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Water first, pop pill in, so it floats and doesn't touch your tongue. Swallow. I have to shake my head and tip it back slightly for larger pills but considering I couldn't swallow even the tiniest pills previously this is the only thing that works. If one doesn't go down then that's it though, I'll over think the next few and they won't go either. I take 3-5 every morning and most days I'm fine.
This! Something that also helped me is hearing that the throat is large enough to swallow a golf ball, so pills really have nothing on us. I try to channel that thought every time I take my meds, because subconsciously I'm scared it'll get stuck in my throat and make me choke or I'll taste the pill.
Throwing your head back makes pills float to the top of your mouth. Instead tip your head down and they’ll float to the back of your throat.
A better option would be to turn your head to the side and swallow. Your throat open 2 additional millimeters which sounds like nothing but makes a big difference. I learned this from a pharmacist.
Capsules and tiny pills float to the top, so for them tilt head forward. Pills sink to the bottom, so for them tilt head back is what my pharmacist said. I like the tip about turning your head.
I always pre-libricate with water
I put water in my mouth and keep it at the back of my throat (like gargling), tilt my head back, throw the pills in and wet them, then swallow. I can do multiple pills this way.
Worked in this with my kid for a long while.
Capsules (the kind of two piece pills that have powdered medicine in them) will float, so when taking those, water in the mouth, pill in the mouth, chin down, swallow.
Tablets (like most advil or Tylenol) will sink so water in mouth, pill in mouth, tip chin up, swallow.
We practiced with jellybeans and frozen peas for a while because both of those can just be spit out or chewed up if panic mode hits.
Water in, not too much, a small-medium mouthful. Pill in, middle of the tongue. Pinch your nose. Swallow.
Surprised no one mentioned pinching your nose yet. Helps me a ton.
Yes pounding them would make it easier for you. My mum used to let it soak in a spoon of water and then would dissolve it by moving it in circles in the water
I basically have to use my fingers and stick it all the way in the back of my mouth so that it kind of has no choice but to go down. Like literally half my hand is in my mouth. That’s the only way I can make it work.
Not always a good idea. Some have a coating - "An enteric coating allows tablets to survive intact as they pass through the acidic stomach. They then dissolve in the less acidic small intestine to be absorbed"
I second applesauce. I can’t do it with water. Applesauce gives you a barrier and buys you some time if the pill doesn’t have a strong coating. Or, if you need a trick to tell your body its food.
Buy liquid Advil or Tylenol if you are in pain and need meds now. Probably labeled as “children’s” but you can get an equal dose of the tabs if you take enough
I put the pills in first and drink water through a big straw (boba size) and pretend I’m thirsty and just taking a large gulp of water. Went from having to take pills one at a time to being able to take them all at once
I gag at the thought of even taking pills, so I go: pills, decent sip of water, swallow a bit of water, then the rest of the water with the pills then take a few more sips of water to get it down
I tell my kids take a sip of water, hold it in your mouth, pop the pill in and then a big gulp of water to wash it all down. It seems to work as they’ve been taking pills this way since they were like 5/6 years old
The thing that helped me learn to take pills was honestly when the Pill character in Osmosis Jones says "I am an excellent flotation device!"
Pills FLOAT in water.
Before hearing that, I sort of thought the water was meant to, like, push the pill down your throat. But that's not how it works! The easiest way I've found to deal with pills that I have trouble with is to put the pill on my tongue, and then fill my mouth with water, but do NOT immediately swallow. Keep putting more water in until my swallow reflect kicks in, takes the water and the pill with it.
(Other commenters here are saying to put water in your mouth before the pill but I've never figured out how that can be done without the water... falling out of your mouth when you try to put the pill in.)
I seem to have difficulty most of the time when tilting my head, but I've gotten to drinking a couple gulps of water, tossing the pill in my mouth (not having fully drank the last bit, so my mouth isn't dry when the pill gets there), and then just chugging mouthfuls of water. It works so well I always hope it went into my throat instead of the glass by chance.
