What is the easiest way to swallow pills?

1. 87

   WryLiltposted 12 years ago

   What is the easiest way to swallow pills?
   
   I hate swallowing pills - especially when I have to take more than one per day, or if they are big pills.
   
   How can I make swallowing them easier?

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2. 68

   wandererhposted 12 years ago

   Excellent question.  The doctors will tell you to take this pill and that, in all manner of shapes and sizes, but they never quite give a thought to how you are going to swallow them.
   
   Well, what works well for me is to first place the pill at the back of the throat, and then take a tiny sip of water.  Use the water to maneuver the pill into the area at the back of the throat where you place food just before you swallow.  And then it's just a matter of swallowing.

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3. 73

   sandrabusbyposted 12 years ago

   I'm told the easiest way to swallow pills is not to hold your head back, but -- counterintuitive though it sounds -- to bend your head down to your chest.  Try it and see.

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4. 82

   Connie Smithposted 12 years ago

   Take them in a bite of applesauce.  It lubricates the pipes and helps large pills go down much easier.

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   1. 67

      MarieAlana1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I used to have a really hard time with taking pills. I finally tried to applesauce trick and it worked. If they are big pills you can break the pill into pieces and then put it in applesauce. Yogurt works well too.

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5. 59

   Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years ago

   Sandra is right. The reason you would tuck your head to your chest is to avoid making a direct pathway to your lungs for the pills to follow. By tucking your head, you close off your airway - sort of - and by tilting your head back, you "open" your airway.
   
   That said, I have about 55 years experience taking pills on an almost daily basis. In addition to being a registered nurse, this makes me somewhat of an expert.
   
   I am probably not the average pill-taker because I am so accustomed to taking pills. My dad remarked to me that he was amazed at my pill-taking ability!
   
   What I do is place the pill on the back of my tongue and chase it immediately with a few drinks of water. Water really is the best fluid for taking pills with - soda can dissolve the pill before it reaches your stomach, potentially leading to irritation of your esophagus, and milk may be contraindicated with certain medications.
   
   You can also disguise pills in a bit of applesauce as someone suggested. This is the way pills are administered to the elderly or mentally disabled in nursing facilities. Other things you can place your pills in include peanut butter (I use this for giving my dogs pills), ice cream, pudding or yogurt.
   
   If the taste is offensive, give yourself a treat afterwards such as a piece of candy or spoonful of something tasty.
   
   If your pills are scored, that is they have a line on them for cutting them in half, you can cut them in half or break them in half to make them smaller, but do not do this with pills that are not scored or with capsules.

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6. 60

   cookies4breakfastposted 12 years ago

   I always take a sip of water, then I pop the pill with the water still in my mouth.  When I swallow the water, the pill slides down.  That way, I never have to taste the pill.

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7. 80

   procreate-lightposted 12 years ago

   I'm with Cookie, I take a sip of water, hold it at the back of my throat and relax, tilt my head and drop the pills into the puddle and swallow.  Works fine 99% of the time, if I gag and the pill gets stuck, I just drink water right away and it goes down.

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   1. 60

      crg7posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This is how I take pills, as well. Take a sip (don't swallow), tilt head back, insert pills, swallow, drink more water.

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8. 57

   Insane Mundaneposted 12 years ago

   I had that problem when I was a little kid, so I had to put them inside a spoon of jelly and it went right on down without any problem.
   Now, I have no problems swallowing pills without jelly, it is just that I usually try to stay away from them unless they are vitamins, herbs, fish oil or the occasional aspirin...  Anyway, try the jelly trick and see if it works for you or not...

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9. 66

   GypsyFootedWomanposted 12 years ago

   My oldest brother taught me this trick when I was pretty young and had a terrible time trying to take vitamins or medicine due to my sensitive gag reflex. He said just place the pill on the end of your tongue and immediately take a big gulp of water as though there is nothing in your mouth. Keep drinking like you would if you were super thirsty.
   
   It worked like magic to my younger self and was the first time I was ever able to swallow a pill. Now I just sort of pop the pill on my mouth and drink normally, but always pretending there is nothing there, it helps you relax your throat and swallow naturally. 
   
   I had tried the water in mouth then add the pill but I found that the pill would float and get stuck causing Chaos. I also tried with soft foods but again there was always the choking and gagging.   
   
   Hope that helps!

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10. 56

    sbp15posted 12 years ago

    You could try the product "Pill-Glide".  It comes in Orange, Strawberry, Grape, Peach, and Bubblegum.  It costs around $5 at the drugstore (no prescription required).  All you do is give a spritz on your tongue, then place the pill on your tongue, drink some water and the pill will slide right down.  A second spritz after you've swallowed takes away any unpleasant pill taste. 
    
    Using Pill-Glide allowed my 7 year old son to take an antibiotic that only comes in pill form.

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11. 76

    scarletquill99posted 11 years ago

    I take them with either orange juice or milk.  I use water if that's all I have with me at the time... but I hate the bitter taste that some tablets leave so I prefer any kind of flavoured drink that masks the taste somewhat.  I don't take many pills these days (except painkillers) but back when I was taking those massive vitamins (like horse tablets they are!) swallowing them with liquid was the only way I could manage them.  Also, some people recommend putting your head back but that actually closes your throat over so it's better to keep your head upright or even a tiny bit tilted forward if you have to.

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12. 59

    BChild75posted 10 years ago

    I place mine under my tongue, until the liquid I desire reaches it and than swallow it

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13. 59

    LensMan999posted 10 years ago

    If you have to have a big pill, it's better to cut it into 2 pieces and have it. Let your mouth be dry before having the pill. If the mouth is wet the taste of the pill will stop us from having it. So keep the pill in the dry tongue and drink a mouth full of water.

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