I am the father of a 5 year old that has just starting taking Strattera. He has an easy gag reflex and can't swallow the pill. We have been pouring the contents of the capsule in things like pudding but he can taste it. I have tried it also and it is real bitter. Does anybody know of an easy or better way to get my son to take his meds. Or a technique for swallowing it.

Thanks

How about dipping it in something like chocolate?

Maybe buttering it?

Are there alternate delivery methods available for Strattera, i.e. liquid?

Thickened liquids tend to be more easily swallowed than just regular liquids with weak gag reflexes......How about making him a thick milkshake and see if he can swallow the med with the milkshake......or put it in the milkshake....

I take a small drink of water before i try to take my pills, then reach way back myself and drp them in the very back of my throat, then follow with lots of water. i'm 46 . lots of gag reflex. Just don't get mad at hime. praise him for trying.

Good news!!!
He conqured the swallow issue. Its only been two weeks since he started the meds but we can see a difference already. Much more calm and agreeable now. I was affraid it would "change who he was" but it didn't. Just made things easier around the house now. Well so far anyway.

Wow! 5 Years old? Thats amazing. What were the behaviors prior to Straterra that changed after Straterra?

Thanks

Jonathan

Before he had a non existant attention span. Although it is still short we are capable of giving orders and have them carried out. Also before he would get very upset/frustrated at a pin drop. Now he is like oh well the balloon busted, lets get another. He actually wants to sit and read now at night with me. I love it.

I have a question....How did he conquer the swallowing issue? How long had he had it for and what did you do differently such that it no longer was there? I mean that's pretty amazing....

Anyway, glad it's resolved:)

Well we started trying to get him to swallow it at first and he couldn't. So we would open the pill and pour the contents on things like pudding, but he could taste it. I thought about jello. Sometimes he would just swallow the jello without chewing it. So I thought I would just stick it in a piece. I gave him a piece of jello, he swallowed it, I gave him another piece and he swallowed it too. So then I gave him the piece with the pill in it. I saw his expression change and he yelled medicine at me and tried to spit it out. I wouldn't let him. So I gave him a glass of water and told him to just start drinking. He did and then I saw his eyes light up and said it went down. The next night I gave him the pill and a glass of water. He dipped the pill so it wouldn't stick to his tongue and started drinking. It went down. Now he reminds us at night he needs his meds. This is the first meds he has had to swallow whole but his gag reflex is easy. When the doctor puts the tongue depresser in his mouth he almosts loses it.

Very creative problem solving process TCruz....thanks for sharing:)

Its good to see parents paying attention early, and not being too frightened to give the medication a try. I bet it will change his life for the better. Our daughter started at 7, and while the problem was not as noticeable, it still was having an effect on her life. Now she is so balanced, we are very proud of her. And she is pretty much behaving responsibly about her medicine. Straight A's student..... and loves school, and gets along with everyone well.

Good job and good luck with progress

Jon