Is there a trick someone could tell me on how to get my 6 year old to swallow a pill. He has acid reflux and has to take a pill every morning. I am stuck. He won't do it.

Trisha - posted on 08/25/2012

Just found this http://www.mothering.com/community/t/474... and this extracted from it .... http://www.reflux.org/reflux/webdoc01.ns...(vwWebPage)/EPS-TD.htm?OpenDocument ... looks interesting

CCHRInt good website also.

Beth - posted on 06/21/2009

Hi, all: I posted in May, hoping maybe someone will see this and respond. Has anyone sprinkled Stratterra and had positive results in behavior? Sprinkling not recommended by maker and it's supposed to be bitter, but maybe if we put it in peanut butter?

Kelly - posted on 05/05/2009

I give my son Melatonin at night to sleep. We crush it and mix it in with his drink.
If it's not coated...like an aspirin you should be able to do it.

Gretta - posted on 05/04/2009

For my son we taught him to swallow pills by using different sizes of M&Ms. Of course he actually really loves sweets so the trick was having him work at not chewing these. He was 5 years old at the time when we taught him. It only took a few days and of course we did allow him to take "breaks" and chew some between tries and then once he was able to work at the real medication then the reward of course was the real M&Ms.

Beth - posted on 05/04/2009

I'm facing this problem, but with Strattera. We have been sprinkling Adderall (it's a capsule that can be opened) in applesauce with success but the doctors keep saying the Strattera tastes really terrible and can't be disguised in anything. But it, too, is a capsule and at least in theory could be sprinkled. Has anyone had success with that? If so, how? We keep trying to teach our son to swallow a pill but he finds it very hard and has given up. He'll be 6 in July. I don't want to make this an unpleasant experience! The doctors also say Strattera only works with some kids on the spectrum, but I'd like to at least give it a chance. It's the only non-stimulant and while Adderall has been the best of the lot (he went crazy on Risperdal, for instance), I still don't think it's great. School likes it; he is better, but I think there's a rebound, and we only give him XR. I believe Strattera stays in the system. Besides focus and hyperactivity, it can also help with perseveration and anxiety, both issues in our high-functioning/Aspergers/ADHD kid. Thanks

Leslie - posted on 04/25/2009

Cut the pill for him and buy childrens viatmins thqat looks like candy and put the pill in their make pretrend its the vitamin,

Rae Jean - posted on 04/25/2009

My son has to take his meds at night time. Our trick is that we crush it all up and put it in his drink. We call it his muscle juice. After he drinks it we check his muscles to see if they got any bigger. Try putting it in milk, it covers the taste of any kind of medicine. Especially if you put in strawberry or chocolate syrup. Good luck, it was a hard thing for me to figure out too.

Cara - posted on 04/25/2009

i have this problem crush it up really good and then use a medicine syringe with hot water let it disolve and add it to a flavored juice like jiucy juice berry. I have to do this every eve and every morning good luck

Nicole - posted on 04/25/2009

My name is Nicole Hellmann and my son is 3 years old. He also has acid reflux he has to take prevacid and his dissolves in his mouth and it tastes like stawberry. And he can't stand to to take meds. But he takes that one.

Jennifer - posted on 04/25/2009

you dont even have to give him a pill. My son was on acid reflux medication for 2 yrs (prilosec) We found a pharmacist who could make it into a liquid. Its called a compound. Just tell your Dr. that you need your Rx to be made for a compound liquid :)

Sarah - posted on 04/25/2009

try to put it in applesauce, pudding or yougurt that has worked for me in the past. but don't let them see it

Gwen - posted on 04/25/2009

My son is 9 and still can't swallow tablets. We've tried crushing but often the medication tastes disgusting - no matter what we put it in - honey, his breakfast, inside a sausage etc. He knows its there. We have found one tablet which he takes for anxiety that he can chew and that has temporary solve our problem. Ask you pharmacist for alternatives.



As for Barbara's comment - its not always diet related. Kevin had acid reflux due to a conditon called Pierre Robin Sequence and his oseophgatus didnt work in syncronisation. We found a liquid remedy that we squirted down using a syringe and it helped tremendously.



Good luck!

Desiree - posted on 04/24/2009

My son never was able to swallow pill. We have to have all his medication in liquid form. Find a compound pharmacy and see if they can make the presciption liquid.

Katy - posted on 04/24/2009

ask your doctor for the prevacid dissolvable tabs. My 2 month old daughter took those... they taste like cherry and dissolve before they have a chance to reject them!

Kay - posted on 04/24/2009

try putting the pill in some apple sauce without him knowing

Ashley - posted on 04/24/2009

crush it! put it in choc milk and domt tell him it's in there. thants what i do with my sons meds. you could put it in puddin or apple sauce.

Linda - posted on 04/24/2009

My son takes a liquid form of Zantac because he can't swallow pills yet (he's almost 4). The generic name is Rantidine. This may be an option.

Staycee - posted on 04/23/2009

I had a child who practiced with tictacs to learn how to swallow pills. Other wise try putting it in something to make it go down easier. I myself put water in my mouth then drop the pill in and swallow the pill.

Rachel - posted on 04/23/2009

Hi I had the same problem, what I done was crush his tablets and put them in his yoghurt so it still goes in but it works and taste nice for him. Hope that helps :)

Janet - posted on 04/23/2009

I crushed pills until my son could swallow on his own. He was older, but he eventually learned! Just make sure the medication won't be compromised.

Barbara - posted on 04/20/2009

Sometimes those with autism are smarter then we who are called normal. Taking a pill to cover the symptoms of acid reflux will do long term harm to a body. You need to find out what is causing the acid reflex. It is all about nutrition. He is either lacking something or is eating something that is causing harm to his digestive system. Pop is the biggest culprit in children. If you do not let him have pop then search on. Also try digestive enzyme's. These come in a capsule and can be broken open, sprinkled on the food and stirred in. To most they are absolutely tasteless. Especiall with something like applesauce or pudding. A six year old should not have acid reflux. How are his bowel movements? Our son had a lot of issues with his digestive system. It became very sluggish due to drugs. When we got him drug free, we had a real problem. His breath even stunk because he was not digesting protein and his bowels were not moving on a regular basis. So we began a seaweed extract that has helped his body so much that even the autism symptoms have reduced. He has not had to take any drugs since we began the seaweed. And the seaweed is liquid. Yeah! No more pills.

Tammy - posted on 04/20/2009

I have acid reflux and find it better to take it at night with a little applesauce.

Jennifer - posted on 04/20/2009

With my daughter (11)putting it in stuff doesn't work. However, we have been able to develop a little trick that works fairly well for her. I hold the capsule between two fingers, she opens up with her tongue kind of sticking out, and I aim for the back of her throat. Shoot it in, she coughs, and it goes down. It works most of the time, and with no water.

Patricia - posted on 04/20/2009

try putting it in applesauce or pudding...

Anneka - posted on 04/20/2009

I have the same problem. With my son, I think it's mental. He knows he needs to do it, but he psychs himself out for it. He's 10 and sometimes he can if they're small, and sometimes he can't. If you do find a way, please let me know : )

Meredith - posted on 04/20/2009

Can you bury it in applesauce or a banana or some such?

Candace - posted on 04/20/2009

I had a tricky time getting my little one to swallow pills. We actually gave him tic-tacs to swallow. Once he could swallow those, we moved to pills. It worked well for him. He's 10 and takes 2 pills in the morning and 4 at night. He even swallows them without water! It may take time - it's a hard concept for little kids to understand. My grandmother who is in her 70's won't (and never has) swallowed pills!