Pharmacist's key advice to swallow pills - and it's not with water

A pharmacist has told people the best way to swallow pills - and it’s not with water. The surprising advice came from Eduardo Palomera who took to Tiktok to help people with the problem.

Some really have problems getting them down, leading them to ask for drugs in sachets or resort to alternative methods such as crushing to avoid having to swallow it, some of which do nothing but undermine the effectiveness of the pill as it’s less likely to reach the stomach that way.

To prevent this from happening, pharmacist Eduardo Palomera explains in a video that there are three tricks that can help so that we don’t have to keep suffering when we have to swallow a pill and that in no way influence the effect that this pill has on us as he added: “Never use water to swallow a pill if you have difficulty doing so; instead, use liquid yoghurt or fruit puree.”

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According to Mr Palomera, the first trick is “not to use water but some denser drink like liquid yoghurt or a fruit puree”, which, unlike water, will help with the swallowing movement.

Another trick has to do with the way we ingest the pill. According to the pharmacist, if we introduce the pill into our mouth along with a little water, support it on the tongue and tilt our chin until it touches our chest, it will be much easier to swallow. In fact, he invites us to do it even without a pill, only with saliva, so that we can check the effectiveness of this method.

He said: “Second, introduce the pill along with a little water into your mouth, support it on your tongue, and tilt your chin until it touches your chest. I recommend you try this right now, with saliva alone, and you will see how much easier swallowing is in this position.

“Finally, if all this falls short for you, and as long as it does not state on the box that they are tablets with controlled release or with resistant coatings, you can crush the pill, dilute it in a little water, and drink it as if it were powder. I hope these tips will help you stop suffering again when swallowing a pill.”

NHS advice on swallowing a pill:

• take pills with water – you can take some pills with other drinks or food. Always read the instruction leaflet

• lean forward slightly when you swallow

• practise swallowing with small sweets or bits of bread – try bigger pieces as swallowing gets easier

Health body's advice on what not to do:

• do not throw pills towards the back of your throat

• do not tip your head back too much when you swallow – this can make swallowing more difficult

• do not crush pills, open capsules or alter your medicine without getting medical advice – this could stop the medicine working properly

A pharmacist can help if you cannot swallow pills

A pharmacist can advise you about:

• other versions of your medicine that might be available – for example, you might be able to get it as a liquid or dissolvable tablet
• crushing, dividing or opening up tablets and capsules – this should only be done on their advice

For more information click here.