[GoldHawkStar]

No, not the red pill.

As neomasculine men who are always looking for ways to improve our bodies and make them stronger and healthier, pills are apart of most of our diets. Whether these pills are bodybuilding supplements or multivitamins, we consider them an important part of our daily intake. These little tablets the size of a tic tac can have the nutritional equivalent of multiple balanced meals, supplying the body with countless vitamins that can be difficult to get out of actual food. It really is an amazing concept.

But in order for your body to reap the benefits of these pills, you need to swallow them first.

I’ve always had a hard time getting pills down. Ever since I was a kid swallowing even the really tiny pills, I hated it. But I still got them down. Now that I’m all grown up, however, it’s hard to put on my big boy pants and swallow the pills that I now take.

My family has always called these pills “horse pills”. Pills that are large.

The sad part is that my diet doesn’t even consist of a pill buffet, but rather only two different pills, one of each a day.

The first one is this multivitamin. I started getting these at the beginning of the summer, about six months ago. I struggled at first, then started getting them down, but haven’t been able to get them down for awhile now. I started getting anxious and I have developed a fear that I will choke on it and even die. Apparently this did happen at least once. I would throw one in my mouth, put water in, and spit them out. I just couldn’t do it. I would go throw many pills in one day, just because I’d spit them out. I now crush them into applesauce, but I’m afraid that this loses some of its effects. Plus this takes a lot longer than just swallowing a pill.

The second is this fish oil pill. It literally just came in the mail today. I’ve heard about the health benefits of fish oil, specifically for increased testosterone and promoting hair growth. (I’m trying to bulk up and grow a full beard, so fish oil gives me the best of both worlds.)

Here are a couple pictures of the two:




That’s it. That’s all I have to get down every day. Like I said, it’s not a pill buffet.

So I need help. I need input from members who have struggled with this same issue. I need someone to tell me if I’m crazy or not for fearing that I will choke on a pill. I need the best techniques for getting them down. I can no longer be content with crushing them into applesauce, because the fish oil pills are softgels, so I don’t think that will work well.

Mastering the art of not being a pussy and getting these fuckers down is essential to my own improvement. I can no longer put this off.

[Mr. Brightside]

Take a glass. Fill it with water. Put the pill in your mouth? Begin to drink the glass of water (drink it all). How basic is this? Pharma companies don't make pills that their customers choke to death on.

[MiscBrah]

When I was younger I used to be the same. Now I have absolutely no problems with pills of any size. First stop referring to them as horse pills. Don't build it up as some big event. Just put the pill in your mouth and take a big sip of water. Done. You're not going to die. Just make sure you take a large sip of water.

If its really an issue just take the smaller pills and progress into the larger ones like you would on a lift. My fish oil pills I take are the same size and I believe yours has what is called an enteric coating. They are actually really easy to swallow compared to pills the same size that don't have that coating. As long as you have enough water that coating makes it even easier compared to normal pills.

[Biz]

Really?

[LINUX]

You should consider buying multivitamin powder and fish oil in liquid form and mixing it with your beverage of choice. It's all the same.

I don't have a problem swallowing pills but I have a problem with flavored protein powder so I buy unflavored protein. Problem solved.

[mikeymike]

Carlsons lemon fish oil, only way to do fish oil. the pills are a chore.

[GlobalMan]

Almost all of the supplements you could want can also be bought in powdered (or liquid) form. That's what's inside the pill after all.

[Razgriz]

I had trouble as a kid and my dad made me practice using the simple drinking method and tic tacs. Just moved up from there.

