Swallowing Pills - Mount Laurel,NJ

I suggest you just give him the pill whole and try to teach him how to swallow it. He can practice with M&M's or Jelly Belly's. That way he learns how to do it.

You might try putting the pill on the back of his tongue then give him a big spoon of applesauce to push it down.

If it's a capsule he can lean forward then take a drink. The pill will float to the back of his throat and go down much easier.

I think that they could have given him a shot to help the antibiotic along at the office though.

have him swallow with soda. a pharmacist told me this. the bubbles help to trick the back of the tongue.

still a fight with my 11 year old but he can do it. but the 9 year old can swallow pills like a champ now. have used this with both of them.

Hmmm.
My daughter was the exact opposite. She literally REFUSED to take anything in liquid form because no matter how they flavored it, she absolutely hated the taste. Thankfully, I discovered that she would take a pill any day. From the time she was 3, she was swallowing pills like a pro. No crying, gagging, fussing.......

I'm an adult and am currently taking lots of pills for pneumonia. Some of them are pretty big. Do I like it? NO. But really, you swallow one, drink liquids, it's over.

Your son is 10. He's of an age to reason with him. The brief, crappy taste of a pill is necessary to help him get well. I would guess that part of the problem is that he's never swallowed a pill before. He's going to have to learn to do it someday.

My advice is to try not to buy into the drama of it. It's a pill. You aren't asking him to eat a dirt sandwich. He can pop the pill in the back of his throat, take a big gulp of juice, water, whatever, and get the job done. The longer he keeps the pill in his mouth, the more it will dissolve and taste horrible.
I don't advise using anything bubbly, unless it's the only way he will do it, and the reason I say that is that the bubbles might make him burp up the icky taste of the pill. You certainly want to avoid that.

I hope I don't sound like I'm uncaring, because I'm not. My daughter used to fight, spit, scream, bite........until the doctor let her have a pill instead of liquid. It was a swallow and it was over. And she was LITTLE.

Your son is old enough that you can be matter of fact with him and he can understand you.
Are pills fun? NO
Do they taste good? NO
Can they be hard to swallow? YES
Is it the end of the world? NO

Would he rather just have a shot and get it over with?

He may have a very hyper sensitive gag reflex. But, if the kid can wolf down a couple of hot dogs or pieces of pizza, he can swallow a pill.

Encourage him and let him know that he can do it.

He's going to have to learn at some point.

Very best wishes to you and I hope he's better soon.

It is hard trying to teach kids how to swallow pills. Both my boys fill their mouth with water, pop the pill in, then swallow. I'm not sure I could do that, but it works for them.

I'd crush the pill totally and mix it into a spoonful of applesauce; then follow with a juice or soda chaser.

We crush pills all the time in the hospital, even ones that say "do not crush."

I have a HORRIBLE time swallowing pills. Even little Ibuprofen and B.C. Pills can make me gag. What I have to do is use either milk or Orange juice. It is thicker than water and helps me get the pill down easier. Poor kid!

I would think that switching to a liquid form of the same meds would not be a problem, though.

IF you are going to try to get him to swallow the pills, make sure he drinks water before putting the pill onto the back of his tongue. It really makes a difference if you mouth is moistened first. My ten year old recently had a pretty large antibiotic she had to swallow and though they have a bitter taste it did help to cut them in half. But she prefers pills to any liquid these days.

Can you try "training" him to swallow pills by first working with tic-tacs (they are small), and working up to bigger items like m & m's or jelly beans?

You can either try swallowing with liquids, or putting the "pill" on a spoonful of applesauce... that might help... just have him try to swallow a spoonful of applesauce without a pill, then try it with it. Try with small tic-tacs.....

That might not help now, but after this strep episode, work with him several times a day on smaller "pills", trying different techniques, until he can swallow them more easily.

I hate the taste of liquid medicines... I would MUCH rather take a pill.... I can swallow several pills at a time with no problem, and rarely need much water.

I have an 18 year old that still can't swallow pills! And we've tried 'training' when she was little. Tried mini-M&M's in apple sauce, and other things. She'd somehow roll the applesauce around in her mouth until she found the M&M, now soft and melty, and start gagging. I'd get so upset with her and point out she'd swallow bigger pieces of pizza! She does not have any other sensory issues or anything like that so it is purely mind over matter. BUT the more upset I was with her over something seemingly so easy, the harder it was.

Thankfully, she is rarely sick. And the more we talk to people and tell our story, the more I find out that it really is not that unusual.

I'd say ask your doctor and change the medicine. It really won't be that big of deal.

Changing to a liquid form should not cause any problems.

If he decides to swallow the pill, try the following:
drink several sips of water to lubricate the throat, then fill the mouth with water, add the pill and swallow

A couple of things to try:

One of the problems a lot of people face with pills is the feeling of the pill on their tongue, even if it's in applesauce or pudding. It makes them gag. Try putting the pill inside your cheek and then taking a drink or a spoonful of applesauce and then swallowing.

Another: people tend to raise their heads when swallowing a pill, which elongates and stretches out the throat and makes it a little smaller. Try putting the pill in your mouth and then lowering your chin towards your chest while swallowing.

One more: eat a Saltine or other mild small cracker. Chew it but don't swallow it yet. Just before swallowing, put the pill in and swallow the pill and cracker crumbs.

You can change to a liquid without a problem. Those pills are huge! My mother could never swallow pills and my son has problems if they are very big. Let's not traumatize him!

Aww, this is awful! I think you are on the right track with trying to get a liquid. I don't remember though, but I think the liquid of that is really gross?? You should ask when you call the doctor or call the pharmacist first maybe. They can add flavoring at the pharmacy for like $2 extra and it's totally worth it. They will tell you which flavors taste the best, I think it's bubble gum.

I had a series of strep issues and finally went to an ENT. He said that sometimes the strep will colonize in a person and never really ever get killed, despite the medications, which might explain if your son has multiple runs of "strep throat" in just a matter of weeks or months. I eventually had to get mine removed about two years ago and it was pretty horrible! So, I might consider seeing a specialist if he gets it again soon and discussing your options. Of course you don't want him to have surgery, but the younger you get your tonsils out the better...trust me!!

Try placing it in a banana. If it doesn't work, then you will have to get the liquid and start from scratch.

You would not be changing treatment. He's now getting Ceftin in pill form. He'd then be getting it in a liquid form. The treatment is the same.

My granddaughter also fills her mouth with water first and then slips in the pill. I've found that I can take multiple pills at once by filling my mouth with water. The more water there is the easier it is for the pills to float to the back of the mouth.

If the doctor is willing to change to liquid then I'd do that. It's difficult for some people to swallow pills and since his throat is sore and probably swollen it would be even more difficult.