swallowing pills

Hi Sherree. Yes, the pills are teeny. My son initially chewed them, but after the first bottle couldn’t stand ithe taste any more. We told him to drink, put the pills far back on his tongue, and drink. He doesn’t actually do it that way, but he does get them down!

Hi Amy,
Thanks so… much. I think I will at least try them. As long as she gets it down. I might even be able to hide it in applesauce (maybe) . Thanks for the insight. Sherree. P.S. Is it helping your son? How long has he been on it? Does he get the full effect even though he doesn’t swallow it whole? How old is he? Mine is 5 and they are starting on 20 mg. Thanks again

Sherree- my daughter also has a hard time swallowing pills. I’ve found that if she eats something like a banana and chews it until she is ready to swallow then pops the pill into her mouth with the small bite and swallows - she doesn’t notice and its just like swallowing a bite of food. She’s been doing this for a few years. Sounds a little ucky but it works.

My son started at 6 1/2. He’s slender anyway (now he’s absolutely skinnny) so we tried it at 5 mg, then 10 , part of last summer. After the summer we went to 15 mg, 2x/day. He takes it right before going to school, and at school. I hardly see him on the meds because he doesn’t want it on the weekends, but his teachers say it works really well. It really controls the superfluous movement and fidgeting and does let him focus . He does have a rebound effect coming off it and his appetite has been surpressed - even though it is not supposed to be when he is not on the medication. I would try concerta, since the rebound is a bit much, but I’m concerned about his eating even less!

If you don’t have anything nice to say please don’t reply to me. This message board is for support not criticism.

Our child just started on medication for the first time and is totally phobic about swallowing pills. The doctor suggested Metadate capsules because they can be opened and the contents poured into a spoonful of apple sauce. This medication works well so far, and the administration is a breeze. I think this is the only medicine that can be given in such a way, and you have to take care to make sure the child doesn’t chew the applesauce. So far so good…since this is our first experience with medication and I am watching our child like a hawk….

I put the whole, uncrushed pill in a spoonful of applesauce and my daughter swallows it right down without chewing. As long as the pills are small, this method works great for us.

Debra,

What is your daughter on you didn’t say. Mine is starting Strattera. But, I was concerned about the Ritalin SR that couldn’t be crushed. At least that is what they say. They say that about the Strattera also but, my doctors office said it could be done. Who knows what to believe. Thanks for the input

Both of my son’s gave up on Strattera it made them tired and they had upset stomachs, I guess their stomachs are just more sensitive to the chemicals in Strattera. I heard from my pediatrician yesterday that some parents who opened up the Strattera capsules and gave them to their children without the capsule…those kids had upset stomachs. However, my son’s swallowed 2 capsules each dosage once a day. The oldest one said, he liked that he could focus better but feeling like he was going to throw up 24/7 wasn’t worth the discomfort..

My daughter takes prozac as of the beginning of last week. Before that we tried ritalin (5mgs) and then Concerta (18mgs). She was really freaked about taking the pills, but with the applesauce, thankfully, she is fine with it. Oh, did I mention her age…she’s 7. She has many ADHD symptoms, but has been diagnosed with Asperger’s. The ritalin just made her much more hyper…unbelievebly so.

I also have a 14 yearold daughter with ADD. She has been on ritalin since she was 5. The applesauce thing worked for her, also. Of course as they age, the dosages have to be adjusted. My 14 year old started on 5mgs of ritalin once a day and has now progressed to 36 mg Concerta. There have been times when she didn’t want to take the meds. but, now that she is older, she can really tell the difference in how she feels medicated as opposed to unmedicated. She tells me that it is so much easier for her to focus on the teacher when she is in school and to really absorb the material that is being taught.