[realologist]

I used to have this problem until I was about 14-15 and I used to always have to put it in food to be able to swallow it. Then one day I just decided I was going to do it. I did this by putting it on my tongue and flooding my mouth with water. I swallowed the pill while swallowing the water. Once you get it, it becomes easier and easier.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

Although uncommon, this may be caused by an abnormal swallowing reflex - basically the neurological wiring of your throat muscles may not be the right type for swallowing a hard, unchewed pill; or it could be psychological. But if pills don't comfortably go down for you, it might be your swallowing reflex that is the problem, not your psychological state. The fear you're experience may be secondary to the poor swallowing coordination. In which case perhaps it is better if you seek out alternatives rather than pills. Your body might be trying to tell you something.

[GoldHawkStar]

Thanks for the help so far, guys. I really appreciate it.

Is it possible for a pill to go down the wrong pipe (esophagus) and choke on it that way? That's what I'm really paranoid about.

[monster]

OP wants to learn to swallow rather than spit.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(11-21-2015 04:18 PM)Goldhawkstar Wrote:  

Thanks for the help so far, guys. I really appreciate it.

Is it possible for a pill to go down the wrong pipe (esophagus) and choke on it that way? That's what I'm really paranoid about.

Yes.

Although the esophagus is the correct pipe. The wrong pipe is the trachea...



It's also possible to choke on water, hamburgers, chicken bones... Anything really... Especially if talking or laughing while eating.

Sometimes stuff also just falls into the lungs by accident. Most commonly peanuts. This won't necessarily cause choking but can cause lung collapse or chronic pneumonia. Then you'd need a bronchoscopy - basically a surgeon will stick a fibreoptic camera down your trachea and seek out the foreign object and then suck it out of you.

[GoldHawkStar]

But if I'm focused, not distracted, and especially not talking or laughing, it should go down the esophagus.

And if I was distracted one day and it did go down the trachea, I'd just instantly cough it right back up, so I'd be fine.

Right?

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(11-22-2015 11:30 AM)Goldhawkstar Wrote:  

And if I was distracted one day and it did go down the trachea, I'd just instantly cough it right back up, so I'd be fine.

Right?

Not necessarily. A lot of people don't even know if something small and hard (like a peanut) fell into their lungs. Sometimes the diagnosis is only made after weeks of lung-related illnesses fail to resolve.

[Tigre]

It's something you can get more comfortable at with practice.

I find that positive visualization helps.

Negative visualization: you're about to take the pill. You imagine yourself coughing it up or mashing it in your mouth and it's bitter. This is probably something that's already happened to you as a kid. Most likely, that's what will happen again if you do it this way.

Positive visualization: you imagine yourself putting the pill in your mouth, take a mouthful of water and drink it down easily. Run through those steps in your head a few times from start to finish. Then actually do the steps for real. It should help you to do it successfully without being anxious about it.

[Odin]

(11-22-2015 11:30 AM)Goldhawkstar Wrote:  

But if I'm focused, not distracted, and especially not talking or laughing, it should go down the esophagus.

And if I was distracted one day and it did go down the trachea, I'd just instantly cough it right back up, so I'd be fine.

Right?

If its a big deal you could use Rectal administration..

[Quintus Curtius]

For Christ's sake, man.

Are you kidding me?

[GoldHawkStar]

(11-22-2015 07:49 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  

For Christ's sake, man.

Are you kidding me?

Trust me, I feel ridiculous about it.

[Quintus Curtius]

I suppose you can try dissolving them in water and then drinking them.

But I think this is just one of those things where you will just have to try to train yourself not to gag on them.

[GoldHawkStar]

(11-22-2015 09:29 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  

I suppose you can try dissolving them in water and then drinking them.

But I think this is just one of those things where you will just have to try to train yourself not to gag on them.

Yeah, it's just a stupid mental thing. Once I get myself to be fine with it, I'll be good.

I don't even gag on them, I just need to convince myself that it's fine to swallow them in the first place.

[Snowplow]

It is strange but I at one point had a hard time with it too. My dad said to put the pill in your mouth, take a small sip of water and point you face to your feet while swallowing. It relaxes the muscles in your throat. If you throw your head back to swallow all the muscles tend to tighten up.