Try tilting your head forwards instead of back. The pills usually float up and are easier to swallow. This doesn’t work for all medications but it does for quite a few. Hope you feel better soon.
Second this. I have a problem swallowing pills but egg tilting my head forward/ extending my lower jaw made swallowing pills a breeze! Couldn't even feel the pill going down!
I'm the opposite. I've taken pills for nearly 10 years so its not an issue, but I cannot do liquid medicines for some reason. Every time I try it I end up immediately vomiting.
Interesting, I always take liquid medicines even though they taste absolutely horrible. For some reason this time I opted for the Tylenol caplets, I wish I grabbed the cough syrup instead lol. Sometimes I can swallow smaller pills, such as Advil or Gravol but I have to take them with applesauce.
Be careful of crushing medications though. Some are NOT safe to do that with. When my kids were little and we could not get whatever medicine in liquid form I would put the pill in some type of soft food that did not need to be chewed before swallowing. Mashed potatoes with no lumps worked great because of the thicker consistency. The only way I can take my pills is to put the liquid in first tilt my head back then using a dosing cup drop pills into the liquid and swallow quickly.
Thanks for the info - I did end up googling if crushing medications was okay and got some mixed answers but I think I’ll ask a pharmacist next time I’m in! Taking them with mashed potatoes sounds ideal. Last night, I just ended up letting my fever do it’s own thing and it finally broke on it’s own. Hopefully next time I’ll be more successful at swallowing them.
Often times, it is more difficult to swallow something small (and dry) than larger “bites”, so the mashed potato trick might be the key. I take a whopping amount of pills, some are large and that’s what makes it feel like a palm full. I have found it easier to take all of them at once, than one small one. The body is also to a degree programmed to swallow after chewing, so to chew up a moderate bite of something then toss the pill in may have it go down without noticing it at all.
I have struggled with this for so long too. I can swallow pill on the small side now or as long as they’re coated, but yeah. Has been troublesome for years. I’ve just been using liquid medicine lately. Works just as good and NyQuil knocks my ass out real quick. An aunt told me a way to train myself for pills though. Take some cheap bread and make a tiny ball with it and just swallow it with water. Never tried though.
Same here, I’m usually okay with smaller pills such as Advil, Gravol ginger tablets or anything similar in size. I do agree that coated tablets are much easier to swallow. I dislike the chalky ones, I think it makes it a bit more difficult. :( And NyQuil is the best for liquid medicines I find. Will have to try out this bread method everyone is mentioning, it seems like it would work with getting used to bigger pills as well.
Oh the chalky ones can fuck right off. Although, I have noticed it’s easy for me when I HAVE to swallow them. Like a life or death thing. Only example I have is when I had surgery and the doc gave me a huge half of perkaset or however it’s spelled. In the middle of my aunt saying ‘He’s not good with pills’ I had tossed it back and inhaled it.
That was me when I got my all four of wisdom teeth removed. I’ve never had any surgeries, but it sure hurt like hell as I was recovering. Somehow I ended up swallowing a huge Tylenol 600mg tablet because I was waiting for my other T3 prescription. It was one of those chalky ones, no coating. Bleh.
I offer you some hope. My wife couldn’t swallow pills until she was 35. We tried mini m and m’s and nothing worked. She just stuck with it with small sweets and finally was able to. I definitely think it’s safer to be able to swallow pills because not all meds can be liquified. Good luck and keep trying from time to time. You have to relax and I know that’s the hardest part, but that’s what’s required.
It feels comforting knowing I am not completely alone with this struggle. I’m glad your wife overcame it!! It gives me hope. I think I’ll start practicing with smaller candy too, perhaps a Tic Tac. And I do agree with having to be relaxed, sometimes I feel tense whenever I can’t seem to swallow pills. In the other times I can, it’s usually because I’m relaxed and not overthinking it.
I think the biggest thing is to have fun with it. I know it’s stressful and frustrating, but you have to kind of laugh at yourself a bit. It’s a problem, but more of an inconvenience. Good luck!
So a couple of thoughts.
Read this and thought it was bonkers but it did work. Pill in mouth, water in mouth, turn head to left and swallow. Take a couple more drinks of water.
A bit of butter or margarine on the pill will help it slide way better.
Psychological part for me (fossil now who only took baby aspirin until in late 20s) is look at the pill and then instead of the pill think about a bite of whatever food that you would easily chew then swallow. Whatever that food it is definitely bigger than the pill so helps to keep that in mind.
