I hate taking pills. Big ones. Little ones. Pink ones. Blue ones. Doesn’t matter. If it’s medicine, it doesn’t go down easy. You know the line – hard pill to swallow – well, it’s a metaphor for a reason.
I can just about swallow a cheeseburger whole, but put a tiny little pill in my pie eater, and my gag reflex engages like I took a swallow of expired (read chunky) milk straight from the carton.
GROSS.
There's a Name For It
Difficulty swallowing pills, or Dysphagia, can be caused by fear, pain, or other mental or physical conditions that can lead to dry mouth, gagging, choking, and sometimes even vomiting.
Personally, and in the absence of all logic, I’d rather suffer a five-day blackout migraine than take a Tylenol. Unfortunately, for the majority of chronic pain sufferers – myself included – pill swallowing avoidance is not an option.
For most people, the basics of pill swallowing are not rocket science. Put pill in mouth. Fill with liquid. Swallow. But when you’re like me, and you hate taking pills, this method often doesn’t work. Might have something to do with the Globus Sensation. A tightening of the throat not related to a physical condition brought on by stress, anxiety, or fear.
In other words, it’s all in my head.
Helpful Advice
So what can we do when a spoonful of sugar doesn’t help the medicine go down? Well, there are plenty of articles out there offering suggestions on how to take your medicine. Recommendations include:
- Drinking lots of water – before, during, and after the pill swallowing attempt
- Employing the use of relaxation techniques – deep breathing, throat humming
- Visualizing success or changing the inner monologue – I can do this, as opposed to, I can’t do this
- Building up tolerance – practice makes perfect, people – I have witnessed this as truth
- Establishing routines – taking your medicines at the same time and in the same way, daily
Edith's Technique
All of the above may work for some people. Not for me. I have my own method…probably a genetic tic I inherited from my father who also hated swallowing pills, but who ultimately ended up eating them by the handful – kinda like me and smarties.
Anyhoo, the technique is simple really.
- **Put liquid in mouth first – this is the critical first step
- Squeeze pill between pressed lips avoiding liquid dribbling onto chin
- Don’t let pill touch any other part of the mouth including teeth, tongue, and palate
- Squeeze eyes as tight as possible
- Grimace
- Swallow
- Repeat swallowing with as much additional liquid as necessary
- Thank God when success ensured and pill hits the wide-open space of the stomach
- Grimace again
- Finally, go about your daily business proud of the fact that you wore your big girl pants to the pill-popping party and showed that little yellow bitch who’s boss
Seriously though, is there a little bit of resentment on my part about having to take medication at all? Hell, yeah. I hate taking pills. To manage my chronic pain, I’ll be taking them for the rest of my life. Truth – I forgot my pill last night and again this morning – could be a passive-aggressive forgetfulness – who knows?
Do I feel better when I remember to take my current prescription? Yes. Yes, I do.
How about you? Do you take your medicine like a kid in a candy store? Or are you more like me? A two-year-old who needs to be wrestled to the ground and forced to open her mouth, leaving the parent sweating in a crumpled heap of defeat five minutes later?
Hope you’re all staying safe, practicing social distancing, and taking your pills regularly and on time!
Until the next blog – peace out pain sufferers.
Current pain level 4/10.
I literally have to shove my pills down my throat, which could pose a big problem as my disease progresses… hmmmm…
Anyhow for now that works… water, shove pill down throat… repeat…
Fun stuff … not
Genetics at play!
I take pills like a wise pet……hidden in my food. Step 1. Take a big bite of food; Step 2. Chew it all up. Step 3. Sneak pill into mouth and swallow. The pill gets hidden in the tasty food and I can pretend its not there at all 🙂
LOL! Love this. Will have to try. And again…genetics.