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!!

[Rmc1904]

I'm trying to get over this fear aswell. I wish i could just take it like most other people, i've tried so many times but my reflex is too strong and when i know the pill is in my mouth i actually can't swallow! My parents and friends shout at me when i'm trying to take one and call me pathetic which doesn't help. I might try a hypnotherapist an see if they can help me.

[barbaroes]

im 12 and im terrified of taking these cough pill thingies. i know i hve to get over my fear but im afraid if i takenthe pill whole ill chike. so i cut it into FOURS god. i sometimes throw them out cuz im so scred o them. well not that im scared. my tounge is just like no! and it shoots the pill up against the top of my mouth. its wierd becuz i used to take motrin when i was youner i think but t was a pill and it went down easy. but f insay put it in water or aometin teyll say no becuz they want me to learn. i hate coughs so mich. making me suffer!!!

[lisnbo]

I'm 48 and have never been comfortable taking pills.  If I can feel it in my mouth I can't swallow it.  Yet I can swallow three capsules at once.  I think it is because they float in my mouth.  My kids laugh at me.  I need to be alone, in a quiet room (with a sink), and really concentrate on swallowing.  But even then sometimes it just wont go.  I gag, spit it out, get frustrated and try again later.  When I think about cutting them in half...I worry that the sharp edge will slice my throat open....I know that's not even possible...but fears are never reasonable.   I have no advice....but for everyone..it's GREAT to know we are not alone.

[annalawny]

I am nearly 60 and have had pill issues for over 20 years.  I choked on an aspirin, and my husband did the heimlich maneuver, which is why I"m here to write about it!  Since then, I have had extreme difficulty - to the point of seeking pediatric meds because they're liquid, and so on.  I don't advocate your doing that - I advocate your seeing your doctor about it and asking about it if you haven't already.  Each person handles pill taking differently, and as I"m not a doctor and know nothing about your reasons for your inability to swallow pills, I can't offer any concrete suggestions as to what to try, but I will say what has helped ME - there may be tips or techniques to help you with swallowing, but you should ask your doc about these.  Also, ask your pharmacist if the pills you must take are those which can be cut in half or even crushed - there are cutters and crushers on the market for this purpose - trust me.  I know that!  Caution, however, is in order - if you are doing that, be sure to ask the doctor / pharmacist before cutting pills, because some of them are 'time-release' and if you don't take them whole, you're getting too great a dose up front, which can have serious consequences.  I did that with a capsule once, and omg.  It wasn't pretty!  I had a pituitary problem and the doctor told me I would just have to learn how to take them, as I had to have them.  Eventually, I was able to take them.  I have also had to take BP pills, and now anxiety meds.  I consider the pharmacists good friends, because they feel my pain, and can advise me on the best strategy.  Your doc should also understand and try to help you work this out.  At the end of the day, be upfront w/ your healthcare providers about your issues and do what they say.  Don't be 'embarrassed.'  Some of the coolest people on here have problems with pill swallowing!  (Lmao.)  Good luck - it's all good.

[Resilience]

Try stuffing the pill in banana slice and then start chewing around the pill (try forgetting about the pill, I know that if you have a phobia that is extremely difficult but it is important). Then start swallowing bits of the banana and swallow the pill with the remains of the banana! Voila! There went the pill!

I'm still terrified of pills, but I tried this method just 5 minutes ago, and it worked! I sincerely hope it works for you too! =D

Before doing this, I used to stir the pill in water and drink it down (it tasted nasty though, and could be dangerous (that depends on what pills you're taking)).

[angeleyes251]

I am glad that i thought i was alone...i am 54 and still have a fear of swallowing pills...i have a high blood pressure and i was given a very tiny pill to take it was okay for me,  because i could chew it, but now i found out that i'm allergic to it..doctor changed it for me now it's alittle larger that before and i'm not to chew it or crush it i must swallow it whole ....I tried it many ways but somehow it finds it self to stay...please is anyone out there with any suggestion ..i was thinking of hypnotizem...will it work???