To ask how you swallow tablets?

[GarlicBreadStan]

For as long as I can remember (I'm 27, if that matters) I've had real issues with swallowing tablets. I can swallow my contraceptive pill absolutely fine, but anything bigger than that and I really do struggle. I often end up with the tablet dissolving in my throat, or I gag when trying to swallow it even with water. I've had to result in taking Calpol before because it was just easier. Because of my difficulty with swallowing tablets, I often don't take painkillers and just suffer through pain (and I have a migraine at least twice a month).

How do you take tablets or, if you can't, do you get prescribed/buy liquid painkillers?

Thank you x

P.S. sorry for saying the word "swallow" so many times :s

That alder hey advice looks really useful. I never used to be able to swallow tablets, then a friend suggested practising with Tic Tacs, took me a little while before they stopped just swimming around it mouth, but now I can take pretty much anything.

I’m the same - always have been. Thankfully I rarely need to take a painkiller but have used liquid versions or Disprin Direct which dissolve on your tongue. If I have to take a tablet I use a pill cutter and mix it into a spoonful of peanut butter.

That’s when you drink more water to help it go down . Turn long tablets length ways.

The ones that are capsules that look like thin plastic or have gel in are much easier to swallow than the big round chalky ones.
Or have you tried splitting it into four?

I have to take loads of tablets and I did get used to it. In hospital I could take all my meds in one gulp, about five tablets!

Drink first, tablet on tongue, drink again and it goes down. I have milk if they are quite big tablets

I take a massive gulp of water that almost fills my mouth, put the tablet into my mouth in the middle of the water and swallow the water, you hardly feel the tablet.

Not helping, but I’ve never had this issue. I take 4 big tablets before bed. 2 x magnesium, 1x multivitamin/mineral and 1x NMN.

I put all 4 at once in and have a swig of water.

OP if you are suffering from migraines twice a month go to your GP and ask them to prescribe a triptain. Most of the tablets are not much bigger then the pill or you could ask to try sumatriptain nasal sprays which taste vial but no need to swallow tablets then. Other triptains come in nasal spray and maxmelts are melts that dissolve under the tounge so another option for you.

These are often used for people who throw up a lot with a migraine but would also be useful for you as you struggle to swallow tablets.

Take a big mouthful of water with the tablet. Think about swallowing the water, not the tablet.

or chew up some food then put the tablet in your mouth and swallow.

It is possible to get paracetamol melts in adult-size doses. The calpol fastmelts are only 250mg so you need to take 4 of them to get the standard adult singie dose ie 2x 500mg tablets which gets expensive!. However https://www.dutchexpatshop.com/en/roter-paracetamol-500-mg-instant-melting-tabs.html are basically the same as an adult size dose.

I can (usually) swallow bullet shaped pills as long as they are small. Round pills such as paracetamol I crush up in a spoon. I'm mid-60s and it's only recently that I was able to swallow bullet shaped pills.

As a child I struggled, as most do. I literally don’t know anyone who hasn’t found big tablets or capsules tricky at some point.
Of course I can comprehend some people think they can’t. I can’t see how telling the Op they are never going to manage it because it’s psychological helps though.

Everyone has reflexes but having some control over them is reasonable. Most adults don’t wail like kids if they cut or burn themselves. I put contact lenses in every morning too. Learnt to poke something into my eye every day.

I think it’s like most behaviours. Is the end reward or the action more satisfying. Maybe on some level Op gets something toughing through the pain rather than the more difficult job of confronting her gag reflex.

As a child I struggled, as most do. I literally don’t know anyone who hasn’t found big tablets or capsules tricky at some point.
Of course I can comprehend some people think they can’t. I can’t see how telling the Op they are never going to manage it because it’s psychological helps though.

Everyone has reflexes but having some control over them is reasonable. Most adults don’t wail like kids if they cut or burn themselves. I put contact lenses in every morning too. Learnt to poke something into my eye every day.

