Home indoor flowers How to take large tablets. World science teaches how to swallow medicines correctly. Other types of “masking” tablets with soft food

indoor flowers

How to take large tablets. World science teaches how to swallow medicines correctly. Other types of “masking” tablets with soft food

Some people can swallow tablets and capsules in handfuls without drinking, others find even a small pill difficult. Such difficulties are not just an inconvenience. This is a common cause of non-compliance with the treatment regimen and, as a result, worsening of the course of the disease.

There are no special Russian statistics on this subject, but it is known that almost 40% of the US population experiences difficulties in taking medications. Less than a quarter of these people discuss the issue with healthcare professionals, 8% tend to skip medications, and 4% refuse to take capsules and tablets.

A Norwegian study from 1995 gives different figures: 26% of the population has difficulty swallowing. It is also noted that patients consider the size of the tablets the biggest problem, the second and third most important factors were the nature of their surface and taste. Women suffer from swallowing disorders twice as often as men, and patients over 70 experience less difficulty than younger ones.

Why is it not swallowed

The reasons why many people cannot swallow even the smallest pill are different. Dysphagia (literally - swallowing disorder) is the most severe of them, with it it is difficult for a person to swallow even chewed food. This condition always has organic prerequisites - a stroke, surgery, gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus), connective tissue diseases (scleroderma) and others. Dysphagia requires serious treatment under medical supervision.

In other cases, problem swallowing is more often associated with the fear of the pill getting stuck in the throat and vomiting. Most often, this fear is associated with an unpleasant experience - it gives a sense of the danger of taking medication, as a result of which the muscles of the pharynx reflexively tighten. To swallow a pill, such people need to overcome a psychological barrier so that the muscles relax.

"Do not chew, do not crumble, swallow whole." Photo: Ano Lobb / Flickr

A person perceives food as ready to be swallowed when it is moistened and chewed enough to move into the stomach. Usually no one chews yogurt, it is swallowed immediately - this is facilitated by its consistency. However, the inability to chew a solid substance, in this case a tablet, can "confuse" the physiological mechanisms of swallowing regulation.

There are three phases of swallowing: oral (chewing and moving food to the back of the mouth), pharyngeal (closing the larynx with the epiglottis and stopping breathing) and esophageal (rhythmic contraction of the muscles of the esophagus that promote the food bolus). People control the first phase consciously, therefore it is the one that is most easily corrected.

Isn't it easier to chew?

Many people chew, dissolve, or mix tablets with food. Very often this cannot be done, since most modern drugs have a protective shell and a special structure that are required for the correct absorption of drugs. After crushing the tablets, the active substances may simply not reach the target organs in the desired concentration, or, conversely, sharply create dangerous concentrations in the blood. Therefore, tablets should be swallowed whole, unless the instructions indicate otherwise.

Swallowing on science

Stephen Cassivy, a Mayo Clinic thoracic surgeon who specializes in diseases of the esophagus, believes that in order to correct the situation, it is necessary to practice before the fear goes too far. He taught his children to swallow normally using pieces of jelly candy.

Some people have difficulty swallowing pills. The peculiarity of the structure of the palate, an anatomical formation that separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity, affects. Features of the anatomical structure, functions, the upper surface of the soft palate, the mucous membrane do not allow all people to swallow tablets equally. Tablets come in different shapes. They are smooth and rough. Some people prefer capsules and caplets (long tablets) because they are easier to swallow than round tablets.
For those people who have difficulty swallowing tablets, chewable tablets are very convenient. Such tablets must be chewed thoroughly to avoid stomach irritation. As a rule, such tablets should not be given to young children.

Sometimes it is possible to crush a tablet and mix it with juice, but not all tablets are suitable for this. For example, those tablets that have an acid-resistant shell cannot be chewed, because they are not intended to dissolve in the stomach, but must enter the intestines, where the shell dissolves, releasing the active part of the drug. If such tablets are chewed, they can adversely affect the gastric mucosa or hydrochloric acid inactivates the active substance of the drug.
Those tablets that can be approximately crushed, as a rule, are divided into parts. They have a special transverse notch. But, just in case, it is better to consult a doctor or read the instructions about the correctness of the reception.

