Why You Should Never Swallow Your Pills Dry
fizkes/Shutterstock By Sara Caskey/Oct. 31, 2022 3:48 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We all take shortcuts. Whether you brush your teeth in the shower, rely on dry shampoo, or take backroads to avoid rush hour (thanks, Google maps), shortcuts can be helpful, time-saving tools. However, spraying an air freshener over dirty laundry doesn’t solve the pile itself –- sometimes, it’s worth taking the long way. As famously written by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, “shortcuts make long delays” (via Goodreads).
TikTok is a breeding ground for not-so-helpful hacks like using toilet bowl cleaner to dissolve grout or “natural” contouring -– using sunscreen and UV rays to burn on a jawline (ouch). Shortcuts, at their worst, can prove more dangerous than helpful. Though social media has played a role in popularizing questionable trends –- one TikTok hair curling hack went viral for all the wrong reasons –- it’s also become a platform for spreading knowledge. For instance, popular creator @luciebfink revealed the dangers of swallowing your pills dry in a September 2022 video -– the consequences are more deadly than you might think. So, next time you’re hoping to avoid a trip to the sink before you pop an Advil, opt for the long way rather than a shortcut.
Dry swallowing pills can cause damage to your throat’s lining
Eva March/Shutterstock
In a September 2022 post, TikToker @luciebfink tells the story of “a friend of a friend of a friend” who swallowed a pill dry before going to sleep. As later reported by Self, the late-night shortcut had dire consequences –- because the pill was simply “sitting there” as they slept, it “burned a hole” in their throat. This unfortunate “friend of a friend of a friend” was greeted with a painful trip to the emergency room upon waking up.
Pharmacist Matthew Britt, RPH, confirmed the likelihood of this story with Self. As he explained, “Taking oral medications with water is important to ensure that the drug passes through to your stomach and small intestine and does not become lodged in your throat.” Ultimately, “This will allow the medication to be absorbed properly in the body and produce the desired effect.” When the pill’s coating gets stuck, it can essentially “burn” the throat’s lining, an effect called “pill-or-drug-induced esophagitis.” To avoid these (admittedly rare yet painful) ulcers, take your medication with a gulp of water. Though less dramatic than hemorrhaging throat holes, swallowing pills dry can also lead to general irritation, heartburn, and inflammation, according to Jennifer Caudle, DO, via The Healthy. As noted by Caudle, “Pain-relieving medications such as Motrin and Advil are commonly taken without water, and that class of drugs can be notoriously problematic if they get lodged in the throat.”
Why You Should Never Swallow Your Pills Dry
fizkes/Shutterstock
By Sara Caskey/Oct. 31, 2022 3:48 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We all take shortcuts. Whether you brush your teeth in the shower, rely on dry shampoo, or take backroads to avoid rush hour (thanks, Google maps), shortcuts can be helpful, time-saving tools. However, spraying an air freshener over dirty laundry doesn’t solve the pile itself –- sometimes, it’s worth taking the long way. As famously written by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, “shortcuts make long delays” (via Goodreads).
TikTok is a breeding ground for not-so-helpful hacks like using toilet bowl cleaner to dissolve grout or “natural” contouring -– using sunscreen and UV rays to burn on a jawline (ouch). Shortcuts, at their worst, can prove more dangerous than helpful. Though social media has played a role in popularizing questionable trends –- one TikTok hair curling hack went viral for all the wrong reasons –- it’s also become a platform for spreading knowledge. For instance, popular creator @luciebfink revealed the dangers of swallowing your pills dry in a September 2022 video -– the consequences are more deadly than you might think. So, next time you’re hoping to avoid a trip to the sink before you pop an Advil, opt for the long way rather than a shortcut.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
TikTok is a breeding ground for not-so-helpful hacks like using toilet bowl cleaner to dissolve grout or “natural” contouring -– using sunscreen and UV rays to burn on a jawline (ouch). Shortcuts, at their worst, can prove more dangerous than helpful. Though social media has played a role in popularizing questionable trends –- one TikTok hair curling hack went viral for all the wrong reasons –- it’s also become a platform for spreading knowledge. For instance, popular creator @luciebfink revealed the dangers of swallowing your pills dry in a September 2022 video -– the consequences are more deadly than you might think. So, next time you’re hoping to avoid a trip to the sink before you pop an Advil, opt for the long way rather than a shortcut.
Dry swallowing pills can cause damage to your throat’s lining
Eva March/Shutterstock
In a September 2022 post, TikToker @luciebfink tells the story of “a friend of a friend of a friend” who swallowed a pill dry before going to sleep. As later reported by Self, the late-night shortcut had dire consequences –- because the pill was simply “sitting there” as they slept, it “burned a hole” in their throat. This unfortunate “friend of a friend of a friend” was greeted with a painful trip to the emergency room upon waking up.
Pharmacist Matthew Britt, RPH, confirmed the likelihood of this story with Self. As he explained, “Taking oral medications with water is important to ensure that the drug passes through to your stomach and small intestine and does not become lodged in your throat.” Ultimately, “This will allow the medication to be absorbed properly in the body and produce the desired effect.” When the pill’s coating gets stuck, it can essentially “burn” the throat’s lining, an effect called “pill-or-drug-induced esophagitis.” To avoid these (admittedly rare yet painful) ulcers, take your medication with a gulp of water. Though less dramatic than hemorrhaging throat holes, swallowing pills dry can also lead to general irritation, heartburn, and inflammation, according to Jennifer Caudle, DO, via The Healthy. As noted by Caudle, “Pain-relieving medications such as Motrin and Advil are commonly taken without water, and that class of drugs can be notoriously problematic if they get lodged in the throat.”
Pharmacist Matthew Britt, RPH, confirmed the likelihood of this story with Self. As he explained, “Taking oral medications with water is important to ensure that the drug passes through to your stomach and small intestine and does not become lodged in your throat.” Ultimately, “This will allow the medication to be absorbed properly in the body and produce the desired effect.” When the pill’s coating gets stuck, it can essentially “burn” the throat’s lining, an effect called “pill-or-drug-induced esophagitis.” To avoid these (admittedly rare yet painful) ulcers, take your medication with a gulp of water.
Though less dramatic than hemorrhaging throat holes, swallowing pills dry can also lead to general irritation, heartburn, and inflammation, according to Jennifer Caudle, DO, via The Healthy. As noted by Caudle, “Pain-relieving medications such as Motrin and Advil are commonly taken without water, and that class of drugs can be notoriously problematic if they get lodged in the throat.”
Anxiety can make swallowing pills more difficult
Yaya Photos/Shutterstock