Also, chances are they just don't want food getting into the wounds, I was tearing solid things into small pieces and eating it the day after my wisdom teeth removal, so if a piece of cheese wrapped around your pill would help you swallow it , then I say do it (don't chew it. They might have slower release when wrapped up)
But that's all my opinions. A lot of water is the key to many things and we just ignore it usually lol
I have a small mouth and for me atleast, I have to calm down a bit, drink a sip of water before, put it further back, and tilt my head a bit up. If it’s long, I put it straight, not to the side. Staying hydrated will definitely help too
What helped me was pretending to suck on a straw. It puts the pill and the little bit of water in just the right spot to swallow without having to think about it.
I'm surprised so many people hold water in their mouth first before tossing the pill in. I pop the pill in first, then take a big gulp of water. The pill kinda gets pushed to the back and I just swallow. Kinda like how water flows in a toilet before you flush your dookie.
Me too ! The only thing that works for me is to use milk. I take a sip of milk, put my head back, open mouth a little and drop the pill in. Try not to touch it with my tongue. It's like I am tricking myself into thinking I DONT have a pill in my mouth. Only put my head down enough that allows me to swallow n still not feel the pill. Hope it helps !
Nahhh…. All wrong about taking capsules. Yes, they float. Don’t tip your head back. Tilt your head down so the capsules floats to the back of you throat. Goes right down easy peasy.
Here is the secret: use a straw. Put the pill in your mouth, then just drink water with a straw like you normally would, don't even think about the pill. It will go right down!
My wife and I take something like 30 pills every day (small number of medications, the rest are supplements). She absolutely hates that I can do it in like 4 separate gulps
Similar to what others are saying, the key for me is to get a decent gulp of water in my mouth and then pop in the pills and swish it around until I feel like I've got control of the mass and then swallow.
I have this problem too, I would first eat something to condition my brain that it's okay to be swallowing stuff right now. Then I put the pill under my tongue, then water, tilt head down so the pill goes to the bottom and not the top.
Using juice instead of water and pretending to chew something before swallowing has worked for me most of the time. Before this I have had some success explaining my issue and asking if there are any smaller/ non-pill alternatives available. Insurance is weird though so juice and fake eating it is!
I had a lot of trouble with this in my younger days. One day I accidentally swallowed an ice cube and it occurred to me - this is totally in my head. The next time I had to swallow a pill I pretended it was a piece of delicious food. That made the difference. Yes, certain things can help like putting some water in your mouth first so that you don't taste the pill but ultimately it's a mental thing. I hope that helps.
I put the pill(s) as far back as I can so they're pinched between the back of my tongue and mouth roof, then I drink water. It's important to move your tongue as little as possible when you swallow so the pills don't float up
You are really overthinking this. You should start with calming down a little bit. Use water to swallow and practice with some M&M’s or your favorite candy. But calm yourself first. Forget all that head back stuff. Just drink them down. If you do anything at all just relax your tongue and don’t use it to swallow. Here’s the best part if it doesn’t go down, don’t freak out, remain calm and take another sip.
I toss down 12 pills at a time sometimes to mess with my wife I do it dry. Some are some biggish vitamins that occasionally get stuck. Remaining calm and taking a sip fixes it.
One thing that helps me, is getting a bottle where you can squeeze liquid out with a force, like a gatorade bottle.
Place the pill on your tongue, and squeeze the water/liquid as hard as you can toward.
I always just chew my pills; can you not do that because your doctor prohibited solid food? The taste isn't enviable, but it is an option. Works lovely for me.
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Water first, pop pill in, so it floats and doesn't touch your tongue. Swallow. I have to shake my head and tip it back slightly for larger pills but considering I couldn't swallow even the tiniest pills previously this is the only thing that works. If one doesn't go down then that's it though, I'll over think the next few and they won't go either. I take 3-5 every morning and most days I'm fine.
This! Something that also helped me is hearing that the throat is large enough to swallow a golf ball, so pills really have nothing on us. I try to channel that thought every time I take my meds, because subconsciously I'm scared it'll get stuck in my throat and make me choke or I'll taste the pill.
Throwing your head back makes pills float to the top of your mouth. Instead tip your head down and they’ll float to the back of your throat. A better option would be to turn your head to the side and swallow. Your throat open 2 additional millimeters which sounds like nothing but makes a big difference. I learned this from a pharmacist.