Why in the morning there is bitterness in the mouth - www.site/all_question/wayoflive/zdorove/2013/November/58234/175880

What is the cause of abundant salivation - www.site/all_question/wayoflive/zdorove/2014/August/63574/177100

What foods stimulate salivation - www.site/all_question/wayoflive/zdorove/2013/September/56721/157463

If the tablet cannot be crushed or divided into small pieces, you can help yourself as follows. Before taking (swallowing) a tablet, it is better to drink a sip of water, which will moisten the throat and make the tablet easier to swallow. Tablets are not drunk in a sitting position, they are drunk only while standing. If the tablet is difficult to pass in the throat, and even worse, did not pass into the stomach, but stopped on the way to it, you can eat some food. Some prefer a small piece of bread to push the pill, so to speak, and someone is content with a piece of apple.

In any case, the food should not be hard and hard, so as not to aggravate the situation.

Why is it not swallowed

"Do not chew, do not crumble, swallow whole." Photo: Ano Lobb / Flickr

Isn't it easier to chew?

Swallowing on science

Someone knows how to swallow pills and capsules without washing it down, while someone experiences difficulties, even armed with a glass of water.

If you have such a problem, it is not necessary to crush the tablet into a spoonful of water or look for an analogue of the medicine in the form of a syrup. You can "trick" your throat by mixing the medicine with food. Of course, this is not always possible. Some pills need to be taken on an empty stomach, while others are allowed. Therefore, first of all, you need to read the annotation and consult a doctor. If your doctor gave the go-ahead, feel free to use the methods described below. Surely one of them will help you.

Tablets + bread

Remember the famous hero of the comedy student Shurik, who, seeing off the girl, found an evil dog near the entrance of her house? The unabashed student asked his friend for a piece of doctor's sausage and stuck several sleeping pills into it. True, the dog could not be deceived. But in a similar way, you can "trick" your throat and easily swallow the pill without water.

Chew a piece of bread well so that it can be swallowed. Then put a tablet in it and swallow it. Instead of bread, you can use a bun, biscuit, cracker. In order for the tablet to pass through the esophagus better, the bread should be washed down with water.

sweet pill

If you like sweets, then honey will help you take the medicine. Dial it into a spoon and completely “drown” a tablet or capsule in it. Wash down the medicine with water, as honey itself is sticky, viscous and does not swallow well.

A soft tangerine slice is easier to swallow than a pill, you just need to practice a little. When you learn to swallow it whole without chewing, you can cut it slightly and place a tablet inside. In order for the slice to pass through the throat and esophagus better, drink it with water.

Other types of “masking” tablets with soft food

Tablets and capsules can be "drowned" not only in honey. Other types of soft foods work well:

applesauce;
ice cream;
yogurt;
pudding;
jelly;
curds and dairy desserts.

You can just eat your favorite dessert, and put a pill in the next spoon and swallow it with food.

As you know, drugs are produced in the form of mixtures, drops, tablets, capsules, etc.
I am prescribed capsules, the instructions for use of which say "Do not chew." I can’t swallow them: many years ago, when probing, my throat was injured, and since then I have been chewing everything, even semolina. Well, I can not swallow and everything! How can I be treated then, because the chewed capsule does not “work” as it should, if at all there is at least some benefit from it?

Comments: 16 »

Gelatin capsules dissolve directly in the stomach and the medicine gets there without touching the mucous membrane of the rai and larynx. If your throat is damaged, the contents of the capsule may adversely affect it. Ask your doctor about the contents of the capsule and, if possible, take it without a shell.

You definitely need to consult a doctor. He may prescribe other medications for you. If the instructions for the medicine say that you can’t chew, then you can’t!

Talk to your doctor, it is possible that he will be able to replace the capsules with tablets.

