Why does swallowing a pill feel so clumsy?

August 5, 2008 7:24 AM

When I swallow pills with water, why do I frequently feel like the pills have gone out of my mouth and into the water's container?

I don't have pill-taking anxiety or any fear that I'll choke, or even any worry that I'll have wasted or ruined the medicine. It's just a feeling that the pill has vanished one way off my tongue instead of another, but of course nothing so clumsy ever happens. A friend of mine actually brought this up and I understood exactly what he was talking about.

I know the mechanism of swallowing is complex, but what part of the process might lead to that feeling? Is there a biological explanation for this sensation? Or is it a trick of perception?

posted by cowbellemoo to health & fitness (7 comments total)

I'll take a shot...

Assuming the pill is sitting on your tongue, when the rush of water hits your mouth, for a instant the pill sits still. Then the water pushes it back into your throat like a gel coated surfer. When you falsely sense the pill moving forward into the water, its actually the sensation of the water hitting that spot where heretofore the pill was resting.
posted by ian1977 at 7:29 AM on August 5, 2008

I have that sensation too.

Solution: Hold the pill under your tongue while taking a drink.
posted by unixrat at 7:34 AM on August 5, 2008

I've noticed this too, so I almost always take my drugs with milk now. The sensation doesn't appear to happen with milk (if that should factor into the explanation).
posted by phunniemee at 7:35 AM on August 5, 2008

Have you tried putting the pill in your mouth after you've taken in a swig of water? You might feel like its lost in your mouth, but just throw your head back and you will feel it again.
posted by thetenthstory at 8:10 AM on August 5, 2008

I've always done it "backwards," taking a big sip of water and then putting the pill in my mouth. I think I started as a kid without knowing it was the 'wrong' way to do it, and no one ever convinced me that there was any advantage to doing it in the other order. It doesn't explain the phenomenon you mention (which I think is the point of your question), but it is another way to avoid it. ;)
posted by fogster at 8:31 AM on August 5, 2008

I do the same thing as thetenthstory & Fogster stated above. I put liquid in my mouth, then the pill. If the pill does not have a "coating" on the outside then I will take a tiny bit of food and chew it up and then take the pill... helps with the "icky" taste of the pill.
posted by ForeverDcember at 10:36 AM on August 5, 2008

I get this too, but it only bugs me when I've taken a pill in the dark (e.g. only by my computer monitor's light). I also get the residual sensation of a pill being on the back of my tongue or near the top of my throat even when it's gone down correctly, especially with larger pills, which annoys me more.

I think it is a trick of perception. The tongue is designed for locating and moving around stuff in your mouth, and it's better to be overly sensitive than the other way around. It also interacts with the taste buds. You may actually have residual pill taste that is triggering a residual pill feel.
posted by dhartung at 1:20 PM on August 5, 2008