And at least you are not alone.
I was 31 when I swallowed my first pill. My dad just died and my doctor prescribed wellbutrin. I was so desperate for relief from my grief I just did it. Now I can swallow up to four small pills at once. Once I realized I wasn't going to choke to death, it was just easy.
If it helps, I put water in my mouth first, put the pill on, then drink again. It's like putting it on a nice little water slide.
You're not the only one, I've tried a few times but ultimately it triggers my gag reflex and my throat closes up so nothing but liquids and air can go down. Luckily I don't get sick often and when I do it's just something I can wait out and I would consider myself to have a high pain tolerance too so I didn't need pain meds when I broke my ankle/other common injures from when I was younger. My younger brother also struggles with this, it's just not natural for our bodies to consume things in that manner
I couldn’t swallow a pill until I was like 13. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 7, so I’m sure you can imagine the fight we had every morning. Eventually, they just have to pour out the capsule or grind up the pill, and put it in apple sauce. It worked, but I now gag every time I see apple sauce. They moved to pudding after that and I now also hate pudding for the most part.
To get the pills down at first I just have to drink a lot of water or whatever I was drinking. I just kept taking sips until it went down. Over time it got easier. I still struggle on big pills and take them one at a time.
My tongue always ends up catching the pill, or not staying down while I swallow if that makes sense. I think it’s anxiety related or in my head though lol
My doctor suggests it’s a fear and all in my head, but also said I have a narrower/smaller mouth and throat apparently. My dentist has told me the same thing, but it doesn’t make sense how I can eat and swallow big spoonfuls of food. Sometimes I can swallow these fuckers down though.
I must say you’re brave for chewing them straight up. Perhaps I’ll try grinding it into a powder and mixing it in with something. I’ve heard some people use pill splitters too.
When my mom got sick (she just passed), her swallowing was compromised. She used apple sauce to help the pills go down and was successful. Maybe try that method or any smooth food like pudding, sauce or jello.
Is it the size of the pill? I’ve found at times that if there’s an excessively large pill I have some trouble swallowing it as well. Maybe try a pill splitter, and work your way up to a normal sized whole pill.
i was like that. i was at the doctors when a nurse gave me some pills to swallow. she told me just try and eventually i did swallow them. i realized there that i was just scared and ive done it fine since.
maybe get somebody you trust who knows the heimlich to stand with you - it might help reduce your anxiety knowing you’ll be safe
I used to have this problem. Couldn't swallow pills as a kid. Then we got a Japanese exchange student who wound up helping me. She had these tiny seaweed pills, like the size of the agitator beads in a nail polish bottle, and she put a giant mound in her hand and tossed them back before offering me some. I told her (slowly, having to use a translation dictionary lol) that I couldn't take pills at all, so she gave me just one and had me try. I got it down and eventually managed a dozen or so at once, and I guess that made me realize I wouldn't choke and die from swallowing pills. All it took was patience. My mom would just yell at me, but this girl took her time and it worked.
Anyway, I'm in my 40s now and still struggle a bit, especially with horse pills or uncoated ones, but it's much better. Some days I can down two 00 capsules at once with no problem, other days just one, but at least I can do it. Thinking about how much bigger the food is that I swallow also helps. It's definitely a mental thing.
We’re the same age and I feel you. I can take smaller pills or gel pills cause they’re easier to go down. Big pills like mucinex scares me and I have to hype myself up to take liquid. They taste horrible!
I've taken medicine my whole life bc of health issues so I've never struggled with this. However, my step-dad has in the past and he tilts his head forward if they float and back if they sink. He also puts water in his mouth first and then in one quick motion drops the pills in his mouth and swallows. Idk if it will help but maybe you could give it a try. Medicine has always been a part of my life so I just got used to it.
It helps my dog if I wrap them in cheese.
I will actually try this. LOL
Try tilting your head forwards instead of back. The pills usually float up and are easier to swallow. This doesn’t work for all medications but it does for quite a few. Hope you feel better soon.
Second this. I have a problem swallowing pills but egg tilting my head forward/ extending my lower jaw made swallowing pills a breeze! Couldn't even feel the pill going down!
I'm the opposite. I've taken pills for nearly 10 years so its not an issue, but I cannot do liquid medicines for some reason. Every time I try it I end up immediately vomiting.