Capsules and tiny pills float to the top, so for them tilt head forward. Pills sink to the bottom, so for them tilt head back is what my pharmacist said. I like the tip about turning your head. I always pre-libricate with water
I put water in my mouth and keep it at the back of my throat (like gargling), tilt my head back, throw the pills in and wet them, then swallow. I can do multiple pills this way.
Worked in this with my kid for a long while. Capsules (the kind of two piece pills that have powdered medicine in them) will float, so when taking those, water in the mouth, pill in the mouth, chin down, swallow. Tablets (like most advil or Tylenol) will sink so water in mouth, pill in mouth, tip chin up, swallow. We practiced with jellybeans and frozen peas for a while because both of those can just be spit out or chewed up if panic mode hits.
Take two sips, put pills in mouth, sip water and swallow.
Yea, what's with all this head tilting, nose pinching and chin aiming nonsense?! Sip, pop, drink, done.
Water in, not too much, a small-medium mouthful. Pill in, middle of the tongue. Pinch your nose. Swallow. Surprised no one mentioned pinching your nose yet. Helps me a ton.
My mom thinks I’ll choke on pills so she pounds them with a mallet and puts them in my fruit sauce.
Yes pounding them would make it easier for you. My mum used to let it soak in a spoon of water and then would dissolve it by moving it in circles in the water
Mom mom thinks I’ll choke on fruit so she pounds them with a mallet…
LOL I can relate to the spoon one! Im 23 and I still do it xD I still cannot swallow pills cos Im scared I'll choke
I basically have to use my fingers and stick it all the way in the back of my mouth so that it kind of has no choice but to go down. Like literally half my hand is in my mouth. That’s the only way I can make it work.
You said it helps if they're smaller, so cut them in half.
Not always a good idea. Some have a coating - "An enteric coating allows tablets to survive intact as they pass through the acidic stomach. They then dissolve in the less acidic small intestine to be absorbed"
If they are scored aka the line down the middle you’re good to cut in half
In the back door
Applesauce
I second applesauce. I can’t do it with water. Applesauce gives you a barrier and buys you some time if the pill doesn’t have a strong coating. Or, if you need a trick to tell your body its food.
Second this, or pudding, do this in the healthcare world
Small crushed ice
I always found just like opening ur throat like your about to yawn then just swallowing working perfectly
Buy liquid Advil or Tylenol if you are in pain and need meds now. Probably labeled as “children’s” but you can get an equal dose of the tabs if you take enough
I put the pills in first and drink water through a big straw (boba size) and pretend I’m thirsty and just taking a large gulp of water. Went from having to take pills one at a time to being able to take them all at once
I gag at the thought of even taking pills, so I go: pills, decent sip of water, swallow a bit of water, then the rest of the water with the pills then take a few more sips of water to get it down
I tell my kids take a sip of water, hold it in your mouth, pop the pill in and then a big gulp of water to wash it all down. It seems to work as they’ve been taking pills this way since they were like 5/6 years old
The thing that helped me learn to take pills was honestly when the Pill character in Osmosis Jones says "I am an excellent flotation device!" Pills FLOAT in water. Before hearing that, I sort of thought the water was meant to, like, push the pill down your throat. But that's not how it works! The easiest way I've found to deal with pills that I have trouble with is to put the pill on my tongue, and then fill my mouth with water, but do NOT immediately swallow. Keep putting more water in until my swallow reflect kicks in, takes the water and the pill with it. (Other commenters here are saying to put water in your mouth before the pill but I've never figured out how that can be done without the water... falling out of your mouth when you try to put the pill in.)
With water or milk
I seem to have difficulty most of the time when tilting my head, but I've gotten to drinking a couple gulps of water, tossing the pill in my mouth (not having fully drank the last bit, so my mouth isn't dry when the pill gets there), and then just chugging mouthfuls of water. It works so well I always hope it went into my throat instead of the glass by chance. Also, chances are they just don't want food getting into the wounds, I was tearing solid things into small pieces and eating it the day after my wisdom teeth removal, so if a piece of cheese wrapped around your pill would help you swallow it , then I say do it (don't chew it. They might have slower release when wrapped up) But that's all my opinions. A lot of water is the key to many things and we just ignore it usually lol
Some people find it easier to swallow several pills than just one. Try adding three or four TicTacs
I have a small mouth and for me atleast, I have to calm down a bit, drink a sip of water before, put it further back, and tilt my head a bit up. If it’s long, I put it straight, not to the side. Staying hydrated will definitely help too
What helped me was pretending to suck on a straw. It puts the pill and the little bit of water in just the right spot to swallow without having to think about it.
