Panic attack over swallowing pills

At about 5 or 6 years of age, I remember seeing my father taking some pills and out of curiosity I asked what they were for. He said he had a headache so like daughter like dad, I claimed to have one too. He gave me two 200 mg. capsules and told me to swallow as well. I had no experience in this so I tried it. I still remember like if it was yesterday that they got stuck cuz I swallowed horizontally. This was the first panic attack I remember as I went frantic pointing towards my throat. He kept telling me to keep drinking the water. I don't remember thereafter. I'm afraid I may be blocking out some terrifying experience afterwards. Since then, I have never tried to swallow a pill. I hate having to beg my doctors like a little girl for liquid meds or a shot. They look at me funny and kinda poke fun. I tell them my story and one said very coldly, I ought to see a shrink about it. I took it as having some mental issue instead of having a post traumatic experience to resolve. Also, many meds don't come in liquid form. This is so hard for me. So far I will get away with it for antibiotics but what about when I grow older and need some horse pill vitamin supplement that is not chewable? I do try to chew what I have and have to endure the bitterness but sometimes it is impossible to do.


Does anyone out there understand? Am I the only 30 yr. old asking for oral solution? Most pharmacists think I'm asking for it for my little kid when I don't have any. I"m asking for oral sus. for me. I get so humiliated at times.

Although I have no problems taking pills (good thing cause I need them..[img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]) I know that there are alot of adults who ask for oral suspensions. I know b/c I worked in a pharmacy. Some people can not swallow pills. Simple as that. Others, are like you who had a yuck expereince. I HATE it when the pills feel as though they are 'stuck' in your throat. It hurts. So, to a kid, I can see where the pill-swallowing problem comes from. Don't worry, there are no pharmasists snickering behinde your back b/c you ask for oral suspension. LOTS of adults do!!!


Hope this helps! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]


Crystal

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Originally Posted by pumpkin3800

At about 5 or 6 years of age, I remember seeing my father taking some pills and out of curiosity I asked what they were for. He said he had a headache so like daughter like dad, I claimed to have one too. He gave me two 200 mg. capsules and told me to swallow as well. I had no experience in this so I tried it. I still remember like if it was yesterday that they got stuck cuz I swallowed horizontally. This was the first panic attack I remember as I went frantic pointing towards my throat. He kept telling me to keep drinking the water. I don't remember thereafter. I'm afraid I may be blocking out some terrifying experience afterwards. Since then, I have never tried to swallow a pill. I hate having to beg my doctors like a little girl for liquid meds or a shot. They look at me funny and kinda poke fun. I tell them my story and one said very coldly, I ought to see a shrink about it. I took it as having some mental issue instead of having a post traumatic experience to resolve. Also, many meds don't come in liquid form. This is so hard for me. So far I will get away with it for antibiotics but what about when I grow older and need some horse pill vitamin supplement that is not chewable? I do try to chew what I have and have to endure the bitterness but sometimes it is impossible to do.


Does anyone out there understand? Am I the only 30 yr. old asking for oral solution? Most pharmacists think I'm asking for it for my little kid when I don't have any. I"m asking for oral sus. for me. I get so humiliated at times.

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I know EXACTLY how you feel!!! I am the the exact same way...couldn't swallow a pill if my life depended on it. I'm currently getting better, though....I can now swallow really small tic-tac-like pills...trying to move on up the ladder.


My whole family and close friends understand my issue so they don't get on my case any more...now when I take my monthly dose of Motrin I just crush the pill up in some applesauce and swallow it while plugging my nose. Works for me.[img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]

I am 34 and always ask for liquid, chewable, or dissolvable tablets. I know several other adults who are the same way. It's funny you posted this, because I was just recently wondering if this was something other emetophobics had[img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]!

