Help me help myself take vitamins?

October 20, 2009 6:15 PM

I want to take vitamins/multivitamins, but I have a very difficult time swallowing large and/or uncoated pills.

I'd like to add a multivitamin and perhaps some additonal stuff in the B family to my daily routine, but I have a wicked hard time swallowing pills. Anything larger than a Tylenol caplet, anything uncoated, anything odd shaped and I gag on it. I've tried taking pills with thicker liquids (think chocolate milk or tomato juice) and while it helps somewhat, it's not a sure thing. I would appreciate any advice about a) how to get over the "hard to swallow things" thing, and b) if you take a multivitamin that is smaller/smoother/whatever, can you tell me what kind it is? (You can't just open up bottles at the drugstore to check it out - *trust* me on this one.) Is there a liquid multivitamin that doesn't taste like butt, maybe?

Female, late 30s, generally healthy. Thanks for your help!

posted by ersatzkat to health & fitness (42 comments total)

Always take a swallow of water 1st, to lubricate your throat. Practice by taking a small vitamin daily, and work up to larger pills.
posted by theora55 at 6:20 PM on October 20, 2009

They make gummy multivitamins for adults now -- here's an example. I've seen them at chain stores like Target.

And actually they apparently make a gummy B supplement too.
posted by Siobhan at 6:21 PM on October 20, 2009

Coming here to suggest gummy vitamins too, there are several types for adults at my local drugstore. I've been taking them for a while (but mainly because I remember to take them more readily when they are in candy form).
posted by kimdog at 6:23 PM on October 20, 2009

I am technically capable of swallowing big multivitamins, but I hate it so much that, if that were the only option, I would just never take them. But instead I take gummi vitamins (meant for adults) -- I buy mine at Costco but I believe they (or similar products) are sold in regular drug stores as well. They're really delicious (tastier than regular gummi bears, in fact). They don't, however, contain calcium, but you can buy separate chewable things for that.
posted by pluckemin at 6:23 PM on October 20, 2009

If you tip your head back, stop. That closes up the back of your throat and makes it harder to swallow pills, not easier. Instead, tip your chin down toward your chest when you swallow. It not only opens up your throat more, but the pill will be able to coast right over your tongue. I used to have major problems with large pills, but now they're a breeze.
posted by phatkitten at 6:23 PM on October 20, 2009 [2 favorites]

Seconding (thirding?) the adult gummy vitamins, as someone who can't swallow pills. The gummies taste great, too. They're pretty much like Gummi Bears.

(Prior to their invention I just took children's chewables, though I don't know how much child and adult doses differ.)
posted by sineala at 6:28 PM on October 20, 2009

Could you not just take an increased dosage of children's chewable vitamins? I have no problem at all swallowing even the biggest horsepills without water, but the vitamins I buy are always of the tasty, chewable variety that come in an assortment of whimsical cartoon character shapes ... The Scooby Doo One-a-Day ones currently in my pantry do actually have RDA information for adults as well as kids, and I'm sure I've seen similar information on other vitamins ... why take a faceless pill when you could be chewing a grape Velma, orange Barney, or cherry Spongebob?
posted by DingoMutt at 6:28 PM on October 20, 2009

You should probably hold off on the B vitamins until you get really comfortable with multis and not gagging. The smell of B vitamins is gag-inducing on its own, even if you're fine with large, uncoated pills, so it could derail you from learning to deal with large, uncoated pills in general.
posted by dayintoday at 6:28 PM on October 20, 2009

I also have a hard time with the big pills. I discovered a while back that it's a lot easier to swallow them with a little bite of food. Take a smallish bite of food and chew it until it becomes mushy. Put the pill in your mouth and encase it in the chewed-up food. Swallow. Easy-peasy!
posted by kitty teeth at 6:29 PM on October 20, 2009

Take them with food rather than water. Chew the food first, then sneak the pill in when you're about to swallow. Much easier than with liquid.
posted by headnsouth at 6:31 PM on October 20, 2009

Break 'em in half?
posted by SansPoint at 6:33 PM on October 20, 2009

They're not small, but Nature Made Liquid Softgel Multi for Her [I always wonder who she is] are not bad to swallow. They somehow feel... bouncier? than other pills, because of the liquid. And definitely coated.