If it is not possible to take the contents of the capsule without a shell, the doctor will prescribe you another medicine. And for the future, tell your doctor immediately about your problems so that he takes them into account when prescribing treatment.

Hello! In general, the capsules cannot be chewed, they are hard. I take open the capsule and pour the powder from the capsule into a spoonful of water, and so I drink the medicine.

Capsules do not need to be chewed or bitten. they should begin to act on the body after they resolve. There are times when biting the capsule can affect the enamel of the teeth.

The capsules must not be chewed. Without a shell, you can scratch the larynx and stomach with the contents of the capsule. Also, the contents can ruin tooth enamel. Consult a doctor, let him prescribe injections for you, each medicine is duplicated by an injection, but it is also much more effective than tablets and capsules.

To your question, I can say one thing, capsules cannot be chewed. Do not be afraid to consult a doctor, now the same drug can be produced in various forms. Moreover, it can be used in different ways. So, for example, when restoring the intestinal flora, you can ferment milk on the contents of the capsules. Thus, you do not have to swallow them, and the effect of the medicine will be effective. But in any case, you need to consult a doctor. Medicines are very expensive, it makes sense to be treated and not get a therapeutic effect.

You can not chew the capsules on your own. You need to re-contact the specialist who prescribed the medication for you. Perhaps you will be replaced with another drug.
If you chew the capsules, you will not get the desired therapeutic effect.

No, no, and again no, as already mentioned above. As for “whether there is a benefit” - it depends on the drug. Most of them are available in the form of capsules so that the contents are released directly in the stomach. In general, it is better to consult a doctor to either prescribe a drug in another form (for example, injections). Although if this is a drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, then this option will not work for obvious reasons.

You can’t chew the capsules, the capsule should dissolve in a certain place in the gastrointestinal tract not earlier, ask your doctor to prescribe you a similar drug in a different dosage form.

I once tried the contents of the capsule - you can get either a terrible bitterness or a burn, but I didn’t get to that. If for some reason you can’t take the capsules, then I think you need to dissolve it in about a glass of water and drink

In no case should the capsule be chewed, it should dissolve in your gastrointestinal tract after a certain time after swallowing. If you chew it, then the gastric juice will neutralize the healing properties of the capsule. And of course, I advise you to contact your doctor.

You can use the capsule in other ways. It is necessary to open the capsule, dissolve the contents in a tablespoon of water and drink. Then the medicine will work.

Chewing capsules containing a drug is not allowed, since some substances placed in the capsule shell look like granules of prolonged action, that is, action with a gradual release of the main substance. A sharp increase in the amount of the drug in the blood plasma as a result of the deformation of the capsule and its contents can lead to adverse consequences. However, the very desire to crack the capsule that arose on the basis of fear of deformation of the larynx can be regarded as a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive syndrome and requires the assessment of a specialist psychotherapist.

Placing the drug in a capsule suggests that it must dissolve strictly in the stomach. However, if swallowing is difficult (as in your case), you can carefully open the capsule and add the contents to an acidic drink or food that does not require chewing (for example, fruit juice or applesauce). We gave the child medicine for the pancreas. Good luck!

1. Many people often find it difficult to swallow pills. This is justified by the structure of our sky - an anatomical formation. It is this that separates our oral cavity from the nasal cavity. Often, the functions of our oral cavity, as well as the mucous membrane, are not allowed to swallow tablets due to their structure. And people with a similar structure of the oral cavity are not recommended to swallow pills. We ask you to take this into account.

2. Tablets come in various shapes - smooth and rough. Some of us prefer capsules to pills - the same pills, but only with an elongated shape. We recommend drinking them for those people who do not fit the description in the first step. These tablets are actually easier to swallow due to their shape. In addition, these capsules are smooth and easy to swallow without getting stuck in the mouth.

