For the parents that are giving meds to their children, how do you do it? They are pills right? My 7 year old has never taken a pill in her life. And she is extremely dramatic and I could not imagine her being able to swallow it. Do you dissolve it or crush it or anything like that?

The first time I gave steven his pill was the first time he'd ever taken it either (he was six). I spent time explaining to him how to take it, calming his worries, and he didn't do so good the first day, but by day two he was acting like a pro. We haven't had any issues since.

I told him that he needed to put it far back in his mouth, and then I gave him what he wanted to drink and just told him to forget about the pill, and drink like he was drinking normally. (Like I said, it didn't go great at first since he was worried about the pill, and could feel it) I just calmly kept explaining to drink just like normal, and forget about the pill. it seemed to work, he got it down on his second try, and by day two had no problems.

Before you crush, or dissolve it into anything you need to talk to the pharmisist. Some meds can't be done that way because it kills the effectiveness of the medication (I think most long acting, and time release meds work that way).

My oldest cannot swallow pills so we use focalin xr. The capsule can be opened and the beads sprinkled on a spoon full of yogurt or pudding (or just on the spoon). Adderall can also be sprinkled. The Daytrana patch is one you apply to the skin and there is even a liquid methylphenidate, although it is the short acting form. Discuss this with the doc so the doc can taylor the treatment to your daughter.

To teach pill swallowing, you can start with the little beads for cake decorating and work up to tic tacs.

CVS also makes a pill swallowing cup that has a special compartment on the rim to place the pill in, then you place your mouth there, and drink normally, the pill goes down, no problems..

I think if you google "pill swallowing cup" several versions come up.

Our approach was to accept that there would be a couple wasted each time so we practiced swallowing pills ahead of time.

We knew a couple of months ago we would probably reach the point of medication so we started practising with soft chewable "EyeQ" omega 3 capsules - he didn't like the taste so swallowed them. We wasted a few each time until he got the hang of it.

We did this for a while and then when we introduced the "meds" - Ritalin 10mg tablets he wasn't frightened of the sensation. We lost a couple the first few day - they started to deteriorate before he could swallow or he spat it on the floor. He did get the hang of it and was swallowing them easily after 2 days.

This morning we started with Ritalin LR 20mg capsules. He swallowed it first go. Yippee.

Shelley

Hi ReesesMom,

I wanted to second what Lady Lark said about talking to the pharmacist first. Some meds (time released, absolutely can not be crushed, not because the med loses it's effectiveness - quite the contrary - the drug is intended to be released slowly into the bloodstream. If you give it all at once it is essentially like taking an overdose). My 7 year old (turned 7 yesterday) takes Claritin - and she hates the taste of almost any liquid medicine. When I thought she might be able to handle pills, I had her watch me swallow a pill, and then gave her a pill that was prescribed for her. I explained that she had to put it far back in her mouth, and keep swallowing the water until it went down. She amazed me, because she too is dramatic and would take 20 minutes to take her liquid Zyrtec, or cold medicine when she needed it - also liquid. She loves taking pills now instead of liquid. The last time she had an ear or sinus infection she asked the doctor if she could have pills like a big girl instead of liquid.

At Heart

When my son first started taking meds, he would not want to try the pill. it was a time released capsule, so you could sprinkle the little beeds on whatever soft foods. After
2 weeks of this, i showed him again how to swallow the pill, and he did it successfully.
Now he just swallows the capsule whole.

Other idea, you can try with Tic Tacks, or any other small candy like that. It will let her get the hang of it without wasting too many pills.

We put it in a chocolate rolo - but only works for non-time-release ones

I read in an article recently that you can coat it with butter so it's more likely to slide down the throat. It also recomended putting a pill into a spoon full of applesauce and telling the child to swallow like normal. That way the pill won't float around the top of the water and be more noticed.

I often give patients pills in either applesauce or ice cream. Either way it is easier to swallow. My mom tried the butter trick with me as a child. Good think I didn't mind the taste of butter, otherwise I would have spit it out.