Swallowing pills is difficult for more people than you might think. I saw a survey that suggested 40% of people have trouble swallowing pills. Some become pill-chewers -- and for more than one reason, that's not the way to go.
I'm what might be called a closet pill-chewer. I've taken arthritis medications on a regular basis since I was 19 years old and diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I can't swallow pills whole unless they are tiny. In an attempt to overcome my throat-tightening, jaw-clenching, bad-tasting, pill-chewing habit -- I recently decided to look for solutions. Admittedly, for too many years, I have been perfectly content with my bad habit. To learn why it's bad to chew pills -- beyond the fact that you freak others out at the dinner table -- and to learn some solid tips for overcoming the I-cannot-swallow-a-pill issue, read Swallowing Pills: A Major Problem for Some Arthritis Patients
Related Resources:
- Guide to Dry Mouth
- How to Avoid Medication Errors
- Review Medications With Your Doctor
- 10 Ways to Ensure Drug Safety
- 10 Things You Should Do When Given a New Prescription
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Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel (iStockphoto)
I have also had problems with swallowing pills but I never made the connection with arthritis. I do have an enlarged tongue which causes my sleep apnea.
I discovered when I was about 6 or 7 that I couldn’t swallow pills normally, when my mum decided it was time for me to take tablets instead of liquid antibiotics (I used to get lots of ear infections!) I have an incredibly strong gag reflex due to my reflux oesophagitis, and found that the sulphur smell of the anitbiotics just made me throw up as soon as I tried to take them on my tongue like everyone else. HOWEVER, I found the perfect solution for me was to take a mouthful of water first, and not even put the tablet on the end of my tongue! I literally just drop it into my mouth which is full of water, and swallow. without it touching my lips, tongue or the sides of my mouth, so I don’t get any taste! I think this has also prevented me getting a lot of the oesophageal damagge that some people get because particularly some of the anti-inflammatories are quite agressive in the way they erode your digestive system. When I had my last endoscopy, they said that my oesophagus was fine, whcih is amazing considering the reflux I have, so I do think that taking the tablets that way may have helped. I will share this on the boards as well in case it helps anyone else!
Heather