Swalllowing problem

I need help. My mom's ability to swallow her medication is getting worse. It used to be only Stalevo that she had problems with due to it's bulky shape. Now it's with all her other medications that are relatively small in size. I think she's developed a phobia about taking them because she choked on them a few times this week and water went down the wrong pipe which resulted in her gasping for air and turning red.

Stalevo is a combination drug and the instructions indicated it has to be swallowed whole to get the full benefits. Since my mom isn't swallowing it and instead either chews it up into bits or keeps it in her mouth to dissolve until heavy phelgm develops I thought why not split it into 2 pieces for her swallow. Well, it took 1 glass of water to swallow that half a pill and then 2 more glasses for 4 other medications until she let out a giant burp. In-between she choked and had wheezing noise coming out of her throat.

What can I do? I saw something online about a cup that you put your pill in and mix some juice with and you tilt your head and swallow it in one shot by inserting the spout on the cup down your throat. That would work if you know what you're trying to do. With my mom I know she will catch the pill on her tongue and swish it around her mouth like she's doing now. Her doctor suggested apple sauce but my mom just eats the apple sauce and keeps the pill in the corner of her mouth. The added bonus is she has dementia so she doesn't want to swallow and is afraid to. I'm getting panic attacks each time she has to take her medications because it's so much drama.

I wrote to the manufacturer of Stalevo requesting for a liquid form or smaller size pill but they said no.

Please give suggestions.

Oh ... and as far as swallowing as a whole ... I've heard it often helps to use a straw.  Personally I swallow better if my glass is full. For example, when drinking water with pills or otherwise, I keep refilling the glass with water so I don't have to tilt my head back and, therefore, open up my throat which may cause choking. But that's just me.

 

lizzy4451

Update - my mom now grinds her teeth all day long. Last night she kept her pill in her mouth all night long and started to chew throughout the night I assume because this morning the tip of her tongue was black from dried up blood which means she was biting her tongue as well. Is this from taking an increased dose of Stalevo? This drug is becoming a bigger nightmare than i could ever imagine. The size is so big that she can't swallow it to reap the benefits but at the same time when she does take it she's getting side effects of grinding and chewing.

I would like to try parcopa but the dosing instructions said 12 hours free of levodopa before switching and my mom can't last that long to do that and we don't even know if it will work on her to even start this painful process.

Oroflow cup was a total waste of money. I tried it my self and it's the same as using a big heavy straw. Dumb!

My mom is now swallowing all her other meds since I got rid