There's no getting around it, certain medications taste so awful they make you want to gag! Although you can sometimes ask for a different medication (ask your doctor) or formulation (ask your pharmacist), you generally just have to take your medicine as ordered. 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), but check with your pharmacist first; some medications should not be taken with other foods such as dairy or grapefruit. Also, 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.
- Use a syringe to take your medication, placing it at the side of your mouth, about half way down your tongue.
If the medication comes in tablet form:
- Place the pill(s) in a bit of bread or dip it in maple syrup or jam.
- Crush the pill(s) and add it to a small quantity of food such as yogurt or jam. (Check with your pharmacist first: Some tablets are coated to protect your taste buds and some medications should not be taken with certain foods such as dairy or grapefruit.)
- Place the pill(s) 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.
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The patient information leaflets are provided by Vigilance Santé Inc. This content is for information purposes only and does not in any manner whatsoever replace the opinion or advice of your health care professional. Always consult a health care professional before making a decision about your medication or treatment.
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Very old thread revived by new member. Even though I feel great, i'm still going to drink this medicine. Can't afford being sick on finals week. Anyways, I have the green Original Flavor for Cold/Flu relief. In the bottle it looks like regular liquid, like dimatap or Robitusssen. Well, Once you drink it, it is thick as hell and made me gag like 5
times...but I love the drwosy effect Last edited by a moderator: Feb 13, 2019
I know exactly what you're describing! Everytime I drink that stuff it makes me wanna barf right afterwards but gotta admit that stuff works. Other icky stuff seems to be pepto and that white antiacid stuff ewwww
Taste is second when it comes to the magical healing powers of Nyquil.
this is why I use the liquigels....
I'm just curious why you think drinking Nyquil is going to keep you healthy? Or are you just going for drowsy?
Yep, taste does not matter when it coes to hwta the medicine does. Last night I felt like crap, stuffy nose, wheezing breath..took it and I feel great.
<< I'm just curious why you think drinking Nyquil is going to keep you healthy? Or are you just going for drowsy? >> Well Acutally, I am just now getting over a flu/cold/fever what ever. I feel better today, but I took it again now just to make sure.
you are aware that cold/flu medicine doesn't actually heal you...it just suppresses the symptoms. only antibiotics and anti-viral medicines can "heal" you.
Oh ok, so you are still in the recovering stage. I think the main ingredient in Nyquil that makes you feel better is the alcohol.
<< you are aware that cold/flu medicine doesn't actually heal you...it just suppresses the symptoms. only antibiotics and anti-viral medicines can "heal" you. >> Ignorance is bliss!
sorry...geez. i hate it when my mom used to tell me to take my medicine, it'll make me better. so i went and did research on medicines primarily off-the-counter stuff...all this back when i was 10. i was a bored little kid back then. i still am...
Oh yeah, 10% is more than beer and wine, I guess that's the secret to feeling better
While were on the topic of medicine and stuff,
admin allisolm
what's a good thing to take for a minor cough? It's not one of those nasty ones but it's been lingering for about two weeks now, nothing painful but I just cough once in a while
- #14
Actually Nyquil does help, by supressing the symptoms, it allows full rest, which is what helps your body more than anything to fend of and defeat viruses.
- #15
Cool!! Thats the same exact Vicks I have on my desk right now
- #16
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh, at least get the red stuff if you're gonna drink Nyquil recreationally. It tastes a smigden better. JUST a smidgen though. ::shudder::
- #17
No forget the Red stuff... you must buy only "Green Death" Nyquil. Dennis Leary did a comedy routine about Nyquil and its god-awful taste. But that 10% alcohol makes the whole experience worthwhile l2c
- #18
Try some dayquil... it'll clear your head right up as soon as you swallow it and then your eyes get reeaallly wide for the rest of the day
- #19
Cherry Nyquil tastes good. I love it! --Ben
- #20
You think nyquil tastes bad? It taste like sugarry cherry goodness compared to Buckleys. Now that stuff taste bad, but I have to say that it works wonders.
- #21
nyquil might taste like crap, and make you wanna puke... but that stuff is pure liquid magic when it comes to flu... or insomnia
- #22
Just drink it like ur taking a shot just open ur throat up and it'll be gone in a sec.
- #23
I took it once, fell right asleep, and woke up sicker than I was before I took it. I don't know if it was the medicine or just some prob with congestion in my inner ear, but I was dizzy to the point of being sick for 3 days. At any rate, I haven't used it since, lol.
- #24
I remember the first time I tried nyquil. Dropped my ass into bed fast. Felt so good the next morning compared to the other days. My friend drank too much one day when he was sick and we went down to seattle to walk around, and he was pretty "stoned" for the rest of the day.
- #25
If you want something that tastes bad go get yourself some powdered augmentin from your doctor and mix it with some water or whatever it was you have to mix it with... milk or water im not sure.. I just know I'm NEVER going to take that crap again free sample or not.
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