Another random question

[Eveningstar]

Does anyone have trouble swallowing pills because they are afraid that the pill will get stuck and they will start to gag and maybe *V*? I have troubles like this all the time. So bad that a lot of times when I swallow a pill i will tense up and the pill will scrap my throat...making it feel like there is something stuck in my throat...making me feel like I have to gag or *V*

[Felle]

Yep! Just happened to me. I didn't learn until a few years ago how to swallow pills, I can do it but it's still scary. Specially if the pills are bigger than a pinky fingernail x

[mess_of_a_dreamer]

Heh, I can't swallow pills but I never associated it with v*ing, I just can't do it haha, I have a really strong gag reflex and it's almost impossible to swallow anything whole. I finally HAD to learn (sort of) last year but I still hated it and unless the pills are really small (like claritin, there's no problem there) I avoid it at all costs haha. Plus like with chewable ibuprofen, even though it's not as strong (cause it's junior) you don't have to worry about eating before (which I never do) since there's "food" with the vitamins/medicine already.

[bella2107]

I had an extremely hard time swallowing pills for years because of emetophobia. When I was about 15 I had a really bad headache and forced myself to take tylenol. I realized it wasn't that bad. Now I can swallow all my vitamins at once but with a pretty good amount of water. I usually try to open my throat up before swallowing, if that makes sense, and try to keep my focus on the TV or something else. The other day I couldn't swallow my vitamins and I had to spit them out but it only occasionally happens. I always realized that tilting my head back when trying to swallow doesn't help me, it tenses my throat up more.

[butterfly91]

I take alot of medication, and sometimes one of the tablets get stuck in my throat and i nearly gag, and it makes me panic

[staystrongxx]

I just learned how to swallow pills in February. Before that I could only swallow tiny ones such as my birth control and my Zoloft. Just don't think about it. If you overthink it, your throat closes/tightens. Trust me. Now I just forget about it and tilt my head back and swallow. Also, swallowing them with soda helps me a lot because you can't feel 'em going down. I also recently got my tongue pierced which made it slightly difficult to swallow pills but now I just forget the piercing and the pill are there and swallow You can do it!

It is a disgusting feeling when they scrape your throat but ultimately if they've gone down, they're not gonna cause a problem.

[Eveningstar]

I can swallow small pills. and I mean small. Like a regular tylenol round pill is too big for me. The pills I am able to swallow I have to be swallowed with thick juice

[rexymeteorite]

What I used to do to overcome that is bury the pill in a spoonful of jelly or jam and swallow it down. the jelly coats the pill well so it doesnt get stuck

[Eveningstar]

I had a pill get stuck in my throat today. Everybody always says "it didn't get stuck, it just scraped your throat" But it did get stuck. I could taste it dissolving. Doctors say there is nothing they can do. As long as it doesn't block my airway. I only went through 20 minutes of panicking. then i just kept drinking lots of fluids to help dissolve it. Last time I had a pill stuck I went to the e.r. and they shoved a camera down my throat and knocked it lose. good times i tell ya!

[Pigatron]

I have trouble swallowing pills and I have definitely had the sensation of one getting stuck, or going down "sideways." What works for me is chewing a mouthful of food and then burying the pill inside and swallowing the food with the pill inside.

[MaybeBaby]

If people have trouble swallowing pills in hospitals, nursing homes, adult foster homes... they're given the pill in a bite of pudding or applesauce. It really helps. I guess a spoon full of sugar really helps the medicine go down!

[JasonJ]

I not only couldn't swallow pills, but I refuse to take any medication at all after taking a Tylenol when I was maybe 6 years old and getting sick afterward. I didn't take another pill again until this year (16 years later) because of an abscessed tooth that caused me so much pain I was actually considering putting a bullet through my brain. Not to mention I only took an ibuprofen that my wife crushed in pudding and forced me to take. Served me well though, now I can swallow ibuprofen with no problem and my low tolerance to it makes it work amazingly :P that pain relief and no side effect was well worth trusting it! Ibuprofen and Amoxicillin liquid are the only medications I trust. Sorry, that was a long irrelevant story lol

[ditchy_jon]

If you worry about gagging take your tablet with something to eat. When I first started taking tablets, I struggled so my mom said, get some chocolate, swallow the pill, hold your breath and then swallow the chocolate and breath again. Not many people know this, but if you hold your breath, your taste buds are cut off from your brain. Try it tonight when you have some kind of flavoured water. Swallow the water and keep holding your breath. The only time you will be able to taste is when you breathe out.