To wonder why you can't get paracetamol tablets coated like ibuprofen are.

[TommyandGina]

Life would be so much more simple if they were easier to swallow. The powdery texture of the caplets gets stuck in the throat and the plasticky capsules get stuck as well. Does anyone know of a solution or a reason why you can't get easy to swallow coated ones.

Hi! Ibuprofen is coated because it's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that can irritate your stomach lining.

They don't want to make paracetamol tablets easy to swallow as the consequences of an overdose are so horrific.

Note: this does not mean it's ok to OD on ibuprofen.

Could you manage soluble paracetamol?

I've taken some that my mil has and they are dreadful they get stuck every time and I can take tablets really easily. They seem squarer somehow and seem to just get stuck on the way down.

I find the plastic caplets much better. I agree, I hate the chalky huge style tablets.

I currently have 2 meds which are chalky and huge, anti sickness and codine are both tiny chalky ones and then the paracetamol from the hospital was chalky and huge, so I sent hubby out for caplets!

I can't swallow tablets with water though, has to be squash, far easier that way, not sure why, but it works for me!

Try swallowing them with fruit juice? I always find it helps with swallowing tablets.

I've just been googling, it seems that some are sugar coated as the tablet inside tastes too yuck to not coat it in sugar!

It also stops some tablets being cut up, as the coating may act as a slow release valve!

Try using a drinking straw. Amazing how much easier tablets go down if you drink through a straw.

I take some meds with milk - it's a bit thicker than water and the flavour helps cover the chalky grossness.

Thanks, that makes sense. They're not for me but for ds. He's 14 but with cerebral palsy and struggles to swallow at the best of times. Fluids are thickened and he will be sick if he doesn't like something so getting soluble down him would be impossible and that amount of calpol would take an army to restrain him. He can't take ibuprofen as he's slightly asthmatic.

He's currently got a fever, 39.4 underarm last time I measured it and after a big struggle and him gagging for ages have managed to get one paracetamol down. Life would be so much easier if they were coated and could slip down, he used to swallow ibuprofen no problems till we stopped taking it. Can we start a campaign to get coated ones available on prescription only, I'm sure many parents and people with disabilities would be very grateful.

Or can I coat them myself in a sugary solution without dissolving them?

I'm on co dydramol and ibuprofen at the moment and find the same thing. I swallow them Coke or some other fizzy drink so they go down a bit easier for some reason

You have probably already done so but please talk to your pharmacist. You can get adult strength liquid paracetamol, so he would need to swallow less volume than the child strength calpol stuff, and some of the premium brands of paracetamol (Panadol springs to mind) have different coatings which may make them easier to swallow.

Crush the tablets between two spoons then put the powder into a little bit of a thickened drink.

I was just looking at it Poulter. Might be good for a try. Would any of the ingredients react with other medications though, he takes quite a few, and already drinks from a special beaker (which I can't get any more of )

I might try one for me. Do you use it? Which flavour is best, I'm leaning towards the orange.

Polter, I'm sorry I spelt your name wrong

Here in he states they are coated.

I'd better get myself on a plane Tower. Off to do bedtime now, may be gone a while...

I always take mine with milk, never had a problem with them then

I struggle to take paracetamol too, so what I do is grab something small to take it with, like a small cake, piece of bread. Chew the food up until I'm ready to swallow, then lodge the tablet into the chewed up food before swallowing. It sounds really gross but is probably the only way I can get paracetamol down me.

I wish they were coated too. Paracetamol is absolutely rank when it gets stuck in your throat and dissolves.

I have to take tablets with fizzy pop, the carbonation makes them sink in your mouth instead of floating like they do with water/juice.

Another possibility is to use the dissolving ones in strong juice which should mask the taste.

Not much use right now but maybe for the future but rectal paracetamol is much easier to give (with consent) and very fast acting.

I have found the tablet forms in a splodge of jelly (the jam type) is fairly easy to swallow.

Hope your ds is feeling better soon op.