#66928 01-06-2008 09:12 AM | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 138 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 138 | Hello, I am 6 mos post Tx and am re-learning how to take my pills by mouth. I get scared because they sometimes get hung up at the back of my throat and that causes my swallowing muscles to get stuck temporarily. I've been crushing them and taking them via peg tube before this. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to take meds by mouth? My mouth is still in the dry phase. I've tried crushing the pills and putting them in pudding, but the pudding is too dry and thick to go down all the way. Help!
Nine years out. New normal with limitations, but surviving and living life to the fullest.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Hi
Try cream cheese, it's just sticky enough to hold the pills inside and soft enough to slide down.
Hope this helps
Sunshine.. love and hugs
Helen
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 167 Likes: 1 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 167 Likes: 1 | I was using very warm water for a while after my rads. Just run the tap water to the point of where you can stand it. It seems the warm water relaxes the throat musles and the pills would go on down. Hope this helps. 
Bill B. Dx 10-16-06 Stage 4 T2N2bM0 SCC Left Tonsil,3 nodes. 1st tx 11-28-06, last tx 1-8-07. 3x Cisplatlin, 5fu pump, and Doxetaxel. Modified neck dissection,20 Nodes removed, all clear 02-21-07. HPV+,33 IMRT start 3-22-07 70GY,Completed 05-04-07 | | | | | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 632 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: May 2007 Posts: 632 | Seedless jam---or what you yanks call jelly--warm it, stick pill in and enjoy!!
Brenda
Brenda in UK--Diagnosis 30/5/07--undifferentiated carcinoma in right jawbone and muscles. Stage 4
6/7/07--new diagnosis primary is in lung. Finished 4cycles of palliative carboplatin/gemcitabine
therapy September 07
Now dying to live!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 22 Member | | Member
Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 22 | Crush pills, place in teaspoon of yogurt, down the hatch followed by lots of water.
Age 67, SCC Larynx/Voice Box (T1-N0-M0)
Laser Supraglottic Laryngectomy 4/29/06.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Try taking a sip of water first and then put the pill on your tongue and swallow away. I am surprised that you are having this problem 6 mos out. What do your docs say?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 60 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 60 | I found this wonderful device on the "big" auction website, it is an irrigation syringe pill crusher! Take the plunger out, drop in pill, put the plunger back in (tip facing upwards) turn the plunger and it decimates the pill no matter what size it is, you dont lose a fleck of the pill, suck up some water and poof down the tube!...... DH even on his weakest days could do it by himself. Make sure the pill bottle says it can crushed though before you do it! Dont want any accidental OD's!
C/G to Husband Richard SCC Op 4/1/2005 T2N0M0,Neck disection, 35% of tongue removed.
Reoccurance 3/2007,Lymph Node same side Positive SCC, Swelled to 2.5 inches. IMRT X35 Cis X3 Completed 33 IMRT Cis x2 carbo X1 MET to lungs post treatment 10/04/2007
Passed peacefully 31st July 2008.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 580 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 580 | This was suggested to me by a retired ENT surgeon so I thought I'd pass it on.
Place pills on a tablespoon, take another tablespoon and put on top of the pills. Crush the pills into a powder between the spoons in the same manner that a pharmacist uses a mortar and pestel. When the pills are powdered add a teaspoon of sugar, take a drink of water, dump the contents of the spoon with the sugar and crushed pills in your mouth, swallow and take another drink of water.
The powdered pills should be easy to swallow, the sugar should hide any unpleasant taste, stimulate saliva flow and the water will facilitate swallowing.
I have never tried this but it may help some. Ask your doctor if this method is OK.
Cheers,
Mike
Dentist since 1995, 12 year Cancer Survivor, Father, Husband, Thankful to so many who supported me on my journey so far, and more than happy to comfort a friend.
Live, Laugh, Love & Learn.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 211 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 211 | Crushing the pill and taking in applesauce works and applesauce works pretty well even when the pill shouldn't be crushed.
Sophie T.
CG to husband: SCC Stage 4, T4, N1, M0; non-smoker and very light social drinker; HPV+
induction chemo begun 7/07; chemo/radiation ended 10/10, first cat scan clear; scan on 5/9/08 clear, scan on 10/08 clear; scan 1/09 clear; scan 1/10 clear; passed away July 2, 2016
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 718 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 718 | Mike,
When I read your post I was reminded of the Mary Poppins song, you know...the one that goes..."a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down, the medicine go down, the medicine go down." :-)
Margaret
----------
C/G: Husband, 48 (at time of dx)
Dx 5/18/07 SCC, BOT, lymph node involvement. T1N2BM0. (Stage 4a, G2/3)
Tx 6/18 - 8/3/07, IMRT x 33 Cisplatin x3 (stopped after 1st dose due to hearing issues). Weekly Erbitux started 6/27/07 completed 8/6/07.
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