I think it’s like most behaviours. Is the end reward or the action more satisfying. Maybe on some level Op gets something toughing through the pain rather than the more difficult job of confronting her gag reflex.

See, I've been doing it this way but then I really can't swallow it to the point it starts dissolving in my throat and then I gag and throw the tablet up

How can it not wash down if you quickly scull a glass of water afterwards?

I was like that til my mid teens but unless it’s a massive tablet it’s fine now. I drink water and it goes down fine. The only ones I struggle with are iron tablets if I’ve ever had to take them (I avoid and bring ferritin stores up using food) as my stomach can’t tolerate them).
Im sure it’s a psychological thing or practice. U didn’t take many tablets as a child as my parents didn’t ‘believe’ in them

I can swallow smaller tablets ok but anything bigger than small, no. And can't swallow capsules.

So yes I do get liquid prescribed.

I'm on blood pressure medicine. For years my ramipril stayed a good smell tablet. Then they stopped doing those sizes and it changed to big ones and different shape as well to top it off! I tried so hard (had to take multiple), cut it in half, but every day I ended up sticking it up, and gagging, and thinking I was going to choke. It was really distressing. I've got liquid one prescribed now and the relief is amazing. It was so distressing

I don't get anything for toughing through the pain, other than stress or anxiety. I don't feel a sense of accomplishment because I've managed to tough it out. I actually feel like a failure because I can't take tablets like most people can. It's not that I don't WANT to take them - I physically can't if they're bigger than my contraceptive pill. I've tried tilting my head forward, tilting it back, fizzy drinks, lots of juice, a little bit of juice, I've tried not thinking about it, I've tried most of the suggestions (which I hope will be really helpful to some people who struggle like me!) and it always ends in the same result lol

Can you put it in a spoon of yoghurt or something?

I've always had a problem swallowing bigger tablets but I now I'm older (60s) struggle even with smaller ones. Years ago I got a capsule stuck in my throat and that thought haunts me.

I've solved the painkiller problem by using Nurofen meltlets, and crushing paracetamol and swallowing it in a teaspoon of yoghurt (it's bitter, but I don't care).

Very occasionally I need stronger pain relief and Solpadeine is brilliant as it's soluble (paracetamol plus codeine).

Don’t bother with the calpol. You have to take so much of it to get the equivalent of a tablet. Just get dissolvable ones. https://www.savers.co.uk/health-wellbeing/pain-relief/pain-killers/max-soluble-paracetamol-tablets-16s/p/816807

I have to take a heap of tablets every day. The only reliable method I have found that works every time is by taking them in the middle of eating something. So even if I'm just having a snack like a biscuit, I'll get halfway through it, take a bite then chew until it becomes ready to swallow, then I put the tablet on my tongue in the middle of the mushed up biscuit, kind of coat it with the biscuit mush, and then swallow. And then eating the rest of the food helps the tablet go right down.

It's a really quick process that nobody ever notices, even if I'm out for a meal it just looks like I've put my hand up to my mouth. Certainly better than that horrible back of the throat feeling when a tablet gets stuck and water won't dislodge it.

Try using a straw
Small drink first to wet the mouth
tablet in , then drink with a straw , works for me
Git the tip from here , someone said it directs the flow towards the back of the throat .. worth a try

I’ve always struggled with taking tablets, especially capsule type. I’ve been buying dissolvable paracetamol and just having them in a a little bit of water. I also get migraines that the dissolvable paracetamol don’t touch so I take those with a fizzy drink..I just find it easier than a still drink. I used to take my big pregnancy vitamins with yogurt which helped once or twice but then my head figured out what was going on and would then only swallow the yogurt 🙃😂

I have to float them in water, swallow, wash down with more water.
A friend who had never been able to bring herself to swallow tablets had hypnotherapy, successfully, and can now take whatever she needs.

It's like my throat closes up just enough to stop the pill going down 😅