3. Those people who are afraid, or for some reason cannot swallow tablets in the form of capsules, we recommend “consuming” chewable tablets. Such medicines should be chewed as best as possible in order to avoid heartburn and stomach irritation. Usually, these tablets are not recommended for small and infant children. 4. Sometimes there is such an opportunity when you can crush the pill and drink it with something sweet, for example, juice or compote. However, not all tablets can be used in this way. For example, you can not drink those capsules that have an acid-resistant shell. They should not be chewed as they are not intended to dissolve directly in the stomach. They must enter the intestines, and there already dissolve the shell, and at the same time release the contents of the tablet or capsule. If such tablets are chewed, they will negatively affect the mucous membrane of our stomach.

5. There are tablets that can be crushed into n-th number of parts. As a rule, tablets are divided into ten equal pieces. Usually these medicines have a special notch across their base. But, just in case, it is better for you to ask your doctor about the correctness of taking these pills, or read the instructions on the medicine package.

6. If it is already impossible to crush the tablet into many small parts, then in this case you can proceed as follows. Drink a large sip of water before swallowing the medicine. She will moisten the throat, and the tablet in this case will pass unhindered into the esophagus. Keep in mind that these tablets are not drunk while sitting, and even more so in a prone position. They only drink standing up.

7. If the tablet is stuck in the throat, or does not pass into the stomach, then you can eat some food to help the tablet reach its destination. Many suggest that you can take a piece of bread and drink it with water. This way you will push the tablet and move it from the place where it is stuck.

Despite the fact that taking pills is quite a common procedure, it causes serious difficulties for many adults and children. The fear of a gag reflex tightens the throat so much that the pill stubbornly remains in the mouth until the person spit it out. To make it easier on yourself, take it with soft food or plenty of fluids. If that doesn't help, use special techniques to keep the throat open for as long as it takes to get the pill through the esophagus. Ultimately, you can talk to your doctor so that he prescribes you a medicine in a different form: in liquid form, in the form of a patch or suppositories.

Steps

Taking the tablet with food

Eat a tablet with bread. If you're trying to take a pill and just can't swallow it, try using a piece of bread. Break off a small piece of bread and chew it until it is ready to be swallowed. Before swallowing bread, take a tablet and attach it to the chewed bread in your mouth. Close your mouth and swallow the bread along with the tablet. The tablet should pass through the esophagus without difficulty.

You can also use a bagel slice, cookie or cracker. Their texture is similar enough to bread that it will help you swallow a pill with them.
You can also drink water with bread to help it pass through the esophagus.
Some medicines should be taken on an empty stomach. Check the package leaflet for any instructions to take the medicine on an empty stomach.

Eat a pill with marmalade. To make the tablet easier to swallow, you can stick it into a piece of marmalade. Take a piece of marmalade and make a small incision in it. Insert a tablet into the incision. Eat marmalade, but do not chew it. Some tablets cannot be chewed - this changes the time of onset of their action. Just try to swallow the marmalade, and when it is in your throat, quickly wash it down with water.
- You may have difficulty if you find yourself unable to swallow a piece of marmalade. It might take some practice.
- This method is very suitable for children. Disguising the pill with marmalade makes it easier for parents to convince their child to take the medicine.
Lubricate the tablet with honey or peanut butter. The tablets can be taken along with honey or peanut butter, as these foods make it easier for them to pass through the throat. Take a full spoonful of any of these products and place the tablet in the very center of the spoon. Be sure to push the tablet deep into the honey or peanut butter. Then swallow the prepared spoonful of honey or peanut butter along with the tablet. Wash it down with water.
- You should drink water before and after using this method. Honey and peanut butter are quite thick foods and can be swallowed rather slowly. Moistening your throat with water before and after taking them can help you swallow the pill more easily and not choke.
Try eating the tablet with a soft meal. If you cannot swallow a tablet with bread, try eating it with soft foods such as applesauce, yogurt, ice cream, pudding, or jelly. This method is used in hospitals for patients who have difficulty swallowing. Prepare a small plate of food. Eat a little before you are about to swallow the tablet with food. Then eat the tablet with another spoonful of food. The tablet should pass through the esophagus without difficulty with food when you take a sip.
- Do not chew the tablet while doing this.
Practice swallowing tablets on small candies. One of the main reasons that people have difficulty swallowing pills is that the throat rejects the pill and becomes tense. To overcome this, one can practice swallowing small sugary pills to train the throat to swallow whole objects without the risk of choking or injury. Take a small dragee, such as mini M&M's. Put it in your mouth like a tablet and swallow it with a sip of water. Repeat the procedure until you get used to the size of the swallowed tablets.

