Pills...crush or just swallow?

[bluesclues 49]

My doctor/NUT told me to open capsules and mix with Water. The other medicine I have to crush and take it. The one I have to crush (Levofloxacin) is the MOST DISGUSTING thing that I have had in my life. I've mixed it with SF Jello, Powerade, broth...and I want to throw up and have this nasty taste in my mouth for hours!

I read online to sandwich it between applesauce or mix with cool whip but I can't because I'm only 5 days post op and still on liquids. I know it comes in a liquid form but I can't get it here (no insurance, went to TJ for surgery) so I'm SOL. :/

Do you guys crush or open capsules or just swallow it whole with some Water? Or any other advice? I kinda just want to stop taking the Levofloxacin :x

TIA!!

[thesuse2000 698]

I was told I could swallow pills that are no larger than an m&m. Not sure how big yours is. When I've had to crush pills I poured the powder right onto the back of my tongue and quickly drank Water. Mixing with food I think would make it worse. Hope you find something that works!

[lilijo 187]

I had to crush pills and open capsules for 6 weeks. I mixed them with grape juice which helped mask some of those awful tastes. Good luck. Remember, it's only temporary.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

I was sent home with all kinds of meds, with no instruction as to swallow them or not. Added to my blood pressure meds, I just swallowed everything from the start (with some of my proteinshake) with these exceptions:

There was one tablet that was large enough to break in half. I swallowed it with a Protein shake.

I had to get a smaller fisf oil capsules, and even still, Miss Tummy will give it back most days. I stll eat fish twice a week to compensate for the fish oil rejection.

The down side of swallowing pills is that if they get hug up in my throat, I have to be careful not to drink too much fluids to get it down.

I had to look up Levofoxacin to see what it was....looks like the normal course is 7 - 10 days and then you will be done with it. My best hope is that if you must spill it into a drink or Soup, try something with a flavor to distract. I know we are not supposed to drink much fruit juice because of the sugar, but there was one liquid med that I followed with a little prune juice with some sweetener in it. I guess we all cope in our own way. Good luck and good health.

[bikrchk 1,313]

I got whatever I could in chewable or liquid form and crushed the rest for maybe the first 2 or 3 weeks, but as you say, it's awful, (even using applesauce). It wasn't long before I started swallowing. For larger tablets, I'd cut them first and take in several pieces. Smallish capsules (Omeprazole) went down okay whole after a few weeks or weren't that bad in applesauce.

[bluesclues 49]

Thanks everyone! I was bad and tried taking Omeprazole just as a capsule and it went down fine. It was stuck in my throat for a bit but its okay now

I think I do need to get some juice and mix it with the nasty tablet I've mixed it with Vitamin Water and still was repulsive. sigh

[BitterSweet* 835]

Cut your pill into fours. Whatever kind of flavored beverage you're allowed, pour a bit in your mouth without swallowing, then quickly stick 1/4 of the pill in your mouth and take another sip. It should float down. Flagyl is a large pill, but if it was prescribed for you, I would do just what you're doing now - and that's finding any way to get it down. Good luck.

[Denise73 89]

I opened my capsules and I cut the other pills in half.

[knitlil09 91]

My surgeon has his patients swallowing pills day 2 in the hospital, in fact, he won't send you home til you can.

I've never had a single problem with any pill I've attempted to swallow.

[bluesclues 49]

Cut your pill into fours. Whatever kind of flavored beverage you're allowed, pour a bit in your mouth without swallowing, then quickly stick 1/4 of the pill in your mouth and take another sip. It should float down. Flagyl is a large pill, but if it was prescribed for you, I would do just what you're doing now - and that's finding any way to get it down. Good luck.

Thanks bittersweet!! I started doing that and makes the tablet SO much more tolerable!! ????

[ouida8 0]

I'm 4 days out & crushing. I do a teaspoon of Water to get it down then chase it with a swig of my shake. It's nasty for a shorter time for me.