AIBU to ask for help with 11 year old having to learn to take tablets?

[Newyearnewmewoooop]

DD been prescribed sertraline for extreme anxiety. She just can’t get the hang of taking tablets and is having to chew them 🥴

We have practiced with tic tacs, but no joy. Tried putting in Nutella, hiding in grapes, no success

Does anyone have any advice 🙏

Im going to ask for it to be prescribed in liquid form next prescription, but that’s 3 weeks away

Put tablet in mouth then put head under the tap to drink the water, the pressure from the tap forces the tablet down

I always told my kids to not think about swallowing the tablet. Just swallow the mouthful of water in one go.

Try a cup like this one:
www.badham-mobility.co.uk/products/detail/pilgo-pill-swallowing-cup

I have a son who is hell with tablets and it was only recently when, for the first time ever I couldn’t swallow a tablet that I got it- your swallow reflex literally doesn’t line up with the tablet being in there if you know what I mean. It’s so hard!!! I was shocked as I tried over and over and then when I finally got it it didn’t even land properly!

If you explain to the pharmacist they should swap it over to liquid form no problem, so long as you hand them back the tablet form

Using a sports bottle to take the drink really helps. One of the most common blocks is putting the head back unnaturally far, whereas you actually want a near neutral position. Which is the position your head is in normally when swallowing, so feels more natural.

We practiced with our six year old taking those little silver balls you put on top of cupcakes. Start really small and work up.

Big spoonful of yoghurt ...

I can't take tablets the "correct" way (putting them on your tongue and then taking a drink, the tablet always gets stuck on my tongue and then starts dissolving 🤢)

I take a big drink of water (or milk when I was pregnant and gagged at pills, milk was easier to do it with than water) then tip my head back, throw the pill in and swallow. I cannot take a pill any other way, I marvel at people can take pills normally 🤣

You can get sertraline as an oral solution

Put it in a spoonful of yogurt but don't tell her which one. I do this with our children who are adiment they can't take tablets. Works everytime.

Surely tipping your head back just closes the space?

Haven’t read the whole thread OP (and hugs because I am guessing the back story contains a whole load of stress for you as a mum), but when children on the wards struggled with this we would teach them to begin with those little silver cake balls, then tic tacs, then progress to a mini m&m or smartie. It isn’t a bad thing to get all kids of 10 plus learning this, and practising the technique of swallowing pills. Alderhey do a good info sheet on this. Best of luck.

www.alderhey.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Guide-for-Tablet-Capsule-Swallowing-PIAG-067.pdf

Just seen you’ve tried with tictacs. I would keep trying, possibly with the addition of using a thick milkshake. The Mcdonalds ones worked well with my patients. Or start smaller with the little cake balls.

Use cake sprinkles (just one) and swallow whole like a tablet. Then move to the small silver spheres you get for cakes. Then tic tacs. Then to the tablet

I couldn’t take tablets until my late teens. I just had this weird mental block about them. I always thought I’d choke. It wasn’t until I was getting horrendous period pain that I forced myself and life did become a lot easier. Place on tongue towards back of throat, hold it there, one large swig of drink from an open cup. She only has to do it once successfully and the mental block is gone.

My DS gets v travel sick. Really strong sherbet helped. We buy the sherbet with the lolly (old school 80s style dib dab!) Big drink of water to make mouth wet, big dip in the sherbet. Coat mouth in sherbet and then take tablet with more water. If you need to chew then taste is hidden. More sherbet after to take away the taste.

this was a good interim thing. After 6 months he can take them just with a drink.

This is what helped me. I still can’t take tablets with just water - I often swallow them with Weetabix, though. I take a bit of Weetabix (with lots of milk), chew it a bit, then put the tablet in my mouth and use my tongue to get it inside the mouthful of Weetabix, and then swallow.

Having said that, go back to the pharmacy today and ask about getting the medication in another form (take the tablets with you in case they want to do a swap).

I struggled with tablets for years. My hack which works for me now is get a snack (preferbly something textured, chocolate not great because it melts), chew a mouthful, when I'm about to swallow chuck the tablet in

Drink a mouthful of water first, hold in mouth then put the pill in and swallow down together - I find you can’t really notice the pill this way because it’s already in the water.

Lots of good advice for how to perceiver with the tablets.

But the reason why they don't prescribe it as a suspension is that the tablets cost the NHS in the region of £20 a month, the suspension is about £300. So unless there's a medical condition preventing swallowing tablets/dysphagia then tablets it is.

This is absolutely me.
I marvel at 12yo DD who since age 10 can happily take uncoated paracetamol without a drink. Just pops it in her mouth and off she goes.

Well the advice worked! She’s had a week of using a sports bottle of water and taking it that way!

I love this.. 🥰🥰 my son is just back from his dad’s and just had a try with sports bottle but no luck… I’ll keep preserving!

My daughter was prescribed liquid Sertraline as she could not take the tablets at all!