About Taking Medications

A lot of people look at the pill bottle handed to them at the pharmacy and gasp in shock as they see the monstrous "horse pill" they've just received. "How do you expect me to swallow THAT?!" they ask incredulously. 

It's easy to tell that the thought going through a person's mind at that time is "Do I really feel bad enough to warrant the struggle it's going to take to swallow this thing?" Of course, your pharmacist can't answer that question for you (or for anyone else) but chances are pretty good that if the doctor prescribed the horse pill, then you need to take it. 

Keep in mind that most of us regularly swallow chunks of food that are larger than most tablets or capsules that are prescribed. Here are a few suggestions that may help the medicine go down a bit more smoothly:

1. Chew up a small piece of bread or other soft food, so there is something in your mouth to swallow with the medication. This may help it slip down virtually unnoticed. 

2. Since tablets and capsules slide down easier if coated with saliva or water, try taking a drink of water before you take the pill, so your throat is already moistened. Then take the medication with a glass of water as usual.

3. It may be easier to swallow the medication if the mouthful of water that you use to wash it down comes from a bottle rather than from a cup or the fountain. Sometimes the burst of liquid that comes with gulping the water out of a bottle (like chugging a pop from a can) will wash the medication down in a "jet stream".

4. Taste is also a big problem with some medication. Since the taste buds on the tongue are concentrated in different areas, if you put the tablet or capsule on the tip of your tongue, you11 avoid most of the "bitter" taste buds.

5. Another idea is to chew up a few ice chips before swallowing the medication, to numb the taste buds first.

6. Sometimes it's possible to crush the tablet or open the capsule and sprinkle the crystals into some sugar, jam, honey, applesauce, etc, to disguise the taste.

However, before doing any of these, be sure to ask a pharmacist if the action will decrease or destroy the effectiveness of the medication. Some medications must remain in their original form to be beneficial.