7 Tips to Avoid Getting a Pill Stuck in Your Throat

Answer:

Some people are particularly prone to pills getting "stuck" in their throat (known medically as pill-induced esophagitis) (Kikendall, Dig Dis Sci 1983). This includes people who produce less saliva (which can occur with age, medical conditions such as scleroderma, or due to medications), those who have esophageal narrowing, and those who have difficulty swallowing (which can be caused by conditions including iron deficiency and calcium deficiency).

In most cases the pill only causes some discomfort and eventually goes down, but there are cases where a pill gets permanently stuck and begins to open, causing irritation, inflammation, and even perforation of the esophagus with serious consequences, as in the recent case of esophageal perforation due to a bone health supplement (Zijlstra, Case Rep Gastroenterol 2022).

Be aware that, in addition to pills lodging in the esophagus, pills can also be choking hazards if they block routes to the lungs, and pills (particularly iron pills) that make their way into the lungs can cause great damage.

Sign in as a member for seven tips to avoid getting pills stuck in your throat, which includes details about drinking fluid, taking pills one at a time, staying upright, avoiding pills at bedtime, eating after taking a pill, choosing non-pill formulations, and selecting a pill size and shape that is easiest to swallow.

Also see our articles about crushing or breaking vitamin pills and whether tablets and capsules properly dissolve.