is difficulty in swallowing pills an aspie thing?

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Do you have a problem swallowing pills?
No 41%  41%  [ 11 ]
Only long ones 22%  22%  [ 6 ]
Only round ones 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I have a problem with both 37%  37%  [ 10 ]
Total votes : 27

felinesaresuperior
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03 Apr 2015, 3:47 am

I have a problem swallowing pills, especially long ones, like antibiotics. They get stuck in my throat and make me gag. They won't go down.

I wonder if it's due to oversinsetivity and poor motor skills.

Anyone else has this problem?


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886
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03 Apr 2015, 6:18 am

I think a lot of people have this problem aspie or not, but given poor motor skills and sensitivity I'd imagine it's more common, I mean personally I don't do well with pills of any sort. I still do chewable vitamins.


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delle
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03 Apr 2015, 7:27 am

886 wrote:
I think a lot of people have this problem aspie or not.



I agree



lissa1212
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03 Apr 2015, 5:08 pm

I had the hardest time learning to swallow pills when I was younger (I believe it was in my preteen to early teen years). My instinct told me not to swallow them, so although I tried to I just couldn't get myself to do it. I would drink water, trying to swallow the pill along with it, but the water would just take off the coating leaving a horrible taste behind. At that point I would spit the pill out, effectively wasting it. When I finally halfway learned how to swallow a pill, it took multiple wasted pills before I finally was able to swallow one.

I take pills daily now, so I have mostly gotten over this problem. However, I do still swallow them weirdly at times, leading me to cough after taking them. I also sometimes make a funny expression while doing it. People have been very amused in the past watching me take a pill lol.



dianthus
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03 Apr 2015, 5:12 pm

I have trouble swallowing pills. They get stuck in my throat. I think it's due to muscle weakness.

How many people here who have trouble swallowing pills, also have trouble with reflux?



NEtikiman
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03 Apr 2015, 5:23 pm

I couldn't swallow any pills until I was. In college.


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the_phoenix
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03 Apr 2015, 6:06 pm

If I'm taking an aspirin, I take tiny bites of it and eat it a little at a time
with some water.
If it's a capsule or something that you're not supposed to cut in half,
I take it with lots of water
and pray.

...



Subjekt_9
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03 Apr 2015, 8:09 pm

I swallow 6 large oval shaped creatine pills after my workouts with no problems *shrugs* They're about as big as a multi-vitamin.



iliketrees
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04 Apr 2015, 10:52 am

felinesaresuperior wrote:
I have a problem swallowing pills, especially long ones, like antibiotics. They get stuck in my throat and make me gag. They won't go down.

I wonder if it's due to oversinsetivity and poor motor skills.

Anyone else has this problem?


I swallowed my antibiotics just fine. However, I can't for the life of me take anything containing iron. The second the taste of it hits anywhere with tastebuds, up it goes, along with the water and anything else remotely near it. Most horrible gag reflexes. Damn iron pills, why they gotta taste so damn nasty? So in my case it's more of a taste and texture thing than a shape thing, if that makes sense.



TheAP
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04 Apr 2015, 11:08 am

I can't swallow pills--I always fear that I will choke. When I take pills, I have to have them crushed up and put in applesauce.



Joe90
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04 Apr 2015, 1:05 pm

I don't like swallowing tablets, unless they are really tiny ones, like the contraceptive pill.

But bigger tablets I always crunch in half then in half again with my front teeth, and quickly swallow them down with a drink. And they do work effectively, and the taste doesn't bother me that much if I have a drink to wash them down with.


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AnonymousAnonymous
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04 Apr 2015, 2:38 pm

I'm not sure if difficulty swallowing pills is an "Aspie thing", but drinking water with pills certainly helps keep the gag reflex under control.


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Halfmadgenius
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04 Apr 2015, 2:41 pm

I used to. But I take a ton of supplements and it has gotten easier. Now I only have problems with large, long ones.



Halfmadgenius
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04 Apr 2015, 2:51 pm

dianthus wrote:
I have trouble swallowing pills. They get stuck in my throat. I think it's due to muscle weakness.

How many people here who have trouble swallowing pills, also have trouble with reflux?


I do. I use gummy multivitamins because the size and shape make pills hard to swallow. I get acid indigestion almost everyday. I didn't used to but I'm getting older now.



KimD
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04 Apr 2015, 4:01 pm

I can't speak for Aspies, but I know that plenty of NTs have trouble with swallowing pills. I suspect it is, in part, a psychological thing. If think you might gag, you'll be more likely to tense up, and therefore, gag! I think it also relates to muscle control, which is difficult to hone when you can't see the muscles you're using at all.

Unfortunately, I'm really good at swallowing pills--even a four-pack of vitamins--but there are still times when I over- or under-think it and have to try again, or just put up with a capsule or tablet that feels like it's only halfway down--I hate that!