Learning to Take Capsules

[carnation]

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?

[Lady Pi Phi]

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.

[OrigamiTulip]

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.

[swissmiss04]

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.

[Kevin]

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.

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally posted by BetaRose
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.

To this day I still take pills that way.

[aephi alum]

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!

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".

[33girl]

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.

[WCUgirl]

Originally posted by Lil' Hannah
To this day I still take pills that way.

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.

[ZTAngel]

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.

[ZTAMich]

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.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by 33girl
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.

The iron pills they gave me were as tiny as a birth control pill, but they were so hard to get down. It was like they were heavy and would weigh down in my throat.

I can take Motrin, Advil, Zyrtec, and Aleve as long as I take it with pop (anything that fizzes) and I, too, hold it in my mouth and then stick the pill in. I can take birth control pills normally tho but one time I tried to take it with water and just couldn't get it down. I have normal swallowing problems anyways... sometimes it's hard for me to even swallow food.

My doctors always laugh at me cuz I ask for liquid. I was even taking chewable Triaminic for my allergies. But it's graet cuz I get to take the pink medicine when I'm sick!

[GeekyPenguin]

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

[IowaStatePhiPsi]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Like everyone else said - applesauce. If I was really bad they gave me ice cream instead.

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

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by IowaStatePhiPsi
quit making me hungry.
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?