My son is 5 (almost 6) and was recently diagnosed with ADHD. He is currently taking Strattera. It is a capsule - cannot be chewed or broken to sprinkle over food. He tries so hard to take it, but it is really hard for him. Any suggestions?
When my children had to take pills whe nthey were little I would put them in a teaspoon of applesauce ot pudding. It may of taken a few tries at first because they knew it was there but it did help. Good Luck. MY husband actually has a piece of bread after taking medicine as he says it helps it go down easier and not get stuck.
I've always had problems swollowing pills. Apple sauce works great, because you don't have to chew it. Yogurt, or pudding etc. It slides right down in one gulp.
Best wishes!
I know my friend's son was diagnosed with ADHD and, one of the medicines is dosed in a transdermal patch. I know this was a concern for my friend's son who found it challenging to take a pill but would wear a patch. It may be something to ask the dr. or talk to your local Pharmacist, in situations like this, before talking to your dr. to see how well-tolerated the patch is and how it compares to your present medication and its effectiveness. Good luck to you.
My daughter had to take heart medication, although it was a pill and not a capsule, we put it on a tiny spoonful of orange sherbet every morning. She loved she got ice cream in the morning, and her sister did not. We also practiced with some small bits of cereal.
Maybe check with the doctor or pharmacy if there is something smaller than a capsule? Good luck to you!
Have your son put enough liquid in his mouth for only one swallow. Tilt his head back, open the mouth, drop the pill in and swallow. This method helps keep the pill from getting, "lost" and aids in it going straight down. Practice with tic tacs or ice chips too.
I refused to take pills as a small child and my dad would bribe me with a small scoop of ice cream. The first bite would have the pill. He would make sure I knew not to chew that bite as the pill was so bitter. Then I could enjoy the rest. Ice cream slides right down the gullet. Mary Poppins always said a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down. We weren't very health conscious back then.
I'm a rep for Juice PLUS+ and when children take our capsules (instead of the Gummies or Chewables), I recommend them putting the pill in the child's mouth and having them drink liquid through a straw. Should go right down.
K.
I had my 9 year old tilt his head back after putting water in his mouth so he could drop his pill, only when he swallowed the water, he caught his pill with his tongue and held it there. So, I think I will try something else tomorrow morning.
I found a bunch of useful methods of taking meds on this site:
http://www.squirreltales.com/parents/medicine.html
Good luck!
Hi K.,
I'm a speech-language pathologist and a Mary Kay consultant so your message sparked an interest. I work with a lot of people with swallowing difficulties. People frequently recommend applesauce, however I encourage you to try pudding, mashed potatoes or something more cohesive. This will maintain it's form around the pill and your five year old will probably not even notice it is there. These textures should be smooth (requiring no chewing so they don't find the pill) without texture but slightly thicker than applesauce so they will not slide off the pill. Good luck! :)
Sincerely,
A.
PS: Ice cream sometimes works, but because it melts in your mouth due to the increase in body temperature it loses its form around the pill and the child then tastes the flavor of the pill.
