Do you need water to take pills?
I’m curious because I can just toss them into my mouth and swallow them down. Doesn’t matter the size, doesn’t matter how many, I can swallow them right off. Now my grandmother has an almost impossible time taking pills. When she broke her hip she couldn’t swallow her pain pills no matter how much water she had. Why is beyond me. What makes it so difficult for some people to swallow pills?
I prefer water, but I can still take tablets without water. I do find it difficult though.
I find the powdery ones that taste yuk are hardest to swallow without water, but all of them seem to get stuck (or feel like they do, even if they make it down) in the back of my throat.
I’ve never seen anyone in Japan take pill swithout water. In fact, it was mentioned in a discussion of “strange things foreigners do.”
Unless it’s a tiny pill I need water. I hate that feeling when a pill gets stuck in my throat then slowly makes its way down my chest. Ugh.
In a pinch, many people can take pills without water. But this should be reserved for situations where the pill really must be taken. Because with inadequate liquids, the pill can hang up on the lining of the esophagus, where it can irritate the tissue, and not get absorbed into the body in a timely fashion.
For those who have problems swallowing pills even with water, I recommend getting a straw large enough to hold the pill inside, put the straw into water or other liquid, drop the pill down the straw, and then suck thru the straw. It can be very effective for training kids to swallow pills.
QtM, MD
If I’ve been prescribed any kind of medication, I make it a point to keep a bottle of water near me if I have to take it at a time other than at mealtime.
If you or someone you know (like an older relative) has a problem with pills, you can often ask for the medication in a different form, like a liquid. Also, some drugs can be crushed or split and mixed with applesauce or some other soft food. However, NOT every drug can be crushed, so don’t do it unless a pharmacist says it’s okay to do so. If pill-swallowing becomes an issue, talk to the patient’s doctor about it.
Robin
I tried to swallow a “pill” once (it was actually some kind of breath mind that you swallowed instead of letting it dissolve in your mouth) without water, and it was horrible. The thing stuck in my throat even after I excused myself to get some water. 
Sorry, that was “mint” not “mind”.
Thanks for the comfort and reinforcement, Qad. I’ve had trouble from childhood–and still do–gulping down pills. When they don’t trigger the gag reflex on the start of the chute they feel like they get stuck half-way down. I’d swear I’ve felt Excedrin, hastily gulped w/ a bare sip of flat diet Pepsi, lodge somewhere around my sternum and just sit there, burning away.
Uh…oh…back to the OP…gimme at least 6 oz. of fluid to wash down a pill. More if it’s a horse-gagger.
For multiple pills, just haul out the biggest sport-size water bottle available. It’ll take most of the bottle to get 'em down, then another to get the “python peristalsis” feeling to go away.
Burping,
Veb
Jeez, Qadgop, where were you when I was trying to teach my kids to swallow pills? The histrionics that technique could have saved us…sheesh.
I can take almost any pill other than an Alka-Seltzer without water, or several at the same time.
Burned up my stomach lining taking Advils without water one weekend a few years back, and learned that being able to do so doesn’t make it advisable to do so.
I must have liquid, preferably not water.
My mother took 36 pills every day, and she popped about nine at a time without anything. Neat trick she taught me was to bow my head when I swallowed, instead of leaning backward like I see so many people do. It’s less likely to get caught that way.
I used the dog treat method on my daughter though, the first time she had to take a pill. Peanut butter. Got to check with your doc first, to make sure it’s okay for the med they are taking.
OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH… Maybe I’m not as juicy and moist as I thought. And they always seemed to go down so well. I have seen the light. Thank you Qadgop.
I’ve had the nurses in the hospital look at me sort of funny when I did it, but my system works for me:
Take a big swig of water, toss the pill into the water, and then swallow. Follow it up with another swig of water.
This makes for a smoother ride, and helps insulate you from the bitter taste of yucky pills.
If forced to, I can swallow pills without water, particularly if they are the aerodynamic, smooth-surfaced kind, as opposed to the powdery dry surfaced sharp edged kind (like generic aspirin.)
OK- so I must be the only one who can’t take pills with liquid alone. I have to have some kind of food to take it with. I just eat something small, chew it up and then stick the pill in my mouth and swallow. Then I drink some water. I don’t chew the pill or anything, but for some reason I could never swallow the pill with only water. Guess my Mom forgot to teach me that one (along with many other things).
Well, for small and average sized pills, I down them with a gulp of the nearest soda of choice.
Larger pills are broken in half, one half put into mouth and downed wit a gulp of carbonated beverage at hand. Repeat for remaining half of the pill.
I wonder if people having problems swallowing pills have the same problem I had.
When I was young, I swallowed “backward” - I had to be taught how to swallow. It wasn’t a problem with food, but I was pushing my tongue against my teeth and causing problems there. I found that if I worked hard at swallowing properly that I didn’t have problems swallowing pills.
I also find that getting the pill as far back in my mouth as possible helps.
I can dry swallow when I need to, but generally I build up a good mouthfull of saliva first, if there’s no water available.
(Yes, I know… Eeewww)