Anyone managed to teach their child to swallow tablets?!

[Quokkafeet]

11 year old has been prescribed a 3 month course of antibiotics but they come in hard capsules and we cannot get her to swallow them. She is trying but continues to choke on either the tablet or the water. Any tips?! I just sort of assumed at her age she would be able to do it but it seems not!

Bit of Physics here…….Take a good mouth of water, pop in the pill:

• if it’s a hard/heavy tablet, tip head back, wait a few seconds then swallow.
• if its a capsule and light in weight, tip head forward then swallow (the capsule floats so tipping head forward with water in the mouth means its then placed near the back of the throat so easy to swallow)

My 17 year old needed the liquid. We had capsules once when liquid was in short supply and could empty them into a yoghurt or similar which also worked. She has tried and was successful with one tablet for a few weeks then went back to not being able to swallow. It s pain as calpol and liquid Ibuprofen are expensive compare to generic tablets.

She has allergies and was told to use the tablets rather than the liquid antihistamine in emergencies. They showed her how to bite using front teeth as the molars at the back might keep the medication in their grooves.

Someone suggested teaching them with tic tacs.

Head forward and down..not back. Give the tablet. Take the drink after

As kids my mum used to crush hard tablets to a powder between 2 spoons..put a drop of honey/sugar and milk on it and we'd take thr tablet off the spoon..folowed by a drink.

I have a lot of trouble swallowing tablets. Can only swallow very small ones. (Had had to have my regular medicine in liquid form prescription).

I bought tic tacs the other day for my child to learn as well after seeing that suggestion on here. I hadn't had tic tacs for years. I assumed it was suggested because they were small. But I tried to swallow them myself and they were really wide! I couldn't swallow them! I thought it was an odd thing to suggest to learn how to swallow something.

swallowing a baked bean whole
is a good starting point as they’re similar size but soft & in sauce - also it appeals to the daft side/have quite a few to practice with in a serving - plus when I worked in A&E, most kids would say they could already swallow a baked bean whole/hadn’t thought about the size being similar (so suddenly mentally it felt more do-able!)

Tic tac’s are a good suggestion to move onto. Good to remember that it’s recommended to have just over 100ml of water/fluid with a tablet (to aid absorption in the stomach) so having a few sips beforehand to ensure mouth/throat not too dry & plenty to wash it down with

Once they get the knack there’ll be no going back & using baked beans/tic tacs/then the capsule will be there really quickly

I did. DS has autism and point blank refused. He ended up needing to start them so I got him to roll his tongue and place the pill on it then take the gulp of water and swallow. If he does It like that then he doesn’t feel it in his mouth

Put the tablet on a teaspoon of yogurt, I’m a nurse and we frequently do this with patients who are struggling to swallow their tablets.

My Ds really struggled swallowing tablets. They were capsules so had to be swallowed whole. We tried tic tacs and he still couldn’t do it. We were at our wits end. Then we tried to be scientific and broke down the process and realised what his issue was. The tablet was sliding off his tongue and getting wedged round his tongue and no amount of water would budge it. So with tic tacs, we practised manoeuvring the tablet back onto the tongue while the mouth is full of water. He could then swallow the tablet easily. After this breakthrough he swallowed tablets like a pro. It was all to do with getting the tablet in the best position in the mouth for it to glide down.

Ok so I still struggle with this 😂.
I have to put the water in my mouth first and then the tablet and then face the ceiling (so that it goes back) and then swallow it. If the tablet goes in first it super glues itself to my tongue and makes me gag 🤦🏼‍♀️.

I taught myself by cutting up jelly babies because they are slippery when wet. Started tiny then got gradually bigger. Reckon I could swallow a whole one now 🤣

Try putting in spoonful of yoghurt?

Its easier with food than with water. Something soft like cake, take a big mouthfull and chew, and just when you are ready to swallow pop the pill into the middle of the mush in your mouth, then swallow and drink some milk.

Fizz not flat, mouth full, push tablet in, head forward and swallow.

That's my way anyway, I have sensory issues and if the tablet touches my inner (perceived or otherwise) mouth I'll vom.

DS (17) and I struggle taking tablets so we find putting our hand over our mouth as we swallow is the only way to do it - tablet in, mouthful of water, hand over mouth then swallow. I think it’s a psychological thing with us that if the hand isn’t over the mouth it’ll come back out again but if it is over the mouth it can only go one way.

Yeah, take capsules with a big mouthful of water and swallow.

Best to check with the pharmacist before doing this as some medicines shouldn't be broken up. In fact asking the pharmacist for tips is often a good idea!

We use chocolate spread or set honey. A small spoonful first to remind themselves how to swallow it down in one go, then a second spoonful with the pill poked into the middle of it.

Look at a point in the distance that's about 2 foot higher than straight ahead. Mouthful of water, swallow. Tablet, drink more water.

Been doing it since I was 3. I really did not like medicine.

I think swallowing with a warm liquid helps - imv cold water makes the shell of the pill harder. I take unpleasant tasting pills with a piece of marshmallow, the little ones for putting in hot chocolate, push the pill into the piece of marshmallow which is moistened - helps it slip down but is quite fiddly.

I heard eating a bite of banana first helps

with a spoon of honey

So much easier if you put your head down as a pp said.

I struggle to take tablets as an adult unless they are tiny. What helps me is taking them with a thicker liquid like apple juice rather than water