Pheewww! [img]smileys/smilies_25.gif[/img]I thought I was the only one. Not only being an emet and having had this traumatic pill experience causing me another issue--not able to swallow anything; not even a tic tac or birth control, I thought I had some serious issues and that made me feel like such a wimp. I always got the third degree from family and b/f. Thank God my husband is understanding. Now I really won't try it. Just the other day, my husband swallowed some 500mg antibiotic that resembled a horse pill and it happened to get stuck in his throat. He said it was SOOO painful that he drank a whole coke and nothing. He had to go buy food nearby cuz he was at work, and he then was able to push it down with the food. He said in the meantime for about 15-20 min. he had to fight the gagging but he's not good at it so he'd gag involuntarily cuz of the actual positioning of the pill. Now that I heard of this possibility, I will def. not even try it. I'm so scared now cuz being an emet and dealing with uncontrollable gagging will only bring you to v* at some point. I couldn't handle it. I'm afraid that when I grow old and really need to take daily meds for more serious illnesses, that these meds don't come in oral or chewables. So then what? I'd rather have an injection but not everything comes in that form either. I'm safe now but who knows then. Sorry to add to the topic. Just wondering who else is in my boat. Thanks for all your words of encouragement.


Pumpkin

I too am in the same boat. As was my father. In fact, I mentioned it to my doctor once and he told me it's an issue with the size of the throat and how much the muscles relax when trying to swallow a pill. My father's muscles relaxed enough by the time he was 70, which was good because that's when he had to start taking lots of medication for blood pressure, heart, etc. I can swallow Advil gel caplets now and have no problem taking my b.c. pill. However, I spent about 10 years CHEWING aspirin and tylenol, YUCKY!!!! Vitamins, they are still a big problem for me. I chew the adult ones, but, recently went to the chewables. I find that the children's centrum (rugrats) taste the best.

i couldnt swallow pills until i was around 18. i am 23 now.
i was TERRIFIED of choking, or of them getting stuck.
heres what i've found has helped:

start out with small pills.
only after tackling small pills will you realize there is nothing to fear and you will start taking bigger ones.
believe it or not the food you chew up and swallow is 8,000 times bigger than any pill. you know?
sometimes thinking of it like that helps.
just take baby steps.

I'll try my best to start with some tiny candy. I just really believe that I know my body well and that I feel my throat to be not of average size. I'm petite as it is--only 5'0 and about 100 lbs. So I believe that because I've had to modify how much food I swallow. At times I've swallowed a real mouthful due to maybe no breakfast or too much time between meals and I feel that that amount of food filled up the entire throat and barely made it down. So with that experience, I concluded that I couldn't swallow pills. I'll see if I can try it.


I too have to take children's chewable Flintstones. I've also tried the kid's bubble gum you chew. I just wonder if I'm getting enough vitamins. I had a cousin that took two flintstone vitamins during pregnancy for fear of swallowing. Her doctor allowed it. Could I do the same? Has anyone tried it?


good to know I'm not alone in chewables at age 30


Pumpkin

My son, who is 8, cannot swallow pills. I thought he just had a mental block (I can swallow them, but I don't like to) and I casually mentioned it to the dentist one day while she was looking at his teeth. She said that his palate is not shaped right, which means that he can't swallow pills. I had never heard of that, but she explained in great detail and showed me what it was. Perhaps you have the same problem?


It really sucks for my son because he is ADD and has to take Ritalin. I open the capsule and sprinkle it on applesauce and he says it tastes horrible. Ritalin and Adderall are the only ADD meds that come in capsule form and he can't take Adderall (we tried) so we're stuck with Ritalin, which my insurance doesn't cover. [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]

I first remember learning how to swallow pills with chewable pills. Knowing that in case I couldn't get it down, I would still be able to take my medicine and be fine. It took a while to figure out how to do it to my liking, but for me the stress of knowing I could just chew it that time in case I couldn't swallow took all the pressure off of the whole learning experience.


My sister, who is 20, cannot swallow pills either --- she gags.


