Difficulty swallowing pills.

I've been on the same ARV-pill for years now, with obvious great success.

It's a once a day tablet, and, whether it's my weekly wine and vodka session or the sober days, I've stuck to it pretty well.

But then, seemingly out of the blue, there come these days where I just simply can't swallow them.

And the pill gets stuck and there's hours of tears and retching, until it comes back out my mouth, and then you gotta take it again, even if you chew it.
You only get one a day for a month, and the taste is vile.
But you can't waste it.

But now I think it's all the moisture in the air due to the copious amounts of rain we had for weeks.
Washing won't dry, and even wooden doors and drawers won't close or open without a struggle.

So it just occurred to me that the shape of the pills are affected by the moisture.

Probably because I take a week's supply and put it in a 7-day pill planner, thus removing them from the silica drying-agent in the original container.

Great for timing, but perhaps not so great for efficient storage.

It's also because I noticed some difficulty with other pills, like vitamins, or caffeine pills (which come in blister packs without drying agents).

So tomorrow I thought I'll but a little piece of paper or pebble or whatever in the weekly pill-planner box as a reminder to take the ARV pill out of the original container.

Yeah like wood, I do think the pills are sucking up the (seasonal) moisture and thus slightly changing shape.
Strange though, I've been to doctors in previous years (in utter despair), and they just couldn't give me this simple advice or explanation.

Anyway, here's some more tips on swallowing large pills.
www.webmd.com...

a reply to: halfoldman

I had a terrible time with my morning pill that needs to be taken at roughly the same time each day. I'd take it first thing, then not remember for sure if I had a short time later. (I don't like pill boxes- I always forget to open them. lol)

I got the idea one morning to turn the pill bottle upside down after taking the drug, and turning it right side up in the afternoon. It keeps me from skipping a dose, or worse-double dosing!

a reply to: nugget1

Great idea, thanks!

I'll try that.

a reply to: halfoldman

I have 2 titanium plates on my cervical vertebra, C-4 through C-6, that has created 2 ridges in my throat that pills and other solids have a tendency to get lodged on and no amount of water will dislodge them. I found that washing them down with bread or crackers, or something solid, gets the job done better than water.

I don't see humidity being the problem. You try washing them down with water anyway, don't you?


Try bigger gulps rather than little sips of water.

Although now I'm thinking of old or infirm patients who don't just have a week, but a monthly pill-planner, where perhaps a good Samaritan does it for them in advance.

Thus removing the pills from their original packaging for a long time.

Although most pills might have a little discomfort, but I think it's the size of my ARV that makes it really significant.

It was with great fanfare a few years back that they announced, oh HIV is one pill a day now.

But that's a humongous pill.

I've heard someone say, wow, you've got to swallow a Lego-brick!

So yeah, if a smaller pill expands it's probably not so noticeable, but it's something doctors and care-givers should be aware of.

Well, it's my theory at the moment.

I'll report back tomorrow when I take a fresh one from the original container with the drying agent in it (it's like this round plastic thingie in the pill-container that says "Do not eat" - I assume it's silica).

But it's so moist in Cape Town at the moment, even the table salt is solid and unshakable (even with the rice grains in).
Yeah, we had to buy a rock-salt grinder, just to get some salt on the food.

And these pills are essentially compacted powder, and I'm sure that drying agent wouldn't be in it if moisture wasn't an issue for these specific pills.

But it's really been raining virtually non-stop for three weeks; never seen anything like it.

a reply to: halfoldman

I feel your pain. I have had trouble swallowing pills all my life. I have to force them down or if possible crush them up and take them as a powder.
It sucks.

My issue is ether psychological or physical. 8(

a reply to: nugget1

I have a spot for any pills that I need to take and a spot for them after I take them.
That way if I forget I wont take double. I do sometimes forget to put the bottle back in the have not taken yet sot each morning but the pill I take (gerd) is better if i don't take it than it would be if I take to many.

a reply to: halfoldman

You can also try tilting your head up and looking at the sky. That helps some people. I guess it straightens out the throat?

a reply to: scraedtosleep

By me the pill gets stuck more about the diaphragm area, although it's obviously in the digestive tract, not the airwaves.

But I would say, you could use that as medieval-type torture.

a reply to: halfoldman

For me things changed as I got older, elderly. Pills, but usually capsules, got stuck. I suspect the flap that cuts off your air when you swallow is the prime culprit. Time after time I swore that I was close to dying as the pill was stuck and not coming up or going down.

I found a couple of tricks to aid this hateful job. First, take as much water in your mouth as you can swallow, a big gulp and the pill. Tilt your head up and make a good swallow. That seems to "float" the pill down past the hangup.

If you get where the pill is hanging up and you can't hack it up, place a finger in the depression at the bottom of your throat/top of the chest and firmly push in. That sometimes helps for me. I suppose that a forceful, self-induced Heimlich maneuver may help also.

a reply to: halfoldman

if it's only with pills that you experience diffculty swallowing, it's fine, but if it's with all foods it could be sign of throat cancer.

a reply to: Observer19

Yes, not only is it a localized pain, but you're retching from the gut, and the breathing apparatus spasms too (I guess it's involuntarily assuming that what spews from the gut will go straight down the airways - which I'm sure has happened).

It really is torturous.
If it had to happen every time, I'm not surprised some people will quit their medication.

a reply to: halfoldman

Can you dissolve it in a short glass of water?

a reply to: LittleJake

The doctors say it should be taken as a pill.

I have chewed it, better than nothing, I guess.

Although they can't really tell me, is is slow release or not, and the singular ingredients are long off the market.
But, most of the time, I have no problem swallowing them.

Just trying to figure out why there are these episodes where I cannot.

a reply to: halfoldman

2 days ago. Dr opened, dilated my throat. Now I can swallow. See a gastrointestinal doc.

a reply to: Observer19

Exactly what happens to me.

It's not the throat or swallowing, it gets stuck halfway (of the upper-body).

For me things changed as I got older, elderly. Pills, but usually capsules, got stuck. I suspect the flap that cuts off your air when you swallow is the prime culprit. Time after time I swore that I was close to dying as the pill was stuck and not coming up or going down.

a reply to: halfoldman

As I said, I often have to push it on down with bread, crackers or just something solid.

a reply to: halfoldman

OK, heres how to swallow any pill.

Take a mouthful of water first. Hold it dont swallow.

Then have a glass of water ready. Then put your pill in your mouth which still has water in it.
Now drink the glass of water and swallow all the water already in your mouth too.

That pill is going all the way to hit the spot. Works every time.

Laugh, if you like, perhaps some things only happen after 45.

Like your eyesight diminishing.

Or your teeth breaking and falling out.

[snip]

Hmm ... I'm pleased to say.

"I had a groovy time".