I have mentioned before that I have to take 7 pills a day, from a tiny half pill to one about the size of a brown coin. All was fine 'till I had a mishap which I have described before, when I accidentally sent one down my breathing tube and nearly choked to death.
Possibly as a result of that I have been very cautious and concentrate much more as I take them, but this has an unwanted result. Quite often, at least one a day, I fail to get a pill down until after several attempts.
Pills not immediately swallowed start to dissolve straight away and the taste is revolting. Not only that, but in spite of several swallows of water to get rid, it lasts for ages, sometimes with the evening pills preventing sleep for hours.
So my question is, can one crush all pills of one session with a pestle and mortar for instance, and dissolve them in a glass of water before taking them as a drink?
Or does it vary with different pills. If no-one knows I can ask in the pharmacie next time I am there but thought I might just get an answer here first.
Probably not. I think you’re likely to get an unpleasantly-flavoured watery substance followed by silt.
I recently had to start taking pills daily. I found that the best way to avoid the gag reflex was to be eating/chewing something pleasant - overnight oats or toast, for example - and to introduce the pills while so doing, while my taste buds and gag reflex are otherwise occupied, if you like. They’re easy to swallow then.
Some pills can be crushed, it generally tells you if it is safe to do this in the information leaflet that comes with the bottle. Many cannot as they are designed to release their contents slowly, or not release their contents until they have left the stomach and are further down the digestive tract.
It might be possible to ask your MT for two, smaller, pills to take. Starting with the biggest what is it? (if you prefer not to say that is 100% understood).
That is what I do with one of my pills. I have to have half of it in the morning (with another 4) and the other half in the evening (with another 3). The ones that I struggle with are the plastic coated ones. I always seem to gag afterwards when I take those type.
Thanks all for the rapid response. I don’t mind a bit naming them here but am unable to (even their needs in some cases) because of the criminal way imo big pharma can call the same stuff anything they want. I haven’t a clue which is which and merely take the long lasting ordonnances with the empty box(es) and let them sort it out for me.
Cutting permitted ones in half would be no help, I already have a problem with one that is required to be cut in half and that is as hard to get down as any of them.
I’ll just throw out a few here for info, Biogaran. Ticagrelor (or Brilique), Atorvastatine, Ramipril, Salbutamol, Peroxat, Pramiprexol, also known as Pariet and Rabiprezole I think which I have been taking for years against reflux. Of the rest I know at least one is for blood thinning, no idea which.
Thanks again for the info and I take the hint that the pharmacie is the next stop, usually on Mondays.
It’s not quite a free for all! So somewhere on each box should be the list of ingredients which shows the active ingredient which is unchanged even if the box is branded Peter’s Perfect Pills. So if you get given Brilique or Belinta it should still say Ticagrelor somewhere.
Maybe ask the pharmacist to give you a list of them with the descriptions, Ticagrelor should be round and yellow’ish for example.
Round and yellowish, now that sounds a bit too technical to me.
Why should I, the afllicted in at least 2 spheres be the one to work it all out. If it is an asprin, call it an asprin and if you want to tell me who made it , put it in little writing underneath.
All I need to know is if I am going to get better, stay the same, or cancel myself out altogether. It is not rocket science., as they say, is is the bleedin’ obvious.
Which can be daunting. Taking a typical Atorvastatin UK tablet it could contain: Microcrystalline cellulose, Lactose monohydrate, Colloidal anhydrous silica,
Croscarmellose sodium, Sodium hydrogen carbonate, Sodium carbonate, anhydrous
Hydroxypropylcellulose, Magnesium stearate, Butylhydroxyanisole, Butylhydroxytoluene
And the coating is made out of: Opadry YS-1-7040 white, Hypromellose, Macrogol 8000, Titanium dioxide (E171), Talc
Phew.
All drugs have at least two names - the generic and the trade name, the latter can differ between two manufacturers. There’s also the chemical name for many drugs but your MT is really not going to know what you want if you ask for a repeat prescription of (3R,5R)-7-[2-(4-Fluorophenyl)-3-phenyl-4-(phenylcarbamoyl)-5-propan-2-ylpyrrol-1-yl]-3,5-dihydroxyheptanoic acid.
So:
Atorvastatine - Atorvastatin in the UK, original trade name Lipitor - now off patent though; comes in 10mg, 20mg, 40mg and 80mg tablets. Swallow whole. Avoid too much grapefruit juice.
Biogaran - appears to be a French pharma company, not an individual drug.
Ticagrelor, anti-platelet drug, trade name was Brilique but off patient AFAICS, comes in 60mg and 90mg tablets. Can be crushed according to the UK patient info sheet. There is also a orodispersible tablet under the Brilique brand.
Salbutamol - normally an inhaler?
Ramipril - blood pressure (also post MI), looks like the original UK trade name was Tritace (never knew that) but off patent these days. Comes in 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10mg tablets. Scored tablets can be divided, do not crush.
Peroxat - a trade name, the generic is Paroxetine. Another UK trade name is Seroxat though this has been discontinued. Google’s AI also suggests that Paxil and Aropax were alternative branded products. Comes in 10,20,30 and 40mg tablets. The 20mg tablet can be divided by the look of it. Do not crush
Pramiprexol - are you sure?
Rabeprazole - that’s the generic name, the main UK/Europe trade name is Pariet (again, as with most in your list it is off patient). Antacid. Comes in 10 or 20mg tablets. Swallow whole, do not crush.
Our first lesson here some years ago with our french teacher brought a first aid kit, and explained that most pain relief was taken anally so no need to say not no chance sooner be in pain.
I think you have proved my point about the names and their variety. But the point has been taken and I will leave any change to the pharmacist/doctor. BTW, just taken my evening pills and no problem for 2 and half but I misjudged the 3rd and as a result have a horrible taste in my mouth.
I find that the atorvastatin tablet I take tastes disgusting, similar to a paracetamol tablet as it starts to break up in one’s mouth before it can be washed down, and the horrible tastes sticks around. I remember reading an article in the UK Journal of Pharmacy more than 30 years ago about how it becomes more difficult to swallow tablets without the assistance of a a large volume of water as we age, and what the industry was trying to do to solve this conundrum (since statistically, we often tend to have more solid medicine to take the older we get). The problem still doesn’t appear to have been resolved, nor does that of aftertaste.
When I take my pills I have them with a small glass of pomegranate juice (yes how posh, other juices are available ) to which I add a small amount of hot water.
I find the warmer liquid helps the pills go down easier, and the juice flavour makes it feel less like a pill-taking session.
But if you really have difficulty swallowing pills (and also food gets stuck occasionally in your oesophagus, not your windpipe) then get that checked out. I used to have trouble with bits of meat getting stuck and ended up having a procedure to widen my oesophagus - basically they stretch it with an inflatable thing - and that worked wonders, including for pill-swallowing.
if you have had acid reflux in the past it may have caused a narrowing or hardening of the lining of the oesophagus - my throat consultant lady put me on Omeprazole as a precaution after my throat widening procedure, to prevent a recurrence.
But do try warm liquid with your pills anyway, that may help…
I remember back in the eighties many French dispensed drugs were pessaries rather than oral. It was explained to me that this was better for your stomach. It still caused me some amusement to be sticking an antibiotic up my bottom for a sore throat
That includes the thermometer too. I wondered why the one I bought many years ago was so wide compared to one we had previously in the UK, obviously so you wouldn’t “swallow” it LOL
) to which I add a small amount of hot water.
Where would we be without your sage, if somewhat strict, advice?