Does your medication have an unpleasant taste?

There's no getting around it, certain medications taste so awful they make you want to gag! It is sometimes possible to change the medication or its formulation. The following tips may help make your medication easier to swallow.

Tips

• Plug your nose before you take the medication; odour is responsible for a large portion of taste when you swallow.
• Desensitize your taste buds by sucking on a piece of ice or eating ice cream right before taking your medicine.
• Brush your teeth or gargle with mint-flavoured mouthwash just before taking your medication (products with a strong mint flavour leave a long-lasting taste in your mouth).
• Eliminate the bad taste by drinking a liquid or eating a cracker right after.

If the medication comes in liquid form:

• Many products taste less when cold, although in some cases, the opposite can also be true! Ask your pharmacist whether placing your medication in the refrigerator will reduce its unpleasant taste.
• Add the medication to a small quantity of food (such as yogurt or stewed fruit).
  • Do not mix your medication with a large quantity of food or liquid; you'll simply make the bad taste last longer.
  • With children, avoid putting the medication in healthy or vital food sources as your child could associate the food with the medication and develop an aversion to the food in question.
  • Always check with your pharmacist before mixing your medication with food, as some medicines should not be taken with certain foods (e.g., dairy products, grapefruit).
• The taste buds are located primarily on the tongue. Use a straw to bring the liquid directly to the bottom of the mouth without it passing over the tongue.

If the medication comes in tablet form:

• Place the tablet in a bit of bread or dip it in maple syrup or jam.
• Ask if you can crush the tablet and add it to a small quantity of food.
  • Check with your pharmacist first to see if this is right for you, as some tablets must be swallowed whole to be effective. Also, the taste of some tablet may be even more unpleasant if crushed.
  • Always check with your pharmacist before mixing your medicine with food, as some medicines should not be taken with certain foods (e.g., dairy products, grapefruit).
• Place the tablet on the back of your tongue and swallow whole with water.

If none of these measures are effective and the medication still makes you gag, talk to your pharmacist who's always there to help.