They contain 100% of the DV for B6 and B12 without that nasty smell / taste, plus iron and everything else you'd find in a multi.

Thanks for inspiring me to take my vitamin tonight!
posted by charmcityblues at 6:34 PM on October 20, 2009

Crush them up and snort 'em. That's how I take most of my medication.

Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding. My wife has a lapband and can't swallow anything outside of mush or she gets violently ill. Go with the gummy bear vitamins.
posted by Bageena at 6:35 PM on October 20, 2009

I had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of trouble with B vitamins -- they made me gag regularly. I finally found a B Complex plus Vitamin C pill that is a coated, easy-to-swallow capsule. My particular pill is made by Life Brand which is only in Canada (and that's no use to you because you're in the states).

And I must nth the gummy vitamins. Yummi Bears are particularly delicious.
posted by kate blank at 6:43 PM on October 20, 2009

I take two children's chewable vitamins a day, per my doctor's instructions. The only issue with gummies is they don't have all of the same content as the chewable complete ones, but still, the gummies are pretty good too.

When I was younger I also had issues swallowing pills. One day, it clicked for me. Basically, you put the pill in your mouth, then start drinking the water normally. Don't pause to gulp down the pill or anything. Just take a normal drink. It felt like one of those "riding a bike" moments in that once I understood how to do it, I wasn't afraid to swallow pills anymore.
posted by cabingirl at 6:46 PM on October 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

I don't know why this didn't occur to me when I'd answered initially: I've got these rather large and bitter pills that my dog needs to take daily, but no amount of hiding them in delicious tasty treats helped me sneak one past her ... so ultimately I went to a local health-food store, bought a pill cutter and the smallest size gelatin caplets they stocked, and went home to slip chopped-up pills into those innocuous empty capsules. Maybe the same could help you? Some of the empty gel-caps are the size of a Tylenol or smaller, so if you can get a Tylenol down you might also be able to take a chopped or powdered vitamin once you've repackaged it in a tiny capsule. Alternatively, maybe even just a (quite inexpensive) pill-chopper on its own might help you make your vitamins small enough to swallow?
posted by DingoMutt at 6:50 PM on October 20, 2009

I have this problem and am 3rding the suggestion to take it with food. Just bite a cracker and when it's mush in your mouth pop the pill in and swallow. I've been doing this for years and it always works.
posted by Attackpanda at 6:56 PM on October 20, 2009

I've been taking gummy bear multivitamins for a while now (from Trader Joe's - they have a cartoon bear on the bottle, but dosage is for adults so I figure they're okay). Also, there are chewable Centrum multivitamins that aren't too horrible tasting.
posted by LolaGeek at 7:02 PM on October 20, 2009

phatkitten speaks the truth about tilting your head forward, not back, try it and it might just solve a lot of your problems with larger/uncoated pills. It's like magic!
posted by dnesan at 7:04 PM on October 20, 2009

Nature's Plus makes a liquid multivitamin that I think tastes and smells pretty good, even if it is spinach green and you do have to keep it in the fridge.
posted by redfoxtail at 7:14 PM on October 20, 2009

Viactiv, the company that makes the chewy calcium supplements also makes a multivitamin chew - it comes in chocolate and chocolate cherry.
posted by clerestory at 7:42 PM on October 20, 2009

Seconding the Centrum (adult) chewables. Not too nasty.
posted by madmethods at 7:46 PM on October 20, 2009

The gummy vitamins, I've found, are ridiculously expensive, relative to other forms of chewable vitamins. If you decide to go that route, you'll probably want the powdery sugary kind.

