I have had a traumatic near death experience once but it wasn't swallowing pills.I was eating a snow cone and i sucked out a chunk of ice and choked on it..So to this day i don't swallow anything without chewing it.Most of my prescribed medicines are in pills though i tell my doctors i cant swallow them.This is really killing me that i cant swallow pills when i need them and their is no fluid(becuase of age/health).I need something that will help me.When i try to swallow a pill my tounge just holds it up away from my throat.If it helps any i haven't thrown up in years either.Nothing goes in or out through my throat without my consent basically.Could this be something serious???
I think some people naturally find it harder than others to swallow stuff like that. It took me ages to train myself when I first had to. I think they might offer some help in learning to beat your gag reflex. In the short term I would still ask for chewable pills. FWIW I always swallow with fluid anyway. Ask if they can help you.
So u can't swallow at all or just w/out liquid? My friend has problems, she shoots the pill back, tilts her head and then swallows (kinda all in one motion). You could also try what people do to animals, stick it in their mouth, and blow on their face. *shrug* ps: pills w/out water is never recommended because water acts as a buffer and an agents that pushes it down the throat w/out getting caught.
I have a tough time swallowing pills too. What I do is I chew up some food first then push the pill into the centre of the chewed up food, then it's easy it feels just like eating. You could try that and see if it helps.
No ... I was the same for a long time. I can only take tablets with fluid. I think this is the safest way anyway, as some tablets have a coating that cause it to stick on the tissue of the oesophagus. For tablets (those that have a bit of weight in them), I take a mouthful of fluid, tip my head back, open my mouth, drop the tablet to the back of my throat swallow quick. Generally I can't feel them ... which is good. For big 'horse' tablets, I need a big mouthful of water/juice, etc. I still have problems with capsules. They don't drop, because of the airpocket in the capsule itself, they float. I still haven't found a way round these ones, I end up 'puking' these back up ... that damned gag reflex. I tell my doctors pharmacist that wherever possible, I can't swallow capsules, can they give me an alternative.
Pharmacies sell pill crushers. Or you can try a pill splitter to make the pills smaller.
