Do you gag when you take a pill?

darli ann

darli ann

Cathlete
Just wondering if anyone here has a suggestion for swallowing a pill if you're a gagger? My sis is fighting cancer and part of her chemo treatment is a pill she has to take twice a day. Recently she started gagging on it but she HAS to take it. Anyone have any ideas that she might try? (the pills can't be diluted and drank, I already suggested that:()
Thanks for ANY suggestions!
 
We just bought a cup called a "pill taker's cup" on ebay. (Haven't used it yet, DH read about it...we're trying to teach our older kids to take pills instead of liquid meds.) It has a little "shelf" on the inside where you put the pill, then you fill the cup with water, drink it, and the pill goes down with the water.

Since we haven't used it yet, I can't say for sure how well it works, but it wasn't too expensive. Probably worth a try!

Sorry to hear about your sis...sending (((hugs))) and healing vibes to her and your family!
 
I always have to take a few sips first and then pop the pill toward the back of my throat and take a huge guzzle of liquid. It helps.


Send your sis a hug from the gang.
 
My 10-y.o. DD has to take capsule pills, and every week I give all of my kids acidophilus pills to take. Our trick is to eat something, take a bite of the food, chew it up, and then before they swallow to place the pill in their mouth and swallow with a drink of something. Food and pill all go down w/o gagging. Of course the kid approach is to proudly display all of the chewed up food and be as gross as possible, but it does work.
 
If the pill can be crushed, you can mix it with something. My dad mixes crushed pills with applesauce.

I hope your sister responds well to treatment.

Erica
 
I suspect with chemo these pills cannot be crushed. Sometimes you just have to figure out a way to down the horse pills. I think Catherine's idea of pudding or sorbet might work, especially since those things are more agreeable on an upset stomach (which I suspect your sis might be experiencing.)
 
The trick that works for me is laying on your back on the couch and rest your head on the arm of the couch. So, you are maybe at a 45 degree angle and put the pill in your mouth and take a drink. I had to do this when I was taking glucosamine pills and I couldn't get them down any other way.
 
Darlene, sorry to hear about your sis having to go through chemo. My mother in law just had a port installed in her chest for her chemo. I hate taking pills myself. I take 8 a day of supplements and it is always a production for me. My kids always laugh at me and ask why I do it to which I always respond they're good for me. I always have a banana and juice when I have mine it just makes the taste go away and I try very hard to not overthink taking them. Sometimes, I find that it is a mind over matter thing. Hope your sis feels better. Gosh it just seems like everyone knows someone who has or had cancer. I hope all goes well.
 
Hey, that's a nice variety of suggestions and I sent them all to her so maybe this evening she can try one of them. I agree that gagging is often a mind over matter thing.

Years ago I was a dental assistant and we were taught to ask patients to "raise a foot in the air" when we had trays or something in their mouth that was causing them to gag. Sounds corny, but when their brain was busy thinking about that foot in the air they tended to forget about the gag reflex for a moment. (I really hated to tell Barb to just raise her foot in the air and swallow! but she's a character and I'm sure she'll laugh and try it anyway.)

Thank you sooo much for the suggestions and kind words!:)
 
I personally don't have a gag reflect at all. It comes in handy sometimes. ;)

I had to teach my DD to take pills two years ago though, and man, was that a production. What she has to do is tip her head back, put the pill way at the back of her throat, dry swallow it then drink a bunch of liquid. We tried all the other suggestions, but she came up with this method on her own and it works for her.
 
darli ann said:
Hey, that's a nice variety of suggestions and I sent them all to her so maybe this evening she can try one of them. I agree that gagging is often a mind over matter thing.

Years ago I was a dental assistant and we were taught to ask patients to "raise a foot in the air" when we had trays or something in their mouth that was causing them to gag. Sounds corny, but when their brain was busy thinking about that foot in the air they tended to forget about the gag reflex for a moment. (I really hated to tell Barb to just raise her foot in the air and swallow! but she's a character and I'm sure she'll laugh and try it anyway.)

Thank you sooo much for the suggestions and kind words!:)
Click to expand...

Yes!! The foot thing really does work! I gag very easily and needed impressions for a crown. They told me to wiggle my feet and I was so busy thinking about my foot that I didn't gag once:)

On taking pills, I had a dr tell me one time to take a big drink and tilt my head forward rather than backward. The pill pushes back toward the throat and all you need to do is swallow. Works best with capsules that float. I also just read in a magazine that someone recommended dipping the pill in olive oil to make it slide down easier. Never tried it but maybe that would be an option if the pill is chalky and hard to swallow.

JJ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top