Do not just suffer through it; there are techniques and alternatives that work.
The NHS advises swallowing pills with water while leaning slightly forward, the opposite of the instinct to tip your head back. Practicing with small sweets or pieces of bread builds the skill gradually. Two named techniques have good evidence and NHS video guides: the lean-forward technique for capsules and the pop-bottle technique for tablets. If the mechanics still fail, your pharmacist is the next stop: many medicines exist as liquids, melt-in-the-mouth tablets, granules, or patches, and some can be crushed or opened, but only when a pharmacist confirms that specific medicine is safe to alter. Modified-release and coated pills must never be crushed or opened without that check.
What to do
Common questions
What do I do if I can't swallow pills?
You have more options than suffering through it. The NHS suggests several proven tricks: take pills with water and lean forward slightly when you swallow, rather than tipping your head back, which makes it harder. Practice with small sweets or bits of bread, moving up in size as it gets easier. Two formal techniques, the lean-forward method for capsules and the pop-bottle method for tablets, have NHS video guides and work well for most people. Do not throw pills toward the back of your throat. If techniques are not enough, ask a pharmacist: many medicines come as liquids, dissolvable tablets, granules, patches, or smaller tablets, and some tablets can be crushed or capsules opened, but only on a pharmacist's advice, since altering some medicines stops them working or makes them unsafe. One warning: if you also struggle to swallow food and drink, not just pills, see a GP, because that points to a swallowing problem that needs its own assessment.