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Ask the ADD Medical Expert:
Larry Silver, M.D.
Stimulants for Kids Who Can't Swallow Pills
Q:
"My 10-year-old can’t swallow the pill his doctor prescribed. It’s a long-acting stimulant, and our doctor says it’s the best one because it will cover the entire school day. What can we do?"
A:
For a medication to be the “best” one, your son must be able to take it.
Ask your doctor about long-acting methylphenidate or amphetamine capsules, which can be broken open and the contents sprinkled over food. They provide between eight and 12 hours of coverage. Methylphenidate is also available as a skin patch, Daytrana, which provides up to 12 hours of coverage.
 5 Comments:
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Posted by
nicole20
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Apr 14 2009 @ 8:57 PM
daytrana
My 6 year old daughter also cannot take pills. So her doctor prescribed the daytrana patch and It has helped her so much.
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Posted by
Kim
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Jun 7 2007 @ 11:37 PM
taking pills
My 7 year old son had difficulty swallowing pills. We put the pill in a spoonfull of pudding or yogurt, and he swallows it with no problems. Makes taking any non-crushable medication a breeze now! Good Luck!
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Posted by
Stacy Gittleman
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Jun 5 2007 @ 12:39 PM
taking pills - some solutions
This sounds a little wierd, but I would cook up a pot of rotini pasta (tube shaped)and slip a pill into one of the pastas. My son would swallow the tube shaped pasta whole!
I didn't have luck with sprinkling it over the food, my son would just push the parts of the apple sauce, whipped cream or whatever that had been sprinkled away from his mouth.
Also, try practicing with mini m&ms.
After a while, my son overcame his fear and now swallows them like a champ!
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Posted by
Cheryl Robucci
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May 14 2007 @ 9:11 PM
Taking pills
My son had trouble swallowing pills until I gave him a mouth full of whipped cream from the can after I put the pill on his tongue. He had no trouble swallowing the pill after that.
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Posted by
Margaret Ferris
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May 14 2007 @ 2:51 PM
wonder if there are tricks to help
My daughter has difficulty taking pills, but can take them. Are there any tricks to help. My husband tried putting the pill in peanut butter (like with our dog) and it worked poorly. The true problem is that she wants to chew the pill, which ruins its XR abilities.
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