People of all ages can have trouble swallowing pills due to a psychological or physical problem. Some medications are needed daily to manage delicate medical conditions and if a person is unable to swallow his pills, it can cause serious complications. You can achieve medication compliance and swallow pills easier by learning some simple tips.
Change the Texture
Split the pill in half or crush it with a spoon and mix the powder in pudding. The pudding can help cover up the taste of the pill. Consult with your pharmacist or physician before splitting or crushing any pills. Certain pills are designed to release medication at certain times and crushing or splitting these pills can release too much of the medication in your system at once.
Drink Liquid
Sip a small amount of liquid, such as water, juice or milk, and then place the pill in your mouth toward the back of your tongue. Tilt your head slightly up while swallowing the pill and liquid. Avoid taking your pills with grapefruit juice since this type of juice can interact with different medications.
Disguise the Taste
Chew a bite of food such as a banana or bread, but don’t swallow. Place the pill in your mouth and use your tongue to mix it with the food. Swallow the food normally. You can also place a bite of pudding or a spoonful of chocolate syrup in your mouth, but don’t swallow. Place the pill in your mouth. Swirl the pill and the pudding or syrup around in your mouth until the pill is covered in the substance and then swallow.
Change the Form
Ask your pharmacist or physician for a liquid, chewable, suppository or sublingual version of your medication. A liquid version of medication is easily swallowed by itself or after mixed with another liquid. A suppository medication is inserted into your rectum where the medication dissolves and is absorbed by the body. A sublingual medication is a small tablet that is placed under the tongue where it dissolves and is absorbed by the body through the blood supply under the tongue.
Assistive Devices
Use a device such as the Ezy Dose Pill Taker’s Cup or the Oralflo Pill Swallowing Cup to help the pills go down easier. Both assistive devices have a special area that you place the pill. Place the device against your lips and then tilt the device and your head back as you take a drink. The pill flows down your throat with the liquid.
Considerations
If the person is a stroke survivor and has a noticeably weaker side of his body, place the pill on the side of the mouth that corresponds to his stronger side. Give the person a sip of water to help swallow the pill.
References
- Palmetto Health: Not So Hard To Swallow Tips for Swallowing Pills
- Amazon.com: Ezy Dose Pill Taker’s Cup
- “Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing: Third Edition”; Adrianne Dill Linton PhD RN & Nancy K. Maebius PhD RN; 2003
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