Adults Who Can't Swallow Pills

Specialties Emergency

Published

Where I work now we seem to have cornered the market on adults who can't swallow pills. I'm not referring to children or eldery people with dysphagia. I'm talking about gagging and crying like they were four or something. They whine and beg you. "Please don"t make me take that pill. I can't swallow it, I never have been able to."

I swear I see at least one a week. I've tried everything, even crushing pills in applesauce. They just can't swallow the med. Of course they don't want an injection or a suppository either.

Anybody else run into this in the ED?

I could not swallow pills until I was in my early twenties and I didn't whine about it; I tried hard but they did not go down. And I was a migraineur chewing a dozen or two adult aspirins every week - uch.

I did grow out of it - can dry swallow just about anything now.

Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

I have never and I mean never been able to easily swallow pills and large capsules. I can swallow small capsules if I allow them to get a little soft, I always seem to choke. I actually use baby ASA or have to chew or break ASA and other pills. It is not that uncommon. I did start my own IV while I was hospitalized in 2002. After multiple attempts....I told the charge nurse please just let me do it and you can tape it. She said yes so I did.........but I swear I would have choked on a large pill.....Go Figure!!!!!

Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

I'm not good with pills in general and I do the worst when I have to take one single large one. Two or three medium size ones give me less trouble. Something about my throat feeling the pill on the way down. I have trouble with my calcium and multi-vite in the morning, but if I chew up a mouthful of toast or whatever I'm eating and pop the pills into the mushed-up food just before I swallow, I don't even feel them and have no problem. Unfortunately, you have to take some things on an empty stomach, but this works well for most meds.

Specializes in ER.

I don't have a problem if someone can't swallow pills, but tell what to do so you CAN swallow your meds. Don't just stare at me and wait for a miracle.

FYI my pet peeve is parents who say their child can't swallow medicine, even liquid. If they can swallow food they can swallow their Tylenol, who is in charge here?

I know this website is primarily for nurses, but as a pharmacist I emphathize with nurses dealing with adult patients who act like children. I echo the sentiment that "I'm not going to beg you or try to convince you to take your life-saving blood pressure, heart or diabetes medication, etc." It's not just swallowing pills. Many patients seem to feel the need to complain as a matter of course. And many don't even seem all that upset about what they're complaining about. It seems to be the standard behavior for some patients to make an observation, to get their two cents in, so to speak (i.e., those pills are too big! I have to take it twice a day! I have to take it with food!) Then you have the parent who wants you to pick out the purple vitamins from the other colored vitamins in the bottle because little Johnny doesn't like the purple ones. It's not hard to see how we have ended up with so many adults who "can't swallow pills." Great tips on here for patients who actually have a medical reason for not being able to swallow pills, by the way. You nurses have a lot more patience than I do.

Specializes in Emergency.

Sorry for everyone I am about to offend, but get over it. I think it is silly. AS A CHILD, I too had a hard time swallowing pills but with education and help from my mother I learned to do it and throughout the years it became easier. I think that when something is hard people are too wimpy to try and fight through the discomfort to learn through trial and error and practice. So, they never learn because saying "I can't" is easier than learning and trying. When you know it is psychological, conquer it and do it.

I know I have offended, I'll get over it and move on. So should you non pill swallowing fools. I mean, you swallow ice, right?

i have trouble swallowing pills. When I try i vomit. i used to be able to swallow pills at the same time with no water. my psych doc thinks that probably after one of my surgeries when i was on antibiotics one got stuck and now my brain is trying to protect me from choking.

crushing and putting in applesuace doesnt work for me either because I am a texture person and the chunkyness in the texture gags me cant eat bannanas for the same reason the texture just eeeks me out for some reason. I have no idea i just deal with it the best i can

Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

I find these people have these idiosyncrasies and often respond with. "That's your choice. I'm trying to help you, but you have to help ME--help you." If they know that is the pain pill to take away their surgical pain--I don't cajole, beg or even explain. Sometimes they have an auto STOP SIGN--then when they realize that is the only way, they take it.

Boundaries and limits work well.

Specializes in Retired OR nurse/Tissue bank technician.

Don't know if it would help, but when I had to take a pill that began to dissolve as soon as it hit the mouth and left a horrible taste was take a reasonable size mouthful of food and chew it well. Then, just before I swallowed, I put the pill in the middle of the bolus and swallowed as usual. Pill went down smoothly.

Friends have used the method to help their kids take pills when no liquid medication was available.

My husband used to have problems swallowing pills too. I made him practice with MM's. They have coating similar to some pills and if it started to melt it didn't taste bad, plus being chocolate it would not obstruct because it "melts in your mouth not in your hand". His mother made fun of me but hey it worked.

Toq

It is definitely a psychological issue maybe stemming from something from childhood. I had a 460 lb. pt who for the life of her could not swallow a tylenol. Strange. In a related story, I did learn a valuable lesson. If a nine year old can not swallow pills, don't put the pill in pudding in the hopes that he/she will be able to swallow it. Chocolate pudding art work all over the entire room. Pill still not swallowed!

Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

It's just so time consuming having to run around trying to find the liquid version....calling other floors, calling pharmacy. It's time taken away from other patients. Not to mention, less time for other treatment for the refusal-to-swallow pills patient.

I don't actully believe they have NEVER swallowed pills...some clever questioning will usually reveal the fact that they have in fact managed to swallow a pill at least once

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