Water and NDT

[ajs100uk]

Just a quickie. Due to my large goitre I have to use at least a pint of water to get tablets/capsules down or they get stuck. I just wondered if it was okay to swallow the capsules with this amount of water? Thank you lovely peeps

[Clutter]

Ajs100uk,

Yes, it's fine

[ajs100uk in reply to Clutter]

Great, thanks Clutter! I do guzzle it down lol

[Clutter in reply to ajs100uk]

Ajs100uk,

Most people don't drink enough when taking tablets.

[ajs100uk in reply to Clutter]

Phew, that's okay then I get most of my daily water intake taking tabs lol

[silverfox7]

It may help to get a pill cutter and take smaller pieces.

[ajs100uk in reply to silverfox7]

I do that for most but cannot for capsules

I have also not yet found a pill cutter that cuts large tablets cleanly without several bits turing to dust. I refuse to spend more money on yet another cutter (i have abiut 4) to see if there is one that will cut cleanly.

I will stick to my pint of water for now lol

[helvella Administrator]

Bear in mind that in some circumstances, especially care homes, they grind many medicines into powder and either sprinkle over food or mix with water. This is specifically mentioned in at least some of the Patient Information Leaflets for levothyroxine, as one example.

Some capsules can simply be opened and the contents used without the shell.

It is vital that you are sure this is acceptable for the specific medicines you take. And absorption can be altered. If you cannot see any reference, consider contacting the manufacturer.

Some medicines are coated, maybe to protect the stomach, or to protect the medicine from the acid in the stomach. Others need to be taken away from food.

[ajs100uk in reply to helvella]

Some of the capsules stink so I would be very wary of emptying them lol.

It is all good, I can get them down with lots of water and was only concerned if that watered down the tabs/caps

[silverfox7]

I use a Pill Mate for small tablets but not tried anything large in it but just thought to mention it incase it hadn't crossed your mind or a suggestion for any other readers. But I appreciate how difficult it can be with a goitre. Plus most things have a hard coating so that it gets down to the right place before dissolving. Do you need to take many same time or ould you spread them a little more and that would spread your water intake a bit wider as well.

[ajs100uk in reply to silverfox7]

I have a pill mate in my collection lol I take different things four times a day so the water is spread out. I have to take the various tablets at these times. I was only concered that the amount of water I have to drink to get then down would affect the tablet in some way, 'water it down' so to speak. It is all good, I drink plenty of water throughout the day and at pill times

[Hidden]

I can offer no advice re pill cutters, they are a bit too small for my angle grinder! But can for goitres as have suffered greatly with them.

You are lucky indeed if the main thing bothering you with a goitre as large as the one you state, is the need to take extra water. You may have the traditional goitre which bulges outwards or you may have the kind which grows inwards. An inward growing one prevented me breathing properly and gave me several bouts of pneumonia some years ago. Was only halted by surgery when it had become life-threatening to me.

So, take good care of yourself and keep your doc informed if your breathing itself becomes affected, pneumonia is a killer.

As for the pills, have you tried dissolving them in water?

Or why not copy the trick I used on my dog - push it into a piece of butter and then it should go down well lubricated........followed by the water.

[ajs100uk in reply to Hidden]

Sorry you got so poorly. Mine is inwards and outwards and I have been offered surgery but I now want to hold on to it for as long as possible. My voice gets croaky and I cannot swallow big tablets but that is all for now and I can cope with that

As long as water does not dilute the effectiveness of the tabs/caps (which is what my concern was) I am happy with getting them down the way I do and it is only really the large ones I have a bad problem with.

Personally, I would not be up for opening them, some of them stink, or disolving them and drinking the resultant mix, eeewww lol

Thanks for the suggestions, I may try the butter