Here are some tips for swallowing pills that might help for you:
1. Fill your mouth with water first, then put the pill in. It will go down when you swallow. You won't taste it as bad.
2. Put the pill on the back of your tongue and then swallow with a lot of saliva (the method without liquid).

Wow! Maybe I do know my body better than anyone has given me credit for. As a matter of fact, I have dentist's appt. today and I'll ask him if he believes I have a palate designed to swallow pills. Thanks a lot for that piece of info. Amanda. I really do hate it for you that you're stuck with only that option. Have you sought natural remedies? I don't mean to promote anything because I don't like to back up any product unless I've used it. I'm a teacher and I have a student but with mild to moderate and maybe more moderate than mild ADD. Her mom had her on ADD meds and they wouldn't work. I could see that too after having a difficult time with her. Then her mom tried a natural remedy called Focus from the nativeremedies.org page. It comes in liquid form. She had it checked with her child's neurologist and said it wouldn't hurt to give it to the child along w/ her meds as a form to be weaned off the meds. I have seen a real big diff. in this girl. This girl has more self-control, pays attention, and is actually w/ us and not in space. I looked into the website to cure my anxiety cuz they have natural products for anxiety, panic and depression. I bought the product for anxiety which contains lavender and other herbs and you just use about 10-15 drops in 1/4 cup of any liquid or juice. I didn't care for the taste of lavender only the fragrance. Then I felt headaches etc. so I stopped. I plan to try it again and see what happens. You may want to at least look into it and consult it w/ your doctor first. They also have the adult version of ADD or ADHD in liquid form. It's always an option of the doctor gives you the go ahead. My OBGYN told me it was ok to take the anxiety herbal remedywith xanax. I hope that this can be an option for you since each bottle is about 30-35 dollars for a month supply. I hope this is cheaper than the meds you're currently taking. My student says the drops don't have a taste to them so she drinks them in her mild twice a day. Ask your doctor by printing out the info. or order it and show it to your doctor before administering and if not then you can send it back for a full refund.


Pumpkin

Pumpkin,


It sounds like a very traumatic experience when you were 5 or 6. Such a young age - too young to be given a pill of any kind, anyway. What was your father thinking? Sounds strange to me, from your dad's side too. But nonetheless, it makes perfect sense that you're afraid now - totally. But what your doctor said to you "coldly" - to seek some help - is probably the best advice, although I'm sitting here trying hard not to say this "coldly" lol. It's not that you have a mental defect of some kind, but you have been traumatized. If your leg were traumatized (i.e., broken) you'd see an orthopaedic doctor. If your brain is traumatized you should see a psychotherapist. That's just the way it is. Society has a terrible notion sometimes of mental illness, like it's something to be ashamed of, but a broken leg isn't. Why? Makes no sense to me.


Phobias are brain problems. The brain needs to be fixed, just like broken legs need to be fixed. Limping around in pain all your life is not the answer.


I hope you can get some good, understanding therapist to help you with this one, because it's actually pretty easy to treat.


Good luck!

Thank you, Sage:


I appreciate you taking time to reply. Thanks for confirming that my experience then could be the culprit to my fear of pills now. My biggest problem is not identifying my phobias. I know them and easily admit it. I live in a somewhat small to medium sized city with not many professionals in the phobia field nearby. I lack those sources to be cured. I live in a small city in TX and too far from the larger cities to commute on a weekly basis. So, I don't know what else to do or try other than consider online self-help or online products that sound like quick fixes too good to be true. What else could you suggest? I have tons of books but when I need someone to shoot down some preconceived notion of mine during a panic, I need a real human to by my side, consoling me with more logical outcomes to counteract my fears. Or simply someone to remind me of my relaxation or breathing techniques. Do I make any sense?





By the way, do you know of Doug's breathing techniques to avoid v*? I've seen it mentioned but not posted anywhere. Help!!!!


Pumpkin