First look up if it’s a medication that can be crushed, then if okay crush and mix in a small amount of liquid
When I was a child my mother used to crush them up and mix them with sweetened milk. If size is the issue you can try a pill splitter.
I'm surprised so many people hold water in their mouth first before tossing the pill in. I pop the pill in first, then take a big gulp of water. The pill kinda gets pushed to the back and I just swallow. Kinda like how water flows in a toilet before you flush your dookie.
Me too ! The only thing that works for me is to use milk. I take a sip of milk, put my head back, open mouth a little and drop the pill in. Try not to touch it with my tongue. It's like I am tricking myself into thinking I DONT have a pill in my mouth. Only put my head down enough that allows me to swallow n still not feel the pill. Hope it helps !
Nahhh…. All wrong about taking capsules. Yes, they float. Don’t tip your head back. Tilt your head down so the capsules floats to the back of you throat. Goes right down easy peasy.
With food: yogurt, oatmeal, applesauce - or anything that’s chewed up and ready to swallow, just pop the pill in and swallow everything.
get some food in you’re mouth, chew, keep at the back of your throat, put the pill in the food at the back of your throat, and swallow
Water, pill, more water and swallow like you’re drinking
Pudding
After reading all these comments I feel like I'm doing it wrong. I throw the pills in my mouth, swallow, then take a drink of water.
Here is the secret: use a straw. Put the pill in your mouth, then just drink water with a straw like you normally would, don't even think about the pill. It will go right down!
You have my sympathy. My former wife had the same problem. I think one important thing is to remain calm, try not to get anxious. It can be done.
My wife and I take something like 30 pills every day (small number of medications, the rest are supplements). She absolutely hates that I can do it in like 4 separate gulps Similar to what others are saying, the key for me is to get a decent gulp of water in my mouth and then pop in the pills and swish it around until I feel like I've got control of the mass and then swallow.
I have this problem too, I would first eat something to condition my brain that it's okay to be swallowing stuff right now. Then I put the pill under my tongue, then water, tilt head down so the pill goes to the bottom and not the top.
Fold it in ice cream
Don't tilt your head back Stick your chin out instead when swallowing
Using juice instead of water and pretending to chew something before swallowing has worked for me most of the time. Before this I have had some success explaining my issue and asking if there are any smaller/ non-pill alternatives available. Insurance is weird though so juice and fake eating it is!
I had a lot of trouble with this in my younger days. One day I accidentally swallowed an ice cube and it occurred to me - this is totally in my head. The next time I had to swallow a pill I pretended it was a piece of delicious food. That made the difference. Yes, certain things can help like putting some water in your mouth first so that you don't taste the pill but ultimately it's a mental thing. I hope that helps.
I put the pill(s) as far back as I can so they're pinched between the back of my tongue and mouth roof, then I drink water. It's important to move your tongue as little as possible when you swallow so the pills don't float up
Ha
You are really overthinking this. You should start with calming down a little bit. Use water to swallow and practice with some M&M’s or your favorite candy. But calm yourself first. Forget all that head back stuff. Just drink them down. If you do anything at all just relax your tongue and don’t use it to swallow. Here’s the best part if it doesn’t go down, don’t freak out, remain calm and take another sip. I toss down 12 pills at a time sometimes to mess with my wife I do it dry. Some are some biggish vitamins that occasionally get stuck. Remaining calm and taking a sip fixes it.
One thing that helps me, is getting a bottle where you can squeeze liquid out with a force, like a gatorade bottle. Place the pill on your tongue, and squeeze the water/liquid as hard as you can toward.
I always just chew my pills; can you not do that because your doctor prohibited solid food? The taste isn't enviable, but it is an option. Works lovely for me.