Taking medication in pill format

[Anonymous]

Any tips for teaching tweens/teens to take medication in the form of a pill? Both of my kids still need chewables because they haven’t mastered swallowing a pill. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

We talk about the pill as a boat in water. Have them imagine the pill floating on the big sip of water in their mouth. Then they swallow the boat and water. I learned here the trick to have them practice with nerds—some are really tiny. Then work your way up to bigger ones.

[Anonymous]

Have then practice on tic tacs. If they can’t swallow it whole yet, have them suck on it until it’s smal enough that they can, and then have the practice on progressively larger ones.

[Anonymous]

I taught mine by saying to put the pill on his tongue and then swallow the water like the pill isn’t even there. Just drink like normal. I think “trying” makes it too complicated.

[Anonymous]

Mine could swallow food he doesn't like w/ a gulp of liquid so I told him to use that technique

[Anonymous]

Lightweight capsules: tilt head forward, so it floats to the back of the throat as you swallow with a mouthful of water.

Tablets/solid caplets: tilt head back, so it sinks to the back of your throat.

[Anonymous]

If at first you don't succeed, try, try (swallow) again.

[Anonymous]

OP, I learned this at 21 yrs old!

I couldn't take pills.

Here's what worked for me: Pudding! You take a spoonful of pudding (from those little cups), put the pill in and then put more pudding on the spoon. Your tongue and your brain will feel the nice SMOOTH surface of the pudding, and you throw it all down the hatch! I had to have pudding. It's how I've taught my kids too.

I then graduated to fizzy drinks -- helps give something else to "feel" (ie the fiz) vs. the pill.

Even now, I prefer to have a drink that has some flavor (like juice or milk) rather than just water. But, I'm much better. Of course, I've been at it for 30 yrs.

PUDDING IS THE ANSWER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I learned this at 21 yrs old!

I couldn't take pills.

Here's what worked for me: Pudding! You take a spoonful of pudding (from those little cups), put the pill in and then put more pudding on the spoon. Your tongue and your brain will feel the nice SMOOTH surface of the pudding, and you throw it all down the hatch! I had to have pudding. It's how I've taught my kids too.

I then graduated to fizzy drinks -- helps give something else to "feel" (ie the fiz) vs. the pill.

Even now, I prefer to have a drink that has some flavor (like juice or milk) rather than just water. But, I'm much better. Of course, I've been at it for 30 yrs.

PUDDING IS THE ANSWER.

My son can swallow pills, but for some reason he can’t swallow the magnesium pills he has been taking and he takes it with a spoonful of yogurt now.

[Anonymous]

Take with soda or anything with bubbles. Thanks to the camp nurse who taught my son to take pills!

[Anonymous]

15y DS takes his ADHD medication every morning with applesauce.

[Anonymous]

Swallowing tic tacs is what worked for my kids. Though dd will take pills without water which I don't like. She just forgets. So if you do tic tacs, have them swallow it, then drink some water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lightweight capsules: tilt head forward, so it floats to the back of the throat as you swallow with a mouthful of water.

Tablets/solid caplets: tilt head back, so it sinks to the back of your throat.

THIS IS THE ANSWER. Science!

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old used this pill taking cup for a month or two, and then was able to put the pill on his tongue (far back) and swallow it.

The cup was something like this:

https://www.livingstoneshop.com/products/oralflo-pill-swallowing-cup?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI24TD5Pe87wIVrtSzCh3-hgtpEAQYAyABEgK7zvD_BwE

[Anonymous]

Putting the pill on the back of my tongue doesn't work for me; makes me gag. I remember being frustrated as a kid being told that the back of the tongue was *the* way to do it...Let them figure out what works.