Eat a tangerine tablet. Try swallowing a whole slice of tangerine. When you get used to swallowing the tangerine slices, place the tablet inside the next slice and swallow it. The smooth texture of the surface of the tangerine slice will facilitate the passage of the tablet through the throat and allow it to be swallowed without difficulty.
- Drink a slice of tangerine with water so that it passes through the esophagus better.
Swallowing the tablet with liquid
1. Take a few sips of water before and while taking the pill. When you take medicine, you need to keep your throat as well moistened as possible so that the pill can easily pass through your throat. Take a few small sips of water before taking the pill. Place the tablet at the base of the tongue and then continue to drink water until the tablet is swallowed.
  
  Try the two big sips method. Take a tablet and put it on your tongue. Take a mouthful of water and take a long gulp of the water, but not the pill. Then take another large sip of water along with the tablet. After that, take one normal sip of water to help the pill pass through the esophagus.
  
  Use a cocktail straw. Some people find it easier to swallow a tablet with water or a drink sucked through a straw. Place the tablet on the base of the tongue. Start drinking water or a drink through a straw and swallow the tablet as you do so. Continue drinking after swallowing the tablet to help it pass through the esophagus.
  
  Drink plenty of water before taking the tablet. Some people find that drinking plenty of water before taking the pill makes it easier to swallow. Take a mouthful of water. Open your lips slightly and push the tablet into your mouth. Then swallow the water along with the tablet.
  
  Help your child swallow the tablet. Even three-year-olds sometimes need to take pills. At this age, it may be difficult for a child to understand the technique of swallowing a pill, or he may simply be afraid of choking on it. If you find yourself in this situation, try to explain the whole process to your baby. Ask him to fill his mouth with water and hold it in his mouth, looking at the ceiling. Slip the tablet into the child's mouth through the corner of the lips and wait for it to go down to the throat. After a while, ask the child to swallow water, while the tablet should pass through the esophagus along with the water.
  - You can try with your child any other method of swallowing the tablets with food or drink, unless it is prohibited by the instructions for the drug.
Alternative Methods
1. Try using a plastic bottle. Fill a plastic bottle with water. Put the tablet on your tongue. Then wrap your lips around the neck of the bottle. Tilt your head back and drink some water. Keep your lips on the neck of the bottle and suck the water out of it. Water along with the tablet should easily pass through the throat.
  
  Use the head tilt method. When using this method, you need to put a tablet on the tongue. Then you need to take water in your mouth, but do not rush to swallow it. First you need to tilt your head forward, pressing your chin to your chest. When the capsule slips closer to your throat, swallow it.
  
  Relax. Anxiety can have a significant impact on the ability to swallow a tablet. It is very important to relax while doing this. When we are nervous, our body tenses up and it becomes more difficult to swallow a pill. To prevent this effect, you need to relax. Sit down with a glass of water and do something that will help you reduce your anxiety. Find a quiet place to do this, listen to soothing music, or meditate.
2. Conquer your fears. You may be worried that the pill won't go down your throat, especially if it's large. To deal with this fear, stand in front of a mirror. Open your mouth and say: "Aaaah." This will allow you to see the size of your throat and understand that the pill can easily pass through it.
  - The mirror can be additionally used when putting the tablet on the tongue. The deeper the tablet lies, the shorter the way it will need to go to the throat when swallowed.
  - This method is also applicable to a child who is afraid of choking on a pill. Do this procedure with your child to demonstrate that you understand the baby's fears, but reassure him that he has nothing to fear.