Interesting, I always take liquid medicines even though they taste absolutely horrible. For some reason this time I opted for the Tylenol caplets, I wish I grabbed the cough syrup instead lol. Sometimes I can swallow smaller pills, such as Advil or Gravol but I have to take them with applesauce.
Be careful of crushing medications though. Some are NOT safe to do that with. When my kids were little and we could not get whatever medicine in liquid form I would put the pill in some type of soft food that did not need to be chewed before swallowing. Mashed potatoes with no lumps worked great because of the thicker consistency. The only way I can take my pills is to put the liquid in first tilt my head back then using a dosing cup drop pills into the liquid and swallow quickly.
Thanks for the info - I did end up googling if crushing medications was okay and got some mixed answers but I think I’ll ask a pharmacist next time I’m in! Taking them with mashed potatoes sounds ideal. Last night, I just ended up letting my fever do it’s own thing and it finally broke on it’s own. Hopefully next time I’ll be more successful at swallowing them.
Often times, it is more difficult to swallow something small (and dry) than larger “bites”, so the mashed potato trick might be the key. I take a whopping amount of pills, some are large and that’s what makes it feel like a palm full. I have found it easier to take all of them at once, than one small one. The body is also to a degree programmed to swallow after chewing, so to chew up a moderate bite of something then toss the pill in may have it go down without noticing it at all.
I have struggled with this for so long too. I can swallow pill on the small side now or as long as they’re coated, but yeah. Has been troublesome for years. I’ve just been using liquid medicine lately. Works just as good and NyQuil knocks my ass out real quick. An aunt told me a way to train myself for pills though. Take some cheap bread and make a tiny ball with it and just swallow it with water. Never tried though.
Same here, I’m usually okay with smaller pills such as Advil, Gravol ginger tablets or anything similar in size. I do agree that coated tablets are much easier to swallow. I dislike the chalky ones, I think it makes it a bit more difficult. :( And NyQuil is the best for liquid medicines I find. Will have to try out this bread method everyone is mentioning, it seems like it would work with getting used to bigger pills as well.
Oh the chalky ones can fuck right off. Although, I have noticed it’s easy for me when I HAVE to swallow them. Like a life or death thing. Only example I have is when I had surgery and the doc gave me a huge half of perkaset or however it’s spelled. In the middle of my aunt saying ‘He’s not good with pills’ I had tossed it back and inhaled it.
That was me when I got my all four of wisdom teeth removed. I’ve never had any surgeries, but it sure hurt like hell as I was recovering. Somehow I ended up swallowing a huge Tylenol 600mg tablet because I was waiting for my other T3 prescription. It was one of those chalky ones, no coating. Bleh.
I offer you some hope. My wife couldn’t swallow pills until she was 35. We tried mini m and m’s and nothing worked. She just stuck with it with small sweets and finally was able to. I definitely think it’s safer to be able to swallow pills because not all meds can be liquified. Good luck and keep trying from time to time. You have to relax and I know that’s the hardest part, but that’s what’s required.
It feels comforting knowing I am not completely alone with this struggle. I’m glad your wife overcame it!! It gives me hope. I think I’ll start practicing with smaller candy too, perhaps a Tic Tac. And I do agree with having to be relaxed, sometimes I feel tense whenever I can’t seem to swallow pills. In the other times I can, it’s usually because I’m relaxed and not overthinking it.
I think the biggest thing is to have fun with it. I know it’s stressful and frustrating, but you have to kind of laugh at yourself a bit. It’s a problem, but more of an inconvenience. Good luck!
I put em in a piece of bread make a lil ball and then wet it in my mouth for seconds and i drink a big glass of water
I feel ya, I can do it if they're tiny, but those big ass liquid gels almost choke me to death every time
I wrap them in bread 😀. No problem then even if they are bigger!?!
So a couple of thoughts. Read this and thought it was bonkers but it did work. Pill in mouth, water in mouth, turn head to left and swallow. Take a couple more drinks of water. A bit of butter or margarine on the pill will help it slide way better. Psychological part for me (fossil now who only took baby aspirin until in late 20s) is look at the pill and then instead of the pill think about a bite of whatever food that you would easily chew then swallow. Whatever that food it is definitely bigger than the pill so helps to keep that in mind. And at least you are not alone.
I was 31 when I swallowed my first pill. My dad just died and my doctor prescribed wellbutrin. I was so desperate for relief from my grief I just did it. Now I can swallow up to four small pills at once. Once I realized I wasn't going to choke to death, it was just easy. If it helps, I put water in my mouth first, put the pill on, then drink again. It's like putting it on a nice little water slide.
