# Jerking your head back when swallowing pills. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096 "2012-05-25T19:30:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/21 "2012-05-26T09:15:56Z")
Come to think of it, I’m not sure if I do this or not. Well, I do this sometimes, but mostly if I feel like being theatrical (I have been known to be a ham purely for the fun of it). Maybe it’s theater shorthand so the audience knows what is going on from the peanut gallery? EDIT: Oh, and my wife does the “drop the pill into a mouthful of water” thing. She admits it’s weird, but it’s how she was taught. I put the pill in my mouth first, then take a swig of water. It works as long as I’m not thinking about how it works. Once I start thinking about that, the whole centipede’s dillema sets in and the only way for me to swallow the pill is to drink a _lot_ of water. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/22 "2012-05-26T13:43:59Z")
I was going to make this thread! Joaquin Phoenix does it in the Johnny Cash movie Walk the Line. He also adds in the common thumb to the throat gesture too. IIRC, it’s in the hotel scene after his first night with June, and also in his mansion in the woods. But it’s a Johnny Cash movie, so pill popping is rampant. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/23 "2012-05-26T14:18:42Z")
I see people doing that all the time. It’s not always a dramatic jerking movement, but definitely a tilt. I take pills by taking the sip of water first and then plunking the pill into it with my head back. I can’t stand the feeling of a pill stuck to my tongue, and this method eliminates that. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/24 "2012-05-26T15:05:14Z")
As for how I take them, I just swallow them like a normal human. Liquid or no. I think it’s a funny hangup people have. Most of us can scarf down huge bites of food. A pill or two is nothing. Unless we’re talking the odd horse pill. What sort of medication do you give to an odd horse? /groucho ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/25 "2012-05-26T15:53:25Z")
I only do that when the pill is large and lozenge shaped to orient the pill in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/26 "2012-05-26T16:27:27Z")
I was interested to see this thread come up because, until pretty recently, I had also wondered why in the world anyone would do that when they take a pill. Then I started taking a medication 6 or 7 times a day that required a fairly rigid schedule and found that it wasn’t always easy to find a cup. So I often had to use a water fountain to take my pills and sometimes had to just generate some saliva to help the pills down. After a few total fails, I started doing the little “head back and shake” thing naturally without even thinking about it. For me it was the only way I could get the pill off the side of my mouth (or my tongue) and mixed with the liquid to ensure it would go down. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/27 "2012-05-26T17:10:37Z")
I put the pill under my tongue, so I can’t taste it (most meds seem to be pretty nasty), then take a mouthful of water, and toss my head back to chuck the pill and the water back so the pill is surrounded by water at the opening of my throat, and I can swallow everything. Again, I do it so I’m not tasting anything, and the head toss definitely helps the process. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/28 "2012-05-26T18:55:02Z")
I don’t do a tilt I don’t think, but I also can dry swallow pills. I usually take them with water, but I have no problem with whether they are on my tongue or whatever. No problems with gagging while taking pills here! ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/29 "2012-05-27T02:36:24Z")
I do it with large solid tablets. Knocks them to the back of my throat. As noted, it doesn’t work with capsules, which tend to float. If you guys think aspirin is bad, you’ve obviously never gotten a cracked Robitussin gelcap. Holy smokes. I couldn’t decide whether to retch or hack or choke or what. Believe it or not, cough syrup tastes _significantly_ better than its active ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/30 "2012-05-27T05:59:10Z")
I never used to be able to swallow pills, not even kids multivitamins (these little orange capsules, anyone remember those)? Never took aspirin or vitamins. Then when I hit my late twenties, I kinda had to take pills (antidepressants) even though it was still difficult for me, and I admit I hated it so much I was often non-compliant and ended up going off the meds. Once I was put on beta blockers for anxiety, though, I became so afraid of _not_ taking them (once you’re on beta blockers you’re basically tethered to them for life, at least that’s how it feels like; I’ve tried tapering off but not gonna happen; my heart hates me no matter how slowly I’ve tried to taper) that I got into the habit and know I can_not_ stop taking them. Now I’m taking three pills at a time: the beta blocker, a benzo (also for panic attacks), and an antidepressant. And _hells yeah_ I jerk my head back. Actually I use a combo of a few of the methods mentioned above. First I’ll pop all three pills in my mouth (young **choie** would never believe that!), then I take a swig of water or whatever so one of the pills isn’t sticking to my tongue – unfortunately a side effect of the antidepressant I’m on is dry mouth. Now comes the backwards head-jerk to force the water/pills near the back of my throat (though my tongue is blocking them from going down). And finally I actually lower my head again – this helps the pills float on top of the water, staying in the back of my throat – and swallow. Sounds more of a big magilla than it is. So to the contrary of the OP, in my experience – and maybe because pill-taking has always been a problem for me – I’ve always been hyper-aware of how ridiculously _easy_ it seems for people in TV and films to swallow pills without the slightest hesitation, even without liquid. Always bugs me. Definitely not an inherited problem though. My father used to take fifteen to twenty vitamins every morning, including these HUGE vitamin E and garlic pills that looked more like horse pills or suppositories, and downed 'em all at once. He used tomato or prune juice; maybe the thicker, more viscous liquid helped. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/31 "2012-05-27T06:04:33Z")
Yup, I have to take a lot of supplements and vitamins and it definitely helps to get them where they belong so I can swallow them without choking. I usually have a big sip of water first. I don’t do it all dramatically or anything though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/32 "2012-05-27T06:50:43Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Our mouths are actually very efficient at getting stuff down our throats. I find this to not be so in my case. It can be a bit of a struggle sometimes. And there are some things in particular that cause resistance, tablets being one of them (chewing gum being another). I can swallow lozenge shaped ones much easier, though for all I know that’s a mental illusion - because I believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/33 "2012-05-27T06:54:47Z")
I do this when swallowing pills because otherwise, they activate my gag reflex. Toothbrushing does too, but eating never has. I can’t explain it, I’m sure a great deal of it is psychological. I’d choose to get rid of the problem in a heartbeat, if I could! > [@Arabella\_Flynn](#): > > If you guys think aspirin is bad, you’ve obviously never gotten a cracked Robitussin gelcap. Holy smokes. I couldn’t decide whether to retch or hack or choke or what. Believe it or not, cough syrup tastes _significantly_ better than its active ingredient. I broke open a gelcap on purpose once, because I was curious about the taste. It was awful, but at least I know \*how \*awful! ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/34 "2012-05-28T06:17:54Z")
> [@choie](#): > > He used tomato or prune juice; maybe the thicker, more viscous liquid helped. I prefer to take pills, especially big ones like my multivitamins, with milk, juice, or even soda in a pinch. I can do it with water, but using something with a little more “body” helps. I have no idea if it’s physical or psychological. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/35 "2012-05-28T07:00:36Z")
It’s a typical scene in a movie because there is no other visual cue for swallowing a pill. I take a sip of water, tilt my head back and then draw my tongue back along the roof of my mouth. this maneuver opens up the throat and triggers the natural urge to swallow. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096/36 "2012-05-28T13:42:19Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > What I don’t get is people who can swallow pills with out the use of any liquid! I can do this. I used to do it on Jewish fast days like Yom Kippur, but I eventually stopped because my stomach didn’t feel right if I swallowed them without water. Maybe it was psychological. I don’t jerk my head back when I swallow pills with water. I hold them between my lips (two in the morning, four in the evening) and let the water wash them down. It’s easy. On the other hand, all three of my kids jerk their heads when taking pills. Must have learned that from their mother. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerking-your-head-back-when-swallowing-pills/623096.md?page=1)