Help DD swallow pills

[iambouddica]

DD is 11 and has been prescribed a course of antibiotics capsules. She’s never had pills before and is really struggling to swallow them.
we’ve tried leaning forward, using a straw and even have some tic taks to practise - but so far non have gone down.

Is there any other tips on how to help her before I have to go back to the doctor- I think it’s either this or IV and it’s a 12 week course so we really need to crack it soon.

Can the be cut up? With a pull cutter?

Can you talk to your pharmacist and see if it can be changed to liquid antibiotics?

I’m shit at taking tablets, but go to method with capsules is to take a mouthful of water or juice, squeeze the capsule into mouth through lips without losing liquid, put your head down and swallow. I find it easier with a tasty fizzy drink.

If she struggles so much with capsules is there a liquid alternative?

What happens with the tic tacs? Could you try something sweeter like Smarties?

What happens with the tic tacs? Could you try something sweeter like Smarties?

Chew a mouthful of bread.
Ready to swallow.
Pop in the capsule and swallow.
You can’t even feel it’s there.

I'm pretty sure there is a bottle method for this

Tell her to tip her head up to swallow then as that opens up the tubes and makes it easier to swallow, and imagine a smartie going down a big water flume.

Open capsule, mix with a teaspoon of Nutella and eat it.
The Nutella helps to cover the taste somewhat.

Please don’t open capsules or cut them up. Capsules are designed to break down in the stomach and release the drug in a timed way. As are tablets.
Drug companies don’t make them in these formats for shits and giggles.

Antibiotics often come in liquid form so query that asap

leaning forward won’t help, you’ll be going against gravity

practice with something small like a minion. A smartie, or suchlike

into the medication - the problem is usually it starts too far forward or falls forward so get it as far back as possible and head back and big swig of a favourite drink - don’t matter what ! And swallow !!
lots of praise !!

My DD takes them in a spoon of yoghurt (whole). Works perfectly.

Push them.into a big blob of jam on a teaspoon (one at a time). Or jelly. Swallow whole. Slides down much easier and is tasty. Had tablets like this until well into my twenties - and still don't for the big powdery disc sort.

Yeah dont open capsules. They are designed like that for a reason. Only cut pills if there is a line down the middle. Otherwise swallow whole.

Plenty of capsules are perfectly safe to open and consume.
I checked with a doctor first when I was prescribed antibiotics and it was fine to do this.

There are no modified release antibiotics that I can think of. Most can be opened and mixed with something immediately before swallowing (but they’ll taste disgusting).

OP, ask your pharmacist about the specific antibiotic. They should have access to information.

I second PP who said large gulp of drink first, hold it in mouth, and post tablet through very pursed lips, then tilt head back, look up and swallow. Hope your DD finds a method that works for her.

Get her to think of something yummy at the point when she is taking the tablet. I'm not sure quite why it works - I assume it makes your throat and gullet open up a bit - but it really does. I was given this tip because I have a strong gag reflex, particularly if I'm not feeling well, and I find it invaluable.

Hide it in a teaspoon of peanut butter or Nutella. The claggy consistency hides the pill and you can swallow the teaspoon of spread "whole".

Yep I'm rubbish at taking tablets (despite having to take a lot of them!). I can only take them drink first. Usually take a sip, tablet, then drink and swallow the whole lot down. Sounds really awkward (more so than it actually is) but is the only way that works for me!

Put a grape ( any food will do ) in your mouth chew until you are ready to swallow, pop pill in and swallow with the food . I took pills like this for years until I suddenly realised I could manage without

get her to squeeze her thumb into her palm while swallowing it distracts the brain

Yes, yoghurt is perfect. Or use those drinking yoghurt thicker drinks - the thicker liquid moves the tablet along more easily.

We were kind of lucky with my son and tablets - age about 8 he was prescribed antibiotics on holiday abroad, they gave him liquid at our request as we were used to that. But it was an absolutely repellent weird bitter minty one he’d never had before and it was the worst, I’m a pretty hard hearted parent but I couldn’t blame him for finding it near impossible to swallow. So we went back and got tablet alternatives and boy was he motivated to manage them! I swear it would have been a right hassle were it not for the dread of the hideous alternative.

Yet basic paracetamol is made in tablet, caplet and capsule form 🧐 Really no difference between them, so not breaking the capsule is rubbish thinking.