I’m not a big medication user, in fact I can barely swallow what I guess most human beings would consider regular sized pain relievers. This is not a new phenomenon for me. I’ve always had trouble and would have to use the dispersible painkillers when I was younger or suffer in silence.
However, if like me you have trouble swallowing pills you may be interested in a few different options that can help you feel better quicker and without all the hassle of the ‘choke factor’ and the gallon of water you have to swallow. Compare that scenario to other people who barely swallow a teaspoonful of water, if any at all – no-one likes a smarty pants 😉
You may even be that person so congratulations or if not I can sympathize and I’m sure you know the kind of person I’m talking about. They effortlessly look at you without moving their head an inch as well as looking like they are barely swallowing – is that you – how do you do that?
It’s certainly not me. I end up doing a special balancing act in my mouth and then attempt to encase the pill in a bubble of water which I hope manages to go down my throat. What normally happens is I swallow the water and the pill stays firmly in place in my mouth melting into a gooey horrible tasting mess. If I’m really lucky it will stay perfectly in shape to give me another chance…or I give up.
It is certainly not my imagination…pills really have increased in size. When you are faced with a ‘horse-pill’ the size of a small cocktail sausage and that horrible feeling of it stuck in the back of your throat going nowhere fast…what can you do to get some relief?
First of all get yourself a pill crusher. There are many different sorts on the market. It’s easy to pop into your bag so that you can crush your pills on the go should you need to. Adding the powder to a flavored drink or apple sauce makes the whole experience much more pleasant.
Not all pills can be crushed so check with your Doctor or Pharmacist for advice or alternatives.