It can also support a tablet and be mixed with juice or milk. Thus, children can easily consume the drug. Some tablets should not be mixed with dairy products or other foods before consumption. Therefore, check with your doctor if this is the case so that drug pills are safe.

For most children and for many adults, even swallowing pills is a difficult task, they are afraid of it to the point of hatred. It is difficult for people to swallow tablets in tablet form because they are afraid that the tablets will not go down the esophagus. The bitterness of the pills is that it makes the task even more difficult.

This article was written with the intention of helping people overcome this phobia of swallowing pills. Most medicines come in tablet form. None of us are immune to disease, and the need to ingest medicine in the form of medicinal pills is inevitable. Thus, learning the safety precautions for swallowing any type of pill is a skill that can prove useful. Children are more vulnerable to the danger of swallowing drugs in the form of bitter pills.

Let's look at some simple tricks to help you or your kids swallow pills easily. The reason most people find it difficult to swallow tablets in tablet form is their bitter taste and fear of suffocation. Learning to swallow pills is something you can improve with practice and proper technique.

Why is it not swallowed

Know the right technique This tip is especially suitable for adults who have difficulty swallowing. First of all, relax before taking your pills. Sit in a quiet place with a glass of water and your pills. If you are afraid, you are more likely to cause choking in your throat, which will eventually cause the pills to get stuck in your throat. This is a cycle that you must break. Here are tips on how to do it. Stand or sit while you are swallowing the tablets. Take one tablet in your right hand and a glass of water in your left hand.

Take a small sip of water, which will moisten your esophagus and lubricate the path to the pill so it can go down easily. Open your mouth and tongue. Then put the pill on the tongue as far as possible. Then drink water and see how you would swallow a sip of plain water. Before you know it, the pill has already gone inside your stomach. In this position, your esophagus expands to help you swallow the pill.

Then reward him with candy for winning! Practice this technique with confectionery tablets before taking the actual medical pill. You can tilt it by opening the wind pipe. So make sure you don't squirt water too quickly, as this can make you cough. With practice you get better and eventually laugh at the memory of being afraid of this simple activity.

Use the syrup instead of the tablet, or include the tablet in your food. In the case of children who have difficulty swallowing capsules or tablets, it is recommended to avoid taking the tablet. Most children's medicines come in the form of an alternative syrup that is just as effective as a pill.

"Do not chew, do not crumble, swallow whole." Photo: Ano Lobb / Flickr

You can also take the tablet and mix it with juice or milk. So please take medical advice to make it safer. To properly use the medicine, the entire capsule must be swallowed, without chewing, in combination with water. However, young children and people who have difficulty swallowing can open the capsules and mix them in water or a bottle, for example.

The use of this medication should only be carried out under the direction of a doctor, however, it is usually recommended. Severe cases : Take 3 capsules of 250 mg daily for 2 days, then take 2 200 mg capsules daily for 3 days. Less serious cases: 3250 mg capsules on the first day, 2200 mg capsules on the second day and 1200 mg capsules on the third day. Usually the treatment is carried out for 3 days, and if the symptoms disappear at the end of 5 days, you should consult a doctor to change the medication.

In small children, you can smell a strong smell in the stool, similar to yeast. This remedy should not be consumed by people with diabetes because they contain sugar, so you should consult your doctor before using it. In addition, fungicides and fungicides such as polyenes and imidazole derivatives should not be given at the same time as they may reduce or negate its effect.

What medicines cannot be crushed or not opened?

The decision to change the form of a drug should not be taken lightly. There is a relationship between the form of the drug and its action in the body. Preparations with prolonged or modified release. These pharmaceutical forms allow, when the drug is swallowed, to continuously release the active ingredient to maintain a constant activity for several hours. The deterioration of this form suppresses the long-term effect: the released active substance is absorbed more quickly, which causes a more immediate immediate effect and therefore a potential overdose.

