Teen dd needs to learn to take pills

Ruchel

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 10:33 am

Deep in the mouth, swallow with water? I think children learn this by repetition

amother

Smokey

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 10:33 am

child life specialists at hospitals are experienced in teaching kids this

can you call and ask them?

or some childlife website?

I remember them having kids practice with candy like kosher ones that look like m and m's

hatzlocha

(you can put it in chocolate pudding or jello or applesauce or yogurt or ice cream or something she likes on a spoon and she can swallow that down)

amother

Scarlet

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 10:34 am

Hmmm dunno what to tell you. DH couldn't swallow pills when we got married....

irrationalrose

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 10:40 am

She can try looking at her shoes while she swallows. It is counterintuitive but works.

Here's what google ays though
Researchers from the University of Heidelberg devised two techniques
The 'pill bottle' method was best for traditional 'chalky' tablets
People asked to put tablet in mouth and swallow water with sucking motion
'Lean forward' method used to help people swallow drugs in capsule form
Taking a sip of water people were asked to swallow while bent forward
A tablespoon of water, around 20ml, was found to be the most effective

from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/he......html

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 12:04 pm

My 6 year old swallows even large pills. She started out with applesauce, the thickness helps with swallowing. Now she can easily swallow them with just water.

Pandabeer

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 12:11 pm

When I was younger I also couldn't swallow pills. What helped me put the pill inthe beginning of tong look down and swallow with water

amother

Gold

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 12:46 pm

I still can't swallow with water..
I put in applesauce and cover it so I can't see it..
If I feel it, I gag

amother

Sapphire

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:05 pm

Yes to tipping your head forward. Some people find turning it to the side to be effective.

Also, some speech therapists do this. We found that dd had an issue with her tongue always mashing up and trapping the pill. Qe hae to train her out of that. It took a few months of sessions and now she takes even large pills.

amother

Linen

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:07 pm

I still can't swallow pills. I've done it a couple times but was a disaster each time and I basically take liquid meds. Took prenatal gummies too.

hanna2010

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:11 pm

My 15 yr old son desperately needs to learn how also, a pill he needs to take is not available in liquid- only a tablet. We’ve tried everything in the book including the special cup. He just gags and feels like he’s gonna throw up. Don’t know what to do? Get him hypnotized?? Seriously.
Should I consider OT?

Chayalle

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:16 pm

I remember one of my sisters had this challenge. She practiced swallowing a can of corn niblets, then graduated to swallowing pills.

amother

Sapphire

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:45 pm

hanna2010 wrote:

Speech, oral motor. Check in with a medical center outpatient speech department; I have found them to be more likely to have speech therapists who do this type of work. Unfortunately, sometimes very young kids need to be taught to swallow necessary medications when in the hospital.

amother

Emerald

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:47 pm

My 6 yr old dd learned to swallow with applesauce.

I learned to to do it while chewing any food, and right before I’m ready to swallow I stick in the pill and drink it down.

tryinghard

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 2:51 pm

Practice with M&Ms. It's how we taught my daughter to take them. Worst case with m&Ms, if it feels stuck, it tastes good. So the fear of the gross taste is gone.

amother

Sapphire

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 3:12 pm

tryinghard wrote:

Practice with M&Ms. It's how we taught my daughter to take them. Worst case with m&Ms, if it feels stuck, it tastes good. So the fear of the gross taste is gone.

They have mini M&M's, in the tube. Those are even better. My kids actually started with rainbow sprinkles and small grain of rice.

amother

Copper

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 3:19 pm

DH can't swallow pills. He got a pill crusher on Amazon to grind them up, then pours the powder into pudding and takes it that way. If a pill is time-release, this won't work, but otherwise, it gets the job done.

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 3:52 pm

Try it with crushed ice in a cup of water. Put a small piece if crushed ice in the cup and swallow it down with the water. They will get the feel of it and even if they get scared/cough it will just melt.

amother

Copper

Sun, Oct 14 2018, 4:31 pm

pesek zman wrote:

Pediatricians teach with straws

Can you please explain? How exactly do you learn to swallow pills using a straw?