I can take pills, but I prefer not to for reasons of habit, so I buy vitamins in chewable form, and keep them, along with chewable calcium tablets, in a candy dish near my front door. It makes it much easier for me to remember to take them.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:52 PM on October 20, 2009

Flintstones vitamins for the win!
posted by twistofrhyme at 8:20 PM on October 20, 2009

ersatzkat: "(You can't just open up bottles at the drugstore to check it out - *trust* me on this one.)"

Erm, well, not that I recommend it, but I was with a friend when she did exactly that and didn't get caught. I mention that because one thing we did notice is that some of the vitamin bottles have a picture of the pill on the bottle and the words "actual size."

I would also ask your doctor or pharmacist if the vitamins you'd like to take are crushable. When I was little my mom often crushed mine into yogurt or applesauce.

When I learned how to swallow pills, I also got one of those cups that had a little shelf in it to lay the pill on so it falls into your mouth.
posted by IndigoRain at 8:36 PM on October 20, 2009

You can wrap the pills in a small amount of bread - that can help.
posted by kickingtheground at 8:52 PM on October 20, 2009

Two ideas:

1) They make devices for slicing pills in half easily- something to consider with a bigger multivitamin (less useful with a capsule, though)

2) Something I don't see mentioned above: I'm terrible, awful, no good at pills BUT can do it if I fill my mouth with water *beforehand,* then tilt my head forward- the pill usually floats to the back (vitamins do, anyways) for a quick and more efficient swallowing experience- that way, it doesn't actually touch my tongue or the inside of my mouth, which seems to be what squicks me out the most. YMMV.
posted by charmedimsure at 8:52 PM on October 20, 2009

I refuse to take vitamins in the morning for this reason. It's not the size, since I can take 20 pills or one with the same hassle... it's that damn vitamin B aftertaste that makes me want to vomit.

I've found that thicker drinks (milk, OJ, fruit/vegetable mushie things) work well. Coffee or tea work better than water, but not much.
posted by rokusan at 9:03 PM on October 20, 2009

I'll never forget my pharmaceutical chemistry prof telling us about his friend cleaning his septic tank and finding hundreds of multivitamins at the bottom. His point was that many vitamin pills very often don't really dissolve or absorb so great. I swear by Greens Plus with multivitamin. Delicious green powder to be mixed with water into a swamp-tastic morning bevereen. Yum. Or try some other liquid/powder option.
posted by Go Banana at 9:10 PM on October 20, 2009

I also have trouble swallowing pills, particularly in the morning for whatever reason (probably because my throat is dry). I have to take two medications when I wake up, so I've had to train myself to swallow pills, and what others have said above about tilting your head forward works well. Also, lubing your throat up with water beforehand doesn't hurt. I usually take bigger pills by cutting them in half or sticking them into some food I've already chewed and am about to swallow (sexy, I know).

Barring that, you can get liquid B-complex supplements at GNC, which will eliminate the whole pill-swallowing thing. I get some of my vitamins by taking Emergen-C, which isn't just vitamin C but has a few other vitamins in it as well. It's a powder that dissolves in water. I'm sure there are other multivitamins available in liquid or powder form as well.
posted by bedhead at 9:53 PM on October 20, 2009

I take Trader Joe's adult chewable multivitamins. They are comparable to a standard adult multi, 100% or more of most everything (for adults, not kids), and are (of course) chewable. They taste fine to me, maybe a little bit chalky.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:16 PM on October 20, 2009

I've never been able to get down pills, and well into my adulthood I was requesting chewables or liquid alternatives of prescription medications. Vitamins always seem to be especially enormous. The only multivitamin I've managed to get down is the One-A-Day Essential multivitamin, which is a round, red pill. It's the smallest vitamin I've managed to find. However, it's getting harder and harder to find them in stores (YMMV). I have no idea why the hell there are shelves filled with all the other varieties and this one is impossible to find, but it makes me angry. And, when I manage to track it down, it's the most expensive variety! It's never included in sales, and.. basically, I couldn't find it and it was too expensive, so I stopped taking it. I started taking Target brand's equivalent of the One-A-Day Essential multivitamin. I don't know if they still make it, but they used to picture a similar looking pill right on the box, so I knew I had the right one. The pill was round, red, and pictured at scale-size on the box (It should be mandatory for all pill manufacturers to post a picture of the pill showing its actual size -- length and width -- on the side of the packaging.) The price was good, and it was the exact equivalent size-wise and content-wise.

