How do you swallow a tablet?

What is the MAIN method you use to swallow a tablet?

I put the water in first.

I put the tablet in, then water.

OK, heres the trick to end all tricks for pill swallowing -- taught to me by someone who works with older folks.

1. Put the pill in your mouth

2. Take a sip of water
3. Turn your head to the right (your right) and look across your shoulder (straight ahead, not tilting your head)
4. Swallow

It has to do with the way that it closes off the pipe to your lungs and opens up the pipe to your stomach properly, and the pill goes right down :)


I used to have problems with those really big liquid migrane advils, but never again once i started doing this :D

I can only swallow small, smooth, round pills, a round and coated pill I place and follow with water. it it is small and not coated, I dont use water at all, I use an apple, the apple is more abrasive and physically forces the tablet down, cuz if its not coated it goes partway down my throat and sticks.

caplets I cannot swallow at all, my thoat just completey closes up

I usually only take excedrin, and I crush it so it gets into the bloodstream much faster, speed is quite important with stopping migraines.

You should make sure its ok before crushing any pill. Most pills are only partially dissolved into the bloodstream before passing out of your system, or they are meant to be released slowly. They are made to be this way. Crushing certain tablets can be a means of overdosing because you are getting much more than you would having swallowed the pill. As well as making sure its ok, with some things like non-prescription pain meds, take a smaller dose if you plan to crush it.

I rarely take pills, but I put the pill in first, then water. :)

I trained myself as a kid to swallow meds dry, as I sometimes needed to take my asthma meds when I was outdoors and away from convenient water. And the stuff I used to take for asthma, Tedral - well, it was so nasty-tasting and bitter that if it so much as touched your tongue, it would be all you could taste for hours. So I can swallow any pill without water and without it touching my tongue. I used to hold it between my front teeth and then jerk my head back so it fell into my throat, but I have been able to do it without resorting to that since about 10th grade in high school.

pill first..then water

In the very rare occasion I take pills for something it's always a big mouthfull of water first, then pill.

i use the water first cause there is less time for you to taste the disgusting pill, but i can take the pill first if i need to.

I put water in my mouth, then tablet, then more water. :D

Water first! (I didn't know so many others did this..LOL)

Pill then water.

I also have a trick to swallowing pills. A straw. Put the pill in your mouth then drink the water through the straw. You never even feel the pill going down...even those big ones:) Worked great for a girl I work with who had problems swallowing even small pills.

Other than my vitamins I rarely take pills. My vitamins taste horrible so I take them with orange juice. I put the orange juice in my mouth first, then the vitamin.

I put the tablet in my mouth and then water.

Pill then pop or lemonade.I never use water.Sence I take pills twice a day I thought this poll are interseting.

None of the above. Take a sip of water, then the pill, then drink the accompanying liquid. I can't get pills down with anything warmer than room temperature either, it has to be something cool.

Most of the time it's the pill in first, then a drink of water. But if it's Advil I'm taking I don't need anything because the coating is sweet, so I suck on it for a little bit then swallow.

it really depends. Sometimes I'm in such a hurry I bring my meds to school and use the water fountain.

I put the pills in first, then a drink of water.

I drink the water then put the pill in. But a lot of water!

i prefer to take dissolvable tablets but when i do take pills i put the pill in first,then water if i need it.

Liquid first (usually Red Bull energy drink) then pill... then more liquid.

I can only take small pills like Ibuprofen or something. I have a hard time swallowing pills. Even eating I have to chew my food thoroughly(sp?).

When I do take a pill though, I place the pill on my tongue and get a big gulp of water and it usually goes down on the first try. I'll have to use the 'head to the right' method next time.

Good thread! I've recently been put on Ferrous Sulphate tablets to increase the serum ferritin levels in my blood, and I put the tablet near the back of my tongue, then take a sip of water and swallow. Those tablets are only small and disc-shaped, sometimes it takes a few gulps to swallow a longer paracetamol!