Make sure to measure out the correct dose of your medicine. Then pour this into a full glass of juice or water and drink it quickly. Drink the glass entirely to ensure that you get the full dosage of medicine. Carbonated beverages may not be the best choice for this method- the bubbles will make it hard to swallow fast. Milk may also not work best because mixing it with medicine could cause an upset stomach. [2] X Research source You may also want to “chase,” or follow the medication with pleasant tasting drink afterwards can assist in erasing the foul taste. Never mix your medicine with alcohol. Alcohol interacts with many medications and it can be harmful to drink while taking medication.
Ask pharmacist about availability of flavoured medicine.
Check with the pharmacist prior to doing this as certain medications can become unstable in severe fluctuations of temperature.
Suck on either an ice cube or ice pop until your mouth is numb- probably around five minutes. Then drink your medicine quickly before you regain feeling in your mouth. Have water or juice standing by. Drink this right after taking your medicine. If you don’t drink something, you’ll get the medicine taste as soon as your mouth warms up.
The Institute for Safe Medical Practices has compiled this list of pills you should not crush. New medications come out often, however, so always check with your pharmacist before grinding up a pill. There are other options if you can’t crush your pills. For some medications (like oxycontin) there are abuse deterrent formulations that still require this medication to be swallowed whole, but if crushed or tampered with inactivates the active ingredient.
Before crushing a pill, moisten it with a few drops of water. Let it soften for 15 minutes. Purchase a pill crusher. Otherwise use a mortar and pestle or crush the pill using a spoon. Do this carefully so you don’t lose any of the medication. Add the crushed pill to food. Any food will do, but sweet things usually work best. Sweet flavors will be most effective at distracting your taste buds from the medicine’s taste. Things like ice cream, chocolate or vanilla pudding, honey, or chocolate syrup usually work best.
If you use this method, be sure to check your mouth after you swallow to ensure the pill went down. With your mouth numb, you may not be able to feel the pill.