Most recently, I bought Centrum (Adult) Chewables. Centrum non-chewables are HUGE, and the chewable is quite large and bad tasting, but you've got to do what you've got to do. Apparently, Centrum also comes in a liquid, but I haven't tried it. The idea of gummy vitamins creeps me out. I doubt I can even get that down, but I don't like gummy candies. If you do, I think that's a viable option because they're becoming more and more popular.
posted by Mael Oui at 10:39 PM on October 20, 2009

I've never been a regular pill-popper, but some big, uncoated antibiotics several years ago inspired my method:

Take a mouthful of water, but don't swallow it. Lean back and/or raise your lower lip so that you can open your mouth without dribbling all over yourself. Drop pill into water and swallow immediately, before the pill has time to settle on your tounge. You (or, anyhow, I) will barely even notice there was a pill in the water.
posted by jon1270 at 1:34 AM on October 21, 2009

I'm cheap. I just chew regular ("non-chewable") vitamins. The taste is not really that bad and with juice it's no problem at all. Antibiotics, on the other hand, taste horrible.
posted by exogenous at 7:37 AM on October 21, 2009

I also recommend the adult gummies. I get mine at Costco but I've seen them at Target, too. If you're a Costco member, they send coupons every once in a while; every month or two they include coupons for the gummy multis.

I also take gummy omegas because 1) I rarely eat fish, flax, etc. and 2) they taste a hell of a lot better than fish/flax oil supplements.
posted by Aleen at 8:10 AM on October 21, 2009

I have the same problem. When I swallow pills, I try to imagine them rushing down to my feet. It seems to help.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 8:36 AM on October 21, 2009

Definitely try tipping your head forward. I've found that it helps a lot.

If these are the types of pills you're allowed to cut up (e.g. not anti-depressants), you can either buy a pill-cutter or ask the pharmacist to cut them for you. Most people don't know they offer that service, but they do.
posted by sadmadglad at 9:28 AM on October 21, 2009

Trader Joe's makes a decent-tasting chewable vitamin for adults, too. I take those because I can't deal with swallowing huge horse pills.
posted by sarcasticah at 12:10 PM on October 21, 2009

Go with the gummies if nothing else works, but my mom used this trick all the time when I was a kid and had the huge horse pills to swallow: take a tablespoon of applesauce, bury the pill. Swallow the applesauce. Works every time.

Seriously. Applesauce. Pudding is too viscous.
posted by amicamentis at 9:02 PM on October 21, 2009

I'm surprised that no one's mentioned sublingual B complex tablets yet. At least the sublingual B12s I take don't have the unpleasant odour/taste of most caplets.
posted by thisjax at 4:35 AM on October 22, 2009

I also have this problem, although I can swallow regular pills. The vitamins are just so big. I hadn't heard of the gummies, but I did find good reviews online regarding the Vivactive vitamins that clerestory mentioned above. I found them in my local drugstore and have been taking them for about two weeks now. They are great! They taste OK (kind of like a generic-brand Tootsie Roll) and go down easy. They don't make me feel nauseated if I haven't eaten beforehand, either.
posted by bristolcat at 9:44 AM on October 23, 2009

Thanks for the answers everyone - a combination of those (ENORMOUS, BTW) liquid soft-gel things and tipping my head FORWARD seems to help a lot. And you're right, B vitamins smell like the ass end of a thing with two asses. Ew.
posted by ersatzkat at 5:11 AM on November 10, 2009