Taking pills

[mommyatty]

DS is about to change ADHD meds. His old one isn’t working anymore. The new one is a capsule he can swallow or we can sprinkle into applesauce or yogurt. But I can’t find anyone who knows how it tastes. I really wish we could figure out how to teach him to swallow pills but so far nothing works. He can’t even swallow a teeny mini M&M. So anyone have a trick beyond “start with something small”? It’s like he’s hyper focused that this thing is in his mouth and he can’t just forget about it and swallow the liquid with the pill in it.

[waverly]

Not really. I just had them throw them as far back into the throat as possible and drink a lot of water quickly enough to swallow it.

[rere]

For whatever reason, dd, when she finally could take a pill (at 13), she could only take them with a fizzy coke.

[mae0111]

I could NOT swallow pills when I was a kid - like, until I was 15 or so. It was pretty ridiculous. I put it as far back in my throat as possible, then a ton of water.

My kids both learned early how to do it because they can't stand the taste of any liquid medicine. They both fill their mouths up with whatever liquid they're drinking and then put the pill in.

DD2 sprinkles her Vyvanse on yogurt. She said she can't taste it at all.

[k3am]

DS figured out pills at 6. DD finally figured it out at 10. We do the sip, pill, sip method. We also had them "practice" with garlic pills vs actual medication, since I figured if they swallowed it, great, if they didn't, no loss.

We spent years sprinkling medication into applesauce though with no issue. If it's a suggested method by your doctor or pharmacist, I'm sure the taste isn't too egregious.

[AdaraMarie]

My older kid figured it out when she got tired of the taste of her adhd meds that she was chewing (gag). My younger kid really wants to be able to do it so she doesn't have to take liquid meds to camp, but she can't do it yet, so I would like tips too.

[mommyatty]

k3am- when DS was on Adderall, they had us sprinkle it in yogurt, which he loved. He hasn’t eaten yogurt since because according to adults who’ve had to take it, it tastes like how tires on fire smell. It literally was a fight every day and a lot of times he vomited it in the sink.

mae0111- here’s hoping it’s like the Vyvanse! I’m hopeful since you find complaints about Adderall’s taste online and I haven’t found anything about Jornay!

[mustardseed2007]

My kid is chewing his medicine a little and swallowing it. He used to wrap it in bread but now skips the bread. But I'm pretty sure he's not straight swallowing it, he's chewing it once or twice and then swallowing it. Which tastes gross but he just does it.

[mommyatty]

May 30, 2024 15:42:50 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

My kid is chewing his medicine a little and swallowing it. He used to wrap it in bread but now skips the bread. But I'm pretty sure he's not straight swallowing it, he's chewing it once or twice and then swallowing it. Which tastes gross but he just does it.

This is my greatest fear. It’s a slow extended release med, so if he chews it, he will overdose. He can’t chew it!

[erbear]

My kid learned to swallow a pill by using a straw

[kitty]

With my son we had luck with the Oroflow pill swallowing cup. I ordered it on Amazon and it was more expensive than it seemed like it should have been but it did the trick. He very quickly graduated to a regular cup but somehow this cup is what made it click.

My daughter preferred to fill her mouth with water and then stuff the pill in through her pursed lips and then tilt back her head and do a big swallow.

[sdlaura]

I couldn't swallow pills at all as a kid and my parents crushed up my allergy meds in the spring in applesauce. DD just recently started swallowing pills (she's almost 12). She just decided to one day. So I have no good advice!

[macmars45]

DS' allergy meds: one gets wrapped in bread and the other gets crushed into a cookie. Every day 9 months of the year. Allergies suck.

I'm no help.

[smock]

We sprinkled ADHD meds in chocolate pudding and never had a problem with taste. Good luck!

[186momx]

I finally figured out how to swallow pills at 24 and still have issues with capsule style pills. I need a thicker liquid like OJ to swallow capsule pills but have graduated to water for everything else.

[Saudade]

I don't "go" here but I somehow stumbled upon this post

I learned a pro-tip from a pharm tech patient the other day.

If you have a capsule medication, it works easier to swallow if you tip your head forward/down and then swallow

If you have a tablet medication, it works easier to tip your head back and then swallow. 

I tried it with my vyvanse the other day and it worked so much better!

[livinitup]

My DD was very anti-swallowing pills. She only succeeded when I stopped trying to help.

Very much a pre-teen “F off, I’ll do it myself” victory.

How does he learn best? On his own, one on one, in a group? Maybe get various sized candies, various liquids, apple sauce, yogurt. Let him tell you.

[mommyatty]

livinitup, he generally wants a lot of hand-holding. He’s said he just wants to sprinkle it on yogurt for now.

Poor guy. I was a middle-aged adult before I could swallow pills easily without a ton of gagging and drama. So I get why it’s hard and that he’s trying his best.

[whattheheck]

May 30, 2024 16:00:42 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

May 30, 2024 15:42:50 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

My kid is chewing his medicine a little and swallowing it. He used to wrap it in bread but now skips the bread. But I'm pretty sure he's not straight swallowing it, he's chewing it once or twice and then swallowing it. Which tastes gross but he just does it.

This is my greatest fear. It’s a slow extended release med, so if he chews it, he will overdose. He can’t chew it!

Serious question - how is chewing it and breaking the capsule different than opening the capsule and sprinkling it into food?

[mommyatty]

Jun 7, 2024 14:30:34 GMT -5 whattheheck said:

May 30, 2024 16:00:42 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

This is my greatest fear. It’s a slow extended release med, so if he chews it, he will overdose. He can’t chew it!

Serious question - how is chewing it and breaking the capsule different than opening the capsule and sprinkling it into food?

They’re not supposed to bite into/break open the little spheres of medicine that are inside the capsule. That’s why they say put it in applesauce, yogurt, or pudding. Something you don’t chew before swallowing.