Need help with the pill swallow cup!! | ADHD Information

Don't feel bad, My son 9, gags from 1/2 a Zoloft also. And we are supposed to be going to a whole one. He can swallow tic tacs because they taste good but with pills he is horrible. Try the tic tac thing and then try the pill straight again. We found it easier than with the cup. Or put it in a spoon of yogurt or pudding.  It is so small I know.He gags.  He knows it's small and he really wants to be able to swallow it but it just sits on his tongue and then he gags.  I'm thinking we're making progress because he didn't want to even try before.

He loves marshmellows though.  I can try that next.
I bought the pill swallowing cup that I read about on the boards and it doesn't work!  I think I followed the instructions correctly. I filled the cup halfway with liquid and then placed the pill in the spout thing.  I made sure that it was dry.  We are talking a 1/2 of a 25mg. pill of zoloft. It's tiny!

My son was extremely cooperative. He tilted the cup all the way back a took a drink. No luck - the pill is still sitting on the grate thing except now it's wet. We tried with apple juice a couple of times.  Then I switched to water thinking that the apple juice was too sticky and same result.

We wasted 4 pills this way - we had to get special permission from our insurance company to get the scrip filled early.

My son is being wonderfully cooperative but this isn't working.

Has anybody had this problem with the cup?  What am I doing wrong?


Hvae your tried just letting him swallow it? Or tried with tic tacs or M&M's? The pill cup IMO is a waste of money. My sister stuffs meds into tiny marshamllows, and her kids swallow them.

Is the pill round?  If not, maybe put it facing in a different direction?  I'm not sure how small this pill is, but is it getting caught between the ridges in the pill compartment? 

Recently, my ds has liked taking pills by putting it on the front of a spoonful of yogurt.  He swallows the yogurt normally, and the pill slides right down the throat because the yogurt is so slippery.  Do you think that might work for your child? 

I hope your child figures out a way to swallow it! 

 

Glad he got the 1/2 at a time trick down. Took us a while to get over that hurdle. I hope you see as amazing results as we did on it.We tried the marshmellow  thing and he half chewed it and said he could feel the pill in it.  So we got him to put the 1/2 pill on his tongue and drink. And it worked!!! 10 marbles for that!   

Maybe he'll be able to start swallowing the strattera capsules next.  If he gains weight he'll be at 40mg., which is the smallest pill - don't ask me why.  To get him to swallow the 25 and the 10 might be too much.  I'll keep you posted.


For tonight, I'll take my victory with the zoloft. 

Thanks for your advice.
Update to everyone. We are on day 7 of swallowing and it gets easier every day!  We had a few rough days in the beginning but he stuck with it  - I guess that reformulated strattera must have tasted really awful. 

It never would have worked without the pudding.  Having a whole mouthful of something he had to swallow without chewing was key.

Thanks again to everyone for the great suggestions.
My 8yo dd has troubles swallowing pills too.  She takes Dexedrine which are capsules.  The pill cup never worked for us either.  Now I just put the pill in a spoon full of yogurt & down it goes!  Good luck Interesting concept Diane, Are you sure you are not a therapist? This is definatly a control issue. Now that the weekend is here he does not want to take them. Didn't I know? I can see him actually panicking. Well one day at a time.

we've heard all kinds of theories on the control stuff, but I agree witht this doc. I know your doc says drop the pill issue, but I'm not sure I ould do it. Good for you for following the advice of your doctor. I'd have given up on it by now and figured out a way to get him to take it..............wouldnt be a very good therapist

He's been on the zoloft for a long time. We've been crushing it and mixing with food.  He just went to the psychiatrist last night and we got a new scrip for Strattera 40mg., which is size-wise the smallest pill - don't ask me why.  I'm just glad that when he finally starts swallowing pills that he's at this dosage.  So we're going to try swallowing that tonight.  If it works, I save a month in reformulating to liquid costs and a whole lot of hassle and running around. Wish us luck! I think we're in a good place medication-wise right now, although I am going to try getting him off of the zoloft so we're down to only two .  And the patch and strattera have been great. But it's so good to know that if we need to adjust anything down the road that there are all these other meds open to us now. 

Spamula - Focalin can't be sprinkled?  I don't know much about it.  When my son was on Ritalin LA, we used to open the capsules and mix them with cream cheese or peanut butter and make a cheeze-it sandwich.  I know your biggest challenge is getting him to agree to take it.   What about the patch - maybe he won't see it as a medication if he doesn't have to take a pill?  I'll keep thinking about it - there's got to be a way to get him to try again.
Good Luck!Good luck with the strattera hope it works for you getting it down. This is also a big issue for us but as you know he is not taking anything so it is mute right now.Hey! I had trouble with my 7 yr old swallowing Concerta over the summer. the only things I found worked were putting it in ice cream ( but that only was good for a few weeks then it would melt too quickly) then we resorted to putting it in a spoonful of rice krispies ( with a little milk) it worked great. Finally one day my son came to me and said mom I don't want to take my pill with cereal. And he's been swallowing them ever since! It'll happen.. hang in there:)We're going to try it with a bribe of Sprite to swallow it with. Of course, his ADD mom forgot to fill the Rx so out I go to the store! Good Luck Enbom, I just forgot my Rx as well I had to run out today at the last minute. It sure would be easier than all this food stuff. Our Focalin melts the minute it gets wet and is HUGE for venry little meds. I hope all goes well.No go.  He tried and we trashed 2 pills which is a problem because the pharmacy only had 3 to give us until Sat.  Luckily we still have the liquid left.

I'm going to try the pudding tomorrow.  He even had trouble with the zoloft tonight because he moved it around his mouth instead of just drinking.  So I'm thinking the pudding. I wish I had looked back at this post before we tried - oops.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the encouragement.
Oh Bummer I know how that goes. Why do they make these things so big? Even though the Zoloft is small My son still has attacks about taking it and anything bigger no way! So I wish you luck! By the way you are lucky my pharmasist wouldn't give me anything.He did it!!!  The pudding worked!! Thank you everyone!! YAY!!!

congrats, such a huge step.

 Pudding did it for us when teaching my oldest to swallow pills. Last night I decided my 5 year old needed to learn so bought the mega pack of tic tacs, thinking this might take months, got the ice cream out, all ready, first try! I couldnt believe it, right down with the ice cream, then right down with water. How could it take my oldest almost a YEAR, and she did it in one night ! I'm thrilled as she is starting Omega's right away............had school conference for her .

HOO RAHH for you! pudding works wonders. No more turning it into liquid. You have made a big step today.

Enbmom- We have sprinkled, his in ice cream, pudding, yogurt nothing seems to work. It is the med itself, not the delivery because I asked about the patch. He was not interested. I am growing less patient although our relationship has improved 100% since the Zoloft. But why is he hiding those now? He knows they helped HUGELY! This kid is smart and sassy. His wall with the meds is so thick I don't know if it will ever come down again. But we keep trying!

spamula, this wont give you an answer to get him to take his meds, but as far as the controlling behavior, my daughter gets this way when her ADHD symptoms and anxiety are worse. Our p-doc says when everything is so "out of control" for her in her head, it's her way to sort of feel in control.  Such a catch 22 for you, as if he'd get ona good med regimen he wouldnt feel so out of control, but the meds are his control since he knows you really want him to take them.