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MY FAVORITE STORY about the challenge of taking pills comes from a television rerun. I was watching the ABC sitcom The Middle a few weeks ago. “Brick,” the youngest child of the fictitious Heck family, was having difficulty swallowing the medication prescribed for his ear infection. Try as he might, and even with the coaxing if his frustrated mother, he could not swallow his pill. He finally did swallow it when, while riding in the family car, they hit a parked car and the pill went down his throat.
A pill is not always easy to swallow. I think of the saying “a hard pill to swallow” or the song lyrics “just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down!” Art truly imitates life. Many people have difficulty swallowing pills. Sometimes people have physical difficulties swallowing food or liquids due to some medical reason. Harvard Medical School reports that one in three people either gag, vomit, or choke when trying to take their pills. These reactions can cause people to stop taking their medications, which can make them get sicker still.
I can usually take my pills, but sometimes, when I have to take a large antibiotic, or what I call a “horse pill,” I have to make a little more effort. Somewhere in my life, someone told me that taking two quick swallows right after each other forces the throat to stay open so the pill goes down. That usually works for me. I told a few friends about this technique, but they said it did not help their pill go down.
There can be multiple reasons for difficulty swallowing pills. As we get older, our muscles get weaker all over our bodies. So, when a person swallows, the muscles might not be as strong as they used to be and the ability to squeeze down a pill can be a problem. Some people have hyper-gag reflexes, and they choke because of it. Many people have trouble swallowing pills if they have a neurological disorder; have a chronic disease like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, or GERD; or have had a stroke.
If a pill is large, it can be cut in half (if the pills are not coated) and placed into a lubricant like yogurt, pudding, or applesauce. A pill can also be placed on the back of the tongue—that is halfway there—before drinking water. If people say the pill is stuck in their throat, they can try drinking water and taking a hard swallow.
I remember swallowing my pill in applesauce. My mom did this when I was a little kid. It worked for me, and even for our family dog. We put his pills in dog food. A friend of mine cuts her pills into smaller pieces. Some pills are time-release and/or enteric- coated medicines and should not be broken apart. Ask your pharmacist if your medicine can come in another form such as a powder, cream, or liquid.
Harvard Medical School offers hope for the pill-challenged. They offer two methods to help swallow pills: the pop-bottle method and the lean-forward method. Visit health.harvard.edu/blog/ two-tricks-make-easier-swallowpills- 201411137515 for descriptions of these techniques.
If you have trouble not only taking pills, but swallowing in general, talk to your physician and pharmacist. They might refer you to an ENT (ear nose and throat) specialist or a speech-language pathologist for a swallowing assessment. It might be tough to find out that you have a swallowing disorder, but you might successfully overcome it by learning different swallowing techniques.
So, see a healthcare professional about your pill problem. Swallowing a little pride never choked anyone!
Sister Karen Zielinski is the Director of Canticle Studio. Canticle Studio is a part of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, OH’s overall advancement effort and has a mission of being a creative center where artists generate works, products, and services in harmony with the mission of the Sisters St. Francis. She can be reached at kzielins@sistersosf.org or 419-824-3543. ✲
