Learning to Take Capsules
 

Mr. C. and I have successfully taught 12 of the 13 kids to take capsules. However, the 8-year-old has put us through hell with this--gagging and choking--and we can NOT keep this up with her daily pill!

Does anyone have any tips for learning to take capsules?

Is there anyway you can sut it in half. It might make it easier.
Also, swallowing them with a large glass of water helps. I remember when I was first diagnosed with diabetes the doctors also made me take potassium pills because I wasn't getting enough. They were giant horse pills. The only thing that worked for me was to drink lots and lots of water with it to help it go down.

It might not be the size of the pill that's the issue here. It might be the fact that she has to take medication at all.
Depending on what she's taking it for, you might be able to scare her into taking it with all the nasty things that could happen if she doesn't.

I never learned to take them the 'normal' way. I've always just taken a small sip of liquid, held it, tipped my head back, and dropped the pills into the liquid, then swallowed. If I try to take them any other way, I'll gag. it may be different, but it works for me, and may work for your daughter if she can't take pills without gagging.

When I was little I had the same problem. Finally my dad came up with the idea to put the capsule in a spoon of applesauce (in the middle of the spoon) and make me take the whole bite. The thickness of the applesauce kind of helped push the capsule down. Another thing to try is to have her put the pill towards the back of her tongue and then start drinking water thru a straw. It seems to work every time.

Can't help you. I've always been able to take any kind of pill without any kind of liquid to wash it down.

Parents used to give me those gigantic vitamin pills when I was younger. I guess I just learned to get it over with.

To this day I still take pills that way.

Try telling her that if she doesn't take her capsule every day, she will be getting her medication via a daily injection (whether or not the meds are actually available in that form). If she's scared of needles, she'll happily take her pill! :p

Seriously, what works for me is lots and lots of water. Occasionally one of my morning vitamin caplets will stick in my throat, but it goes down if I chug enough H2O.

Also, Lady Pi Phi is right on about explaining to your daughter about all the bad things that will happen to her if she doesn't take her meds. Even with vitamins, you can say things like "your bones will be weak" and "your immune system won't be as strong, so you'll get sick more".

I couldn't take pills for a very long time so when I had anemia at 13 they gave me LIQUID IRON. That is every bit as disgusting as it sounds. So, I went to the horse pills, which we stuck in a spoonful of ice cream so I could get it down.

I took baby aspirin till I was 15, so with some people it just takes a little longer to get the swing of things.

Me too! Learning how to swallow pills was one of the worst things I went through. My mom did the whole scaring me into taking it thing, and that just freaked me out even more b/c I thought something horrible was going to happen to me.

I was taking children's Tylenol until I was 14. I graduated to children's swallowable Tylenol when I was 15 but still had trouble with it. I don't have any advice as to what to do. It will just take time. Even now, I have trouble with bigger capsules. The tiny Advil or Aspirin pills don't bother me. When I had pneumonia a few months ago, I had to take an antibiotic that a horse would probably have trouble swallowing. It would take me about 5 sips of water to choke it down and this was after it disinegrated a bit in my mouth leaving an awful taste that we cause me to gag for about an hour.

When I was 5 I had to take a capsule and had so much trouble with it. My mom hid it in applesauce. I eventually would swallow the pill as I was eating the applesauce.

Like everyone else said - applesauce. If I was really bad they gave me ice cream instead. ;)

quit making me hungry. :mad:
I can't buy groceries until after I move on August 1st. :(

If it cheers you up, I have pickles, popsicles, and a chicken patty in my apartment right now. Who's eating Subway all week off their meal card?

Crush it and sniff it.

-Rudey
--My dad made me keep taking the same damn pill until I learned and let me tell you it sucked, but it worked.

I still have to take medicine with lots of water or (preferrably) food. I even have a hard time if I try and take them with just water but I can usually get them down.

Applesause is one good way. Pudding is another. Also, you may want to check with the label/your doctor...If it's a med that is able to be crushed or broken up, you can easily do that and pu it in a bite of anything really.

this worked with one of my friends.


fill your mouth almost completely with water and then put the pill in your mouth. (you'll look goofy, i know) then swallow the water in one or two gulps max (a lot of little gulps won't work as effectively). when you're swallowing so much water you won't even notice the pill in your mouth.

Eight is young to be taking capsules. Do they have the medicine in chewable or liquid form? My mother used jelly or ice cream instead of applesauce, but it's the same theory. I didn't take pills until I was ten or twelve. My sister had to take a few pills daily from the time that she was little due to her allergies, sinus problems, and asthma.

Maybe you can train her. You can sit down and take a pill with her. (Your medicine, not hers.) Show her how it is done, and do it with her daily. You two will have your own private routine. Everyday that she takes her pill, give her a gold star. After ten gold stars, she gets a small reward like a toy or time alone with mommy. Training should be about positive reinforcement, not punishment. Kids get really anxious about things like this, and parents can be a big comfort if they can remain calm. Eventually, it will become routine.

I used to have to take pills when I was that young. I had a lot of trouble. At first, my mom would empty the capsule into a glass and then make chocolate milk or Ovaltine in it. Then I would have to drink the whole thing.

Then, I just had to learn to swallow them. I still have trouble swallowing pills, especially if they are big, like antibiotics or vitamins!

I take big pills with orange juice because the taste of a dissolving pill in addition to the size of a pill will set off my gag reflex. With orange juice, the taste is masked.

My dad says that if you have to swallow a really huge pill, you should put the pill on your tongue, take a big sip of whatever liquid and then turn your head like you are looking to your side and tilt your head up when you swallow. I have yet to try this.

Re: Learning to Take Capsules
 

Generally, the biggest thing to get over in swollowing pills is fear of choking, and not the physical act of swollowing something in a chunk (because you do that all the time!). Start her out with a non-threatenening thing like mini-M&M's. She can't be afraid of putting M&M's into her mouth can she? Have her try swollowing the mini's first, then when she can do that, give her Skittles or regualr M&M's. After she can do that, try the pills.

Re: Re: Learning to Take Capsules
 

That's so true. When I was younger I had no problem swallowing pills and could often do it without water. But then in high school, I choked on a chicken nugget (classic) and ever since I've had a hard time taking pills.

That's how I do it now. It looks silly, but it works.

My mom used to crush up the pill or break it apart (depending on what type of capsule it was), cut a banana vertically, and sprinkled the nedicine in the crack. I ate the banana and couldn't really tell. I will admit that I didn't like bananas for a while after, but it worked.

Re: Re: Learning to Take Capsules
 

Oh that's good. I like the idea of M&M's and Skittles.

I did applesauce growing up becasue the asthma meds I used to have to take were way too big. (this was pre-inhaler days). The dr. said the applesauce was fine.

Just check with the dr. Good luck!

I take huge horsepills and I normally do it one of two ways:
hold it between my front teeth and when I drink the water it just goes down or I put it on my tongue and then use my teeth to slide it as far back as possible.

She has to take a pill everyday? Poor thing! For what?:(

The applesauce thing works though.