Warning: This post is not funny, nor is it profound. It doesn’t deal with current events, or religious doctrine. This post has a little something to do with parenting, and no, I am not suffering from over-exposure to Mommy Blogs.
Some of the ladies I work with were discussing how much they hate taking pills, and how difficult it is for some of their children. I listened for a bit, and then suggested that they wrap it in American cheese and shove it into the back of their throat, because that’s what works with our dog. They weren’t too keen on that idea. So I asked them if they had ever heard of another trick I knew to make it easier. None of them had ever heard of it! I was surprised, and very happy, because it is a rare occurrence that I know something that the ladies in my office don’t already know.
So I figured that since none of them knew this trick, a few of you might not know it either. If you do, then I apologize for wasting your time. If this is new for you, no thanks are necessary – just doin’ my job.
Here is the trick – and I have no idea when or where I learned it:
There are two kinds of pills. Two. There are “Sinkers” and there are “Floaters”.
“Sinkers” are pills like vitamins, caplets, round Advil, pain pills, etc. They are solid, and often have an indentation where you can break them in half.
“Floaters” are the plastic-covered capsules. They usually come in colors, they are full of powder. Lots of antibiotics are capsules – and they taste really nasty if they start dissolving before you swallow them.
First: Determine if the pill you are taking is a sinker or a floater, then choose one of the following:
If it is a floater, take a mouthful of water, close your mouth, and tilt your head down so you are looking at the floor. Take the capsule and poke it through your lips into your mouth. The capsule will then float to the back of your throat. Then swallow. It will go down, and you won’t even feel or taste it.
If it is a Sinker, take a mouthful of water, close your mouth, and tilt your head back so you are looking at the ceiling. Take the tablet and drop it into your mouth. The pill will drop to the back of your throat. Then swallow. It will go down, and you won’t even feel or taste it.
• You can take more than one pill at a time, but be careful not to mix floaters and sinkers.
Eventually, you will get to the point where you can hand them the pill, and they will ask “Is it a floater or a sinker?” They’ll take it – no gagging, no fussing, no tears or tantrums, no bad tastes, no dissolving pills.
And after you have your spouse trained, try it with the kids.
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huh
Who knew?
I take about 13 different supplements every day (a variety of sinkers and floaters – although my kids would use those words in reference to poop) and give it a try
My 22-year-old still chews down every pill she takes. I’m definitely having her read this post!
Thanks,
Sandy
Ha! This is great thanks! : )
I like Dana, am also entertainment when I take pills. My techniques amuse people.
That is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing MMM. It one of those things that I’m surprised I never heard before.
@ Becca…and MMM…next post: “Which veggies float and which ones sink”
very clever trick! My kids are learning the “swallow your veggies whole” trick, too, Jocelyn, so maybe they will be good pill-poppers.
Maybe that’s the wrong term to use…
I love taking pills. What is wrong with people? And by that, I have already admitted too much. But seriously, I used to “swallow” my veggies whole at dinner, so I could get dessert without tasting the green stuff! This is a must’have skill!
My children all inherited their pill taking ability from their father. Thank goodness.
I am the one who struggles taking pills. I am the family entertainment – full of head shaking,drink guzzling and eventual gagging while attempting to swallow a pill. I take gummy vitamins (yes I am an adult), so I thank you for your wisdom. I shall try it when next the occasion arises.
I love practical advice! I wish I’d known this back when I was on a million chemo pills and had to learn to swallow them. Blech. Another hint is if it’s not a coated pill and it tastes super nasty- crush it and put it in a capsule! I had one that was positively horrible no matter how I tried to swallow it.
I love practical advice! I wish I’d known this back when I was on a million chemo pills and had to learn to swallow them. Blech. Another hint is if it’s not a coated pill and it tastes super nasty- crush it and put it in a capsule! I had one that was positively horrible no matter how I tried to swallow it.
UPDATE: soft gels are sinkers.
That’s the way I do it and taught my son to do it. Get enough water and you can’t even tell you are swallowing the pill.
Unless of course it is a large pill. Then you can still feel it going down, but the water way helps.
MMM, it’s brilliant in its simplicity. That’s the best kind of tip. I started taking dietary supplements when I was in high school. My dad would wake me up with a handful of pills. Being too lazy to get up and get a drink of water, I learned to just swallow them dry. I now work in the natural products industry, and my company makes a lot of supplements in pill form. I get them free, so I continue to take a lot of supplements. I’ve never had a problem. Some of our customers in Japan, do, though. We’ve actually had to make smaller pills just for that market. I’m going to try this trick with my kids. By the way, is a fish oil supplement in a soft gel capsule a sinker or a floater?
Your post may not have been profound, but it was life changing info for many. Thanks!
“Be careful not to mix floaters and sinkers.” You just solved a lifelong mystery to me!
Maybe this will work for my son who just CAN’T swallow a pill. Thanks for the tip!
I’m curious. Does this work with humongous pills and little throats? I’m with Georgia, my daughter is tiny, and even as a teenager has to take liquid cold/cough medicine because the tablets are too big and she gags. She’s fine with the littler pills (like ibuprofen). I’ll have to pass this tidbit along, because like so many others, I had never heard of it!
No way! MMM you have changed my life for the better. I hate taking pills. I have a gag reflex like none other. It’s the worst when I have morning sickness. I will definitely try these techniques!
Where was this fantastic advice all those years I was working with my youngest child. She would gag and spit and finally refuse to take pills. Every prescription we had filled for her had to be liquid until she was 17 years old (Including the Loritab when she had her wisdom teeth removed). Finally she conquered her issues and is now doing fine, but just think of all the extra $ and trouble we could have saved with your amazing little ‘sink’ or ‘float’ trick!
This is the way my parents made me take pills as a kid. Definitely works!
What a super grand idea!! Never even thought of it that way!! Thanks for the advice!!
I took my 7 year old to Africa (to visit my folks on their mission) and we had to take Malaria pills each day. We put hers in a spoonful of Nutella and she swallowed it right down. But alas, this only works with small pills.
My husband served in Africa! Unfortunately he still got malaria, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been so…I guess the pills worked…sorta? He can take a whole mouthful of pills at one time with no problems!