Isn't it easier to chew?

Be especially careful with oxycodone, prazosin, alfuzosin, modified release gliclazides, theophylline, etc. Enteric-coated tablets or capsules containing gastro-resistant elements. These dosage forms have been designed to prevent dissolution of the drug in the stomach to release the active substance into the intestine, which protects it from destruction by gastric oxygen and limits gastric irritation. When this gastro-resistant protection is destroyed by grinding, there may be an underdose.

Swallowing on science

This is especially true for preparations containing sulfasalazine, those containing bisacodyl or even omeprazole, etc. Drugs with a narrow therapeutic limit. These drugs have very little difference between the minimum effective dose and the maximum allowable body dose. Changing the form of the drug leads to faster absorption of the active substance and exposes it to overdose. Beware of drugs containing carbamazepine, dabigatran, digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, phenobarbital, etc.

Some drugs may belong to more than one category, others may have their active substance degraded by light or moisture. Finally, beware of appearances: having a central tablet visible on a tablet doesn't mean it's clogged! In some cases, this is a break bar that is only available to facilitate tablet taking. It is not guaranteed that the same amount of active ingredient but the same size is present in both parts of the tablet. And of course, bursting does not mean shredding!

Before you cut a pill or open a capsule, it's best to ask yourself a few questions. Does this medicine exist in another, more suitable form? Does this medicine have a narrow therapeutic margin? Are they modified or extended release tablets or capsules?

Is it gastro-resistant? This information is usually contained in the package leaflet. If you don't know how to answer one of these questions, or if you answer yes to at least one: "Stop" No grinding or opening: It's important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

It's an epidemic of tendinitis among nurses who set fire to powders. The culprit was quickly discovered: pestle! After crushing the drugs, the nurses developed wrist pains. But the investigation did not stop. He showed that 30-40% of hospitalized geriatric patients saw their drugs reduced to powder. This widespread practice is obviously not unreasonable. Many older people have difficulty swallowing, to the point where they cannot swallow pills. In addition, these same patients also often suffer from behavioral disorders and categorically refuse to take any medication.

Of course, this practice, however, is not trivial. The way the drug prevented crushing. But the nurses didn't know. What is the danger of crushing drugs? Of course, once swallowed, the drugs will be reduced to a mush anyway. But reducing them to powder even before swallowing is not unimportant. However, the shelling of drugs is not the prerogative of the geriatric service. Mothers know that children can also have trouble swallowing some pills. And they tend to reduce them to powder. “The main danger of this practice is the ineffectiveness of the drug,” says Elise Remy of the Dozen Observatory of Upper Normandy.

Either because by crushing it, you leave a little aside, or because the active ingredient of the drug does not support exposure to light or air. Knowing for sure whether you can crush a drug or not is not easy. Moreover, in most cases, pharmaceutical companies did not conduct research on this issue. However, there are several tracks. "For example, long-acting drugs - like some painkillers - should not be crushed because it's the coating on the pill that allows them to work for hours," says Eliza Remy.

Almost all people take pills, and if some take medications only periodically, for example, to get rid of a headache or toothache, then other people are forced to take all kinds of medicines every day. But if some tablet drugs, and simpler tablets, are small and easy to swallow, then other pills are quite large and very inconvenient to swallow.

Probably, many wondered why the tablets are produced in different shapes, sizes and colors? For example, why are plain paracetamol pills white and diamond-shaped Viagra pills are blue? Does it make sense that pharmaceutical companies produce such different tablets - coated, uncoated, in capsules and simply compressed?

It is also no secret that some pills are easy to swallow and others are difficult, so many people divide the pills into parts to make it easier for themselves to swallow, and also open the capsules and pour their contents just on the tongue. However, is it right to do so? After all, for some reason some tablets are covered with glaze and it is unlikely that this was done only for beauty or for taste.

Online publication DailyMail, with the help of experts, tried to answer a number of the above questions.

