November 16, 2005

A Spoonful of Sugar?

During my sister's recent visit, the subject of taking pills arose. Specifically, the evidently bizarre and unusual habit I personally have of swallowing tablets or caplets or capsules or whatever one at a time when I need to take more than one.

My sister swallows pills in a bunch when necessary. I polled Wendy who concurred with my sister: she just opens wide and tosses them all back in one fell swoop.

So now I am, of course, curious.

Do those two employ the most common multiple pill-swallowing methodology or do I?

Do tell.
How do you do it?

.

23 comments:

Pisces75 said...

I actually have to concentrate when swallowing pills, or I might gag. One pill at a time for me. Although, I think we are in the minority.

Anonymous said...

Bunches at a time! The more the merrier! Esp. if you've sproinged neck or back and just MOVING those parts is torture. Heh - I'm 43 and take at LEAST 3 pills a day (thyroid pill, aspirin for the thinning of the blood, and the multivitamin so I don't have to take any MORE pills anytime soon). Can't wait to see what it will be like when I'm 83. :>

Eyes for Lies said...

One at a time, with heaps of water. Often I have to swish them around and try multiple times to get them down.

My mom has to put them in food. One at a time. Big production for her!!

Udge said...

One at a time, with lots of water and many false starts.

blackberryfrost said...

Usually one at a time but since I take some pills daily I take them two at a time. So really that is regularly and not usually at all...

Anonymous said...

It took me forever to learn to take pills at all. I remember my pediatrician lying to me and saying that I'd either have to take a pill or get a shot. He had to admit the lie when I chose the shot.

These days I can take two pills at a time, but that's my max.

the determined dieter said...

I'm too scared to swallow. I chew. Even if it's nasty tasting. (I use ice cream to hide the taste. Coffee ice cream works well.) I'm weird; what can I say?

Steph Youstra said...

I'm with Darla on the "pretend it's a normal drink" .... one of those things where as soon as you THINK about what you need to do, it doesn't happen -- like getting fitted for contacts for the first time and the stupid doctor says "Don't blink" just as your finger nears your eye.

My follow-up question: Do you do that massive head-jerk-back whiplash-kinda thing? I never quite understood that -- it's not a necessary part of the swallowing process. Although dinners could be FAR more entertaining if it were ....

Anonymous said...

I'm a strictly one at a time girl. I think it depends on how big a swallow you've got (if you follow me).

Anonymous said...

Definitely only two at a time. My husband has to do the whole jerking-your-head-back-to-get-the-tablet-down-the-damn-hole routine. Mind you that is an improvement, he used to crush the tablets between two spoons and eat them with a spoonful of jam. Just plain weird! I blame his mother !!!!

weese said...

Pill size definetely plays into this equation.
little advils ..by the handful.
but anything larger - such as my genourmous multivitamin... that would be one at a time and paying attention at that

Anonymous said...

To all y'all who crush you pills before taking them - please check with your doctor first. Many pills are not meant to be folded, spindled or mutilated in any way. They're formulated reasonably precisely to deliver the dose of med just where it should be delivered in the GI tract. Crushing some pills could lead to inactivation of the med, or too swift a dump into the system, or whatever. These things can make you ill.

Anonymous said...

I take one at a time.. I have to... ugh.. and I fill my mouth with water first, THEN toss in the pill...

I hate taking pills..

Anonymous said...

What's with these people?? One at a time, of course. :)

Gina said...

All depends on the size of the pill.

If "normal" sized pills, bring em on.

If "horse" sized, one at a time.

I have only had trouble a few times swallowing pills and it is usually because I don't have a nice big glass of water. I'll try to cheat or something and then I just choke and it takes much to long.

Di said...

A handful of pills, all at once. Lotsa water immediately afterwards.

Melodee said...

One at a time, like a normal person.

Sandra Scoppettone said...

One at a time.

Career Guy said...

All at once. No water. Just swish up some saliva and gulp...what? I can't say "saliva"?

Anonymous said...

i can take a handful of pills (including a big multivitamin in the lot) at a time - i put water in my mouth first and toss in the pills as i swallow. It's very easy. lucid kim

SassyFemme said...

I just take them all at once, all being sometimes 5 or 6 (vitamins, calcium, allergy etc...). It's easier to just get it overwith in one big gulp than one at a time. If I do one at a time I'm gagging by the last one.

Marisa said...

I take a bunch of vitamins every day, and I swallow them all at once, although preferably with milk, because I don't love the way a couple of them taste.

shrlckhlms said...

I can't swallow pills. Every ten years or so I try again, but no luck. It is a big pain, but I just can't do it. It is amazing how bad some pills taste, since I have to chew them or crush them or dump them out (if they are capsules). Yes, I've checked with my doctor about the chew-ability of my meds.

My best friend can swallow multiple pills at once with no liquid to take them with. Makes me gag just to watch her.

My partner swallows all her pills at once... 3 or 4 at once of Advil-size, but 2 at once if horse-pill sized.