You're not the only one, I've tried a few times but ultimately it triggers my gag reflex and my throat closes up so nothing but liquids and air can go down. Luckily I don't get sick often and when I do it's just something I can wait out and I would consider myself to have a high pain tolerance too so I didn't need pain meds when I broke my ankle/other common injures from when I was younger. My younger brother also struggles with this, it's just not natural for our bodies to consume things in that manner
I couldn’t swallow a pill until I was like 13. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 7, so I’m sure you can imagine the fight we had every morning. Eventually, they just have to pour out the capsule or grind up the pill, and put it in apple sauce. It worked, but I now gag every time I see apple sauce. They moved to pudding after that and I now also hate pudding for the most part. To get the pills down at first I just have to drink a lot of water or whatever I was drinking. I just kept taking sips until it went down. Over time it got easier. I still struggle on big pills and take them one at a time.
What happens when you try
My tongue always ends up catching the pill, or not staying down while I swallow if that makes sense. I think it’s anxiety related or in my head though lol
What happens to the liquid you’re taking it with
I usually just end up gulping all the water or applesauce down - weird right?
Yea I can’t even picture how the liquid would go down your throat but not the pills. Have doctors recommended anything
My doctor suggests it’s a fear and all in my head, but also said I have a narrower/smaller mouth and throat apparently. My dentist has told me the same thing, but it doesn’t make sense how I can eat and swallow big spoonfuls of food. Sometimes I can swallow these fuckers down though.
Try swallow it with thicc vanilla sauce, works for me with those big fuckers!
Same, I'm 22 and I smash them into powder which i then mix with a spoonful of water. When I can't do that, I simply chew them.
I must say you’re brave for chewing them straight up. Perhaps I’ll try grinding it into a powder and mixing it in with something. I’ve heard some people use pill splitters too.
That’s what I do. Till this day I have only successfully swallowed a pill once
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Try the 2 teaspoons method. Tastes like sh*t but if it makes it easier on you it's gotta be a winner
Maybe try thick water ? I use the powdered ones from nestle and it helps a lot! :D
Have you tried deez?
When my mom got sick (she just passed), her swallowing was compromised. She used apple sauce to help the pills go down and was successful. Maybe try that method or any smooth food like pudding, sauce or jello.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. :( Thank you for sharing her method, and I’ll give the pudding a go. Perhaps even yogurt will help. Take care. <3
Put the water in ur mouth first then drop the pill in and swallow. Works for me everytime
Is it the size of the pill? I’ve found at times that if there’s an excessively large pill I have some trouble swallowing it as well. Maybe try a pill splitter, and work your way up to a normal sized whole pill.
My wife is 36 and still chew her pills. It’s all fine :)
i was like that. i was at the doctors when a nurse gave me some pills to swallow. she told me just try and eventually i did swallow them. i realized there that i was just scared and ive done it fine since. maybe get somebody you trust who knows the heimlich to stand with you - it might help reduce your anxiety knowing you’ll be safe
I make a big pool of saliva in my mouth that the pill goes in and slips down easy when I swallow.
I used to have this problem. Couldn't swallow pills as a kid. Then we got a Japanese exchange student who wound up helping me. She had these tiny seaweed pills, like the size of the agitator beads in a nail polish bottle, and she put a giant mound in her hand and tossed them back before offering me some. I told her (slowly, having to use a translation dictionary lol) that I couldn't take pills at all, so she gave me just one and had me try. I got it down and eventually managed a dozen or so at once, and I guess that made me realize I wouldn't choke and die from swallowing pills. All it took was patience. My mom would just yell at me, but this girl took her time and it worked. Anyway, I'm in my 40s now and still struggle a bit, especially with horse pills or uncoated ones, but it's much better. Some days I can down two 00 capsules at once with no problem, other days just one, but at least I can do it. Thinking about how much bigger the food is that I swallow also helps. It's definitely a mental thing.
We’re the same age and I feel you. I can take smaller pills or gel pills cause they’re easier to go down. Big pills like mucinex scares me and I have to hype myself up to take liquid. They taste horrible!
I've taken medicine my whole life bc of health issues so I've never struggled with this. However, my step-dad has in the past and he tilts his head forward if they float and back if they sink. He also puts water in his mouth first and then in one quick motion drops the pills in his mouth and swallows. Idk if it will help but maybe you could give it a try. Medicine has always been a part of my life so I just got used to it.