swallowing pills

[donnia]

I have never been good at swallowing pills.  Over the years I have gotten better, but still gag on vitamins.  They are WAY to big for me.  Imagine my shock when my doctor put me on potassium pills (mine is low!) and they were huge.  I'm not talking horse pills here.... I'm talking elephant pills!  I broke it in half and still threw up trying to take it..... so doc calls in something else.... it is like an Alka Seltzer, it fizzzzzzes and dissolves in water, then you drink it.... tastes nasty... you say... just hold your nose and guzzle it... no can do... gotta sip it over a 5 to 15 minute period... GROSS... but do-able.  But this got me to thinking.... while on dialysis do you have to take honker pills?  What about after transplant, what size are the pills.....!!!???!??!?!  This has me pretty nervous

[tamara]

Hi Donnia,

Have taken plenty of gaggers over the years !

With the new drug prescribed that fizzes, why dont you ad cordial or i think you guys call it cool aid to the water , hopefully will mask the taste.

Hope this helps.

Tamara xxx ooo 

[jbeany]

When I was a kid, I couldn't swallow pills, either.  My mother bought me a bag of M&M's and told me to practice swallowing them whole.  It works - I've used the trick on a few others I know who had trouble with pills as well.  You can also try taking them with a spoonful of applesauce - that helps them go down fast.

None of the meds I'm for dialysis is exceptionally large.  Nephcaps and Sensipar are pretty small.  Renegels and Phoslo aren't tiny, but not too bad.

[Adam_W]

All of my pills are "average" size except my Renagel. I could effectively use those things as full-size slingshot ammo. I have to chug half an 8oz cup of water just to get those monsters down.

Adam

[keefer51]

I have had problems swallowing the big pill. Sometimes i put bread over it and try it that way. When i was 11 and got out of the hospital i was told to drink craneberry juice 3 times a day. I used to cry and throw it up all the time. My father finally figured out that grapefruit juice cut the taste. When i had my transplant in 92 i was given syclosporin which was in a gel cap there were different dosages so the larger one were a bit hard but i got used to it. The small little prednisone was the worst. If that got stuck in your throat it tasted like crap. I think the meds have changed for a transplant.

[Chicken Little]

Caltrate are the only ones that I have trouble with.   Those edges just get stuck on the roof of my mouth.   

[Laurie]

I have the same problem. I'm also on potassium pills. I take 20 MEQ twice a day. The last time my Doctor wrote the prescription, he messed up and wrote it for 10 MEQ, so now I take two of those twice a day. They are alot smaller and easier to get down. Maybe you could ask him about that?

[RichardMEL]

I don't have a problem taking the larger pills.. I just swallow them down with a gulp of water. I usually take 4 ALU-TAB at a go, and they are pretty big... perhaps a little larger than Caltrate. The thing I hated about Caltrate (which I am now off, thank god!) is that they didn't just want me to swallow them (I had no problem with that) but having to crush them in my mouth with the food for the best effect. Oh My God. That chalky disgusting taste just ruined whatever else I was eating and usually stayed in my mouth for ages afterwards... yuck!

So glad I am off those!

[angela515]

I never had any trouble swallowing pills. I usually swallow a handful at a time.. I just get out my morning meds and shove them all in my mouth and gulp of water and there down. I been taking pills since a kid, so I have had practice, lol.

[Sluff]

I never had any trouble swallowing pills. I usually swallow a handful at a time.. I just get out my morning meds and shove them all in my mouth and gulp of water and there down. I been taking pills since a kid, so I have had practice, lol.

Your talented.     whoops! did I type that out loud?

[angela515]

 

[jasperkat]

My hubby uses applesauce.  Works for him but not for me!

[livecam]

Often times I'll build up some saliva and that will be enough to get them down.  If not a little water will do it.

[skyedogrocks]

Rob has a hard time swallowing pills also.  One of his dialysis nurses gave him this trick.  When you put the pills and water in your mouth, tip your head down so that they are floating and then swallow.  I tried this and it works great!  I have these huge vitamin pills and I use that technique for those.

[del]

Hubby does the same as Angela515 puts all he has to take in his hand and swalows them all the one time. When he was on renagel he would swallow the 3 of them at once.

[Amanda From OZ]

Like Angela and Del's hubby I'm also talented!  I usually swallow all 5 morning tablets in one big Gulp... !

[MyssAnne]

I'm gonna revive this thread, since I have a question related to swallowing. As you know, I was sick with MSSA
4 weeks ago, and am STILL getting over it. BUT!! I AM back to work!!

My problem. I cannot swallow my pills comfortably any more. Forget the vitamin pill (Folbee)!!
I used to have no trouble popping them in my mouth, gulp of water, and done.

Now, I take 1-2 (have 5 to take), BIG gup of water, then wait a few minutes then take the others.

For some reason my gag reflex is highly sensitized (threw up a lot while sick). Is there any way to
desensitize it?

Heck, I can't even eat much any more. Certain foods when put in my mouth will just cause the
gag reflex to activate.

What does my nurse say?  It's part of the healing process. Oh please!!! I want a definite answer, darn it!!!

[KICKSTART]

The only suggestion i have is one that my gran used on me when i was little! If the tablet is NOT a capsule , then crush it between two spoons carefully and mix a little jam in with it , then just swallow the (teaspoon) of jam with the crushed tablet in it , you may get a bit of a bitter taste from the tablet but it doesnt make you gag!

[MyssAnne]

mmm!! jam!!!! Heck, as long as I don't gag. If I don't gag, I dont throw up. I just hate thiis. 

I'm gonna try that. They're all solids, so I should be able to crush them, and try that trick!
Thanks, Kickstart!

[oswald]

desensitize the swallowing reflex?    hmmmmmm  i don't know.  lets see, maybe you can.........no, i just can't say       

[oswald]

dear lord please forgive me and bless everyone.  amen

[MyssAnne]

LOL!!! I recognize that Oswald!!!! I'm a Redneck fan myself!!!!  Hey. Isn't there a spray out there?
Seriously, for something like this? Heck. What's the spray for sore throats? Wonder if that would
work.

[oswald]

chloroseptic spray.  comes in that horrible cherry flavor.  try that it might work.

[MyssAnne]

yeah!!!  as long as it works, I don't care about the taste. I am getting so desperate,
it's EVERY DAY.  Enough is enough, darn it!!

[oswald]

good luck.