and swallow. Absolute game changer.

Instead of crushing, can he try swallowing whole or halved in yoghurt? I find thicker drinks like milk, juice or something fizzy helps to carry the pill down - yoghurt would work brilliantly too. With water it often just gets stuck on my tongue or in my throat.

This!! Counterintuitive but absolutely works. Good luck, I nearly broke my Mums heart with this issue as a kid . . .

I can't take tablets try a stronger flavoured yogurt or yoghurt and honey with the tablet mixed in the honey.

Another method to take them whole is to take a gulp of water but to make your tongue touch the cup whilst doing it, stops your tongue moving it back up.

My GP said put crushed tablets in cola. A small amount disguised it enough for DS to drink quickly.

Give him some toast or something solid, it can be anything that he’s eating, dinner, something that needs chewing. Have him pop the pill in his mouth as he’s just about to swallow and it will all go down together.

Second the head down advice, also trying milk or juice not water. I struggle with tablets and find that putting them under my tongue helps as well.
DD struggles a lot with tablets and finds fizzy drinks help.
DS could take tablets from a surprisingly young age- his method is to have a mouthful of water then pop the tablet in.
Hope some of this helps!

I wasn’t able to swallow tablets and no amount of bribery ever worked with me either as you say, it was a physical thing rather than not wanting to.
Id second something stronger flavoured and textured than yoghurt. I’d try a chocolate / peanut spread or with some orange juice.

I can't swallow tablets and after trying many methods have found the best is Nutella.

Stick the tablet (whole not crushed) into a spoon of Nutella, and bite it once in your mouth in order to swallow, the Nutella hides any unpleasant taste as you bite the tablet.

There are lots of YouTube clips of children swallowing tablets (or most likely tictacs for the video…). It may be that watching some could help both of you?

Or try something more strongly flavoured than yoghurt. Apple sauce is often suggested. Jam or Nutella might be an option.

Two sequential votes for Nutella! Assuming no nut allergy of course.

I remember my ds as soon as he was six I started giving him half a paracetamol tablet instead of calpol. Chin to chest is right. Before we worked this out there was a lot of praise, encouragement, laughter - and gagging. No I am not a shit parent honest.

Thank you so much everyone - these are all great ideas, a lot of which we haven't tried yet.

Will give it all a go til we find something that works.

How old is he? How big is the tablet? Can it be halved, or is it a capsule?

Crushing the tablet releases the horrid taste, so swallowing whole in a large spoonful of Nutella/strong flavoured yoghurt/jam etc. is the best option.

my MIL has always struggled swallowing tablets, and she has loads to take all the time. She buys little bottles of yakult drinking yoghurt and takes them with that as the slightly thicker fluid really helps.

I put my son's tablet in a raspberry. It's almost like the gap in the middle was made for it!

I struggle to swallow tablets, game changer for me was using milk instead of water.

My kids were the same but putting the tablet in their mouth then drinking water with a straw helps, it opens up the throat

Get a sports style drink with a pull up lid. Pull it up, set the pill in the hole, throw your head back and chug the drink, several big mouthfuls while squeezing the bottle. He won't even feel the tablet.

Capsules forward as they float, tablets back as they sink.

My asd child takes them with milkshake.

My Mother had difficulty swallowing tablets, she found putting them in a teaspoon of jam helped her.

I'm also autistic and have always struggled to swallow tablets. I couldn't do it at all until I was in my late teens and even now, they often get stuck.

It might be sensory, as you say, but dysphagia is quite common in autistic people, though nobody is quite sure why. It might be caused by a general lack of muscle tone/coordination, or it could be due to the fact so many of us have comorbid connective tissue disorders (I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) that make everything in the body too lax and bendy.

His best bet is to hold his nose, take the crushed tablet in something that goes down in one mouthful (but won't hang around - Nutella will stick to the inside of his mouth), then immediately take a big drink of something thick like milkshake.

How old is he? My autistic DD practised using tiktaks aged 12 - because they taste nice it was easier if she didn't manage it. She got the hang of it after a few sessions. If he's motivated he might just need a bit more practice.

How old is he?

When my daughter was 5 she started on daily tablets. We we told to train her up, starting with the tiniest sprinkles and working up to bigger sprinkles, those silver cake balls, tictacs. If he's much younger that it might not be safe though.