has anyone ever gotten over fear of swallowing pills?

[BethanySublime]

i am SO sick of my inability to swallow pills!!  i'm 19 years old and still can't do it for the life of me!  due to certain health problems, i have been trying to eat really healthy to boost my immune system which plays the biggest part in fighting my sickness, and eating healthy is helping, but there are so many supplements that would just magnify my efforts so much.  but i can't for the life of me get over the fear of choking on a pill.  (it probably doesn't help that the 1 time i finally learned how a few years ago & was taking supplements for a couple weeks, i DID choke & puke & haven't swallowed a thing whole since).  even a couple years ago my parents gave me HUGE insentive that if i could just learn they would send me to my home state to visit friends for a while.  i tried hard as hell!  i started with things so small as SPRINKLES and a very positive attitude, but believe it or not, i couldn't even conquer them!  the best i could do was swallow a quarter of a piece of diced peaches after letting it sit in my mouth for at least 3 minutes.  it's THAT bad!!  i know it's all in my head, but it is NOT something i can just "think away."  19 years of compounding fear and i feel like i will never be able to get over this...but my life would be SOOOOOOO much better if i just could!  has anyone else had this issue and conquered it?  i would LOVE to know how!!

[Yesacasey18]

I am on a contraceptive pill and although I can swallow them, I feel like vomiting at the thought of swallowing it. I never had this problem before Its something i have developed. Not taking the pill is not an option. Has anyone got any tips for me?

[answerall]

I am 19 years of age as well an I've had the fear of taking pills for my entire life. It use to be my parents would have to crush up a tynol or gravol and put it in jam on a spoon. The worst part about my fear was that i woud get car sick so i always had to take a gravol everytime we went on long road trips. At first my parents would get me the chewables, but when i got older the chewables weren't strong enough. I have conqured being able to take small pills, I had no choice to when I started using birth control. I conqured this fear when I was about 8 or 9 years old all on my own. My method was rocket candy(Thos small powdered candies you gt in the wrappers, they are shaped like pills) When i did this all i was thinking was "Its a piece of candy, it cant hurt me" and i would swollow them at first with water or juice the ratio would be this, i would put the candy in my mouth and take a huge mouth full of juice then just quickly swollow. Also in my head i was thinking(I'e swollowed crumbs and food that is bigger then this everyday) then after a few weeks i lowered the juice ratio and eventually i was able to swallow the rockets with no juice in my mouth. BUT when i tarted taking birth control the fear was back. birth control pills are soo tiny so what i did was i made a crumb of a cookie, swollowed that crumb whole and i was fine. so i thought(Just think of it as a piece of everyday food) so i popped in in my mouth and boom i was cured. I do still have the fear of taking anything bigger then a 500m ibprohine pill. this one time i got sick i had to take these huge circular pills. the best i could do was just crush it up and take little pieces until it was finished. So if you want to take small pills i suggest that, just dont think of it as a pill, cuz you can swollow your meals no problem right? so just dont even think of it as a pill

[cnote]

Easy solution. Just either break em up in small pieces and take it bit by bit if you can. Some things you cant if they are time released. But most nutritional supplements aren't time released. Also, you could make a smoothie and blend your supplement pills in there!? Just and Idea. I don't think its all in your head. Some of us have easy gag reflexes, and bigger tonsils. I cant take big antibiotic pills, I have to cut em in pieces or get liquid form. Lots of things come in liquid form these days too. Hang in there. You'll find a way. =)

[pinkiepie36]

dont worry, i cant swallow them either. and im 13

it was very strange , because i rember one time when i had a fever, and i was about 9 years old. i was sleeping on the couch when my father woke me up and handed me a moltrin for kids. being sleepy still, i took the pill and water and swallowed them down in a whoosh and went back to sleep.

then, the triminic i was used to taking (the orange flavored kids ones, since i tend to collect colds like some people collect stamps) did not work any more, so my mother told me to take a tylenol instead. i took it down on my first try, and was very proud. from then on, i could take tylenols whenever i needed to, just to gulp them down.the one morning , i took one and swallowed just the pill and not the water with it. i gagged and nearly threw up. i started to get anxious about pills all over again. and then, i was able to take any size pill i wanted to (benilyn,tylenol active release)  until i somehow gagged again! and now i can only swallow pills when i really am calm. its a on and off thing. it makes me crazy wondering if i am going to be able to swallow my next pill. im sorry this was so long, but i was wondering if anyone could offer me some tips?

[shoutoutloud08]

I'm 20 and still cant swallow pills. I thought I was the only one who had this fear. My parents get really annoyed at me and tell me its ridiculous. I usually just crush up the ones that arent time release and I take liquid or chewables. Hopefully I will get over it soon.

[adriii]

hi im 12 1/2 years old and have such a big problem swallowing pills!! i HATE taking pills!!! I recent;ly went to the hospital and they gave me  amoxacilen.... or something like that..... IT WAS HUGE!!!! I couldnt swallow it!!!! i ended upp chewing it!!! YUCKIE!!!!! and the next day... i had to take another pill..... ended up choking on it.. water shooting outta my mouth as if i was puking!!!! i honestly cant take pills unless there really small like the small zyrtec pills. Well thats the story of my fear..... but you know what makes it worse...... people pressuring u to take the pill!!! when i say no... they tell me to grow up..... its a pill!!! IM FREAKING SCARED OF CHOKING GOD!!!!! Ughhhh anywayzzz im just terrified that ill choke on the pill again