The answer is simple - each drug manufacturer has full control over these factors. But there are no specific rules that govern the shape and size of pills, so some manufacturers don't pay too much attention to how hard a particular pill is to swallow.

The average size of an adult's esophagus is approximately two centimeters in diameter. And, as Dr. Simon Gaisford, Head of Pharmacy at University College London, explains, some pills can be larger than one centimeter or half a centimeter, making them very uncomfortable to swallow.

David Erskine, director of the Medicines Information Center for London and the South-East, adds that tablet size is partly determined by the amount of the main active ingredient and other components needed. add to the tablet so that it contains a stable dose of the drug.

Some drugs, such as birth control pills, including ethinyl estradiol, contain quite high potency, which means that a small amount of the drug is needed to create an effective drug, so these pills are often very small.

And a drug like ibuprofen consists of the main active substance of the same name, which has a very low potential, which means that in order to get the desired effect, the tablet must contain a large dose of this substance. And this means that the tablets can be very large.

Some of the most active drugs must be composed of numerous components in accordance with the formulation, but must also be in an acceptable form. Therefore, such tablets can also be quite large, although the main active ingredient they contain is very highly effective.

Dr. Gaisford adds that there are other chemicals that are used to make tablets, such as well-known substances such as disintegrants (disintegrants), which are actually supposed to help the tablet dissolve the moment it hits its destination.

In fact, when a person sees a tablet that says, for example, 300 mg, it means that each tablet contains the corresponding amount of active drug, but due to other added ingredients, the size of the tablet itself can be much larger.

But it is dangerous to think that large tablets can be crushed to make them easier to swallow, or mixed with food to make these tablets more palatable. Most tablets have a colored sugar coating to make them more recognizable and palatable. But often the coating is necessary for the active substance to work properly, and this is what determines how safe it is to break, cut or dissolve a given tablet or capsule.

Dr Gaisford adds that pills like paracetamol are just a compressed powder, so if the patient is uncomfortable taking the drug, the pill can be cut or crushed to make it easier to swallow. But other tablets, which are coated to protect the esophagus from irritation, should be swallowed whole and should never be cut open.

Other drugs, such as those used for angina pectoris, are coated so that the active substance is released slowly and steadily as it travels through the body, so cutting these tablets into smaller pieces means that the drug will be released before it should. . This can lead to an overdose or the drug will not have the desired effect.

Other tablets are coated to protect the active ingredient as the drug passes through the acidic environment of the stomach, as the active ingredient must be released much lower when the drug is in the digestive system.

David Erskine says that some capsules can be opened and the contents poured into a liquid. If for someone it is preferable to consume these drugs with food, you can pour the contents of the capsules into yogurt. But you should make sure that you drink or eat everything, because only in this case you can get the entire dose of the drug.

Doctors, nurses, or pharmacists who are dealing with a patient who is unable to swallow a pill may find an alternative drug that works the same way, but which may be available as a liquid, dissolvable tablet, or even as a patch or suppository.

Sometimes specialty pharmacies can produce a liquid form of a drug. But it will always be more expensive and may require more frequent prescriptions, as these medicines have a shorter expiration date.

It is also necessary to look at the appropriate labeling on the package, and if you see the letters MB, know that this means “modified release” (MR (modified release)), the letters PV mean “extended release of the active substance” (ER (extended release) )) and / or EP, which means "enteric coated" (EC (enteric coated)). Dr. Gaisford explains that such tablets should never be cut or crushed, as this marking means that the tablets have a special coating to delay or control the release of the drug. And always, before crushing or cutting a tablet, you should consult a pharmacist or doctor.

As you can see, the size of the tablet most often depends on what composition the drug has and how highly effective the main active ingredient that is part of this or that drug. But how convenient or inconvenient it will be to swallow a tablet remedy, most often depends not on the size, but on the coating of the tablet itself, since even a very large pill without any coating can, for example, be cut and swallowed in parts, just to get the required dose, whereas a coated tablet must be swallowed whole - no matter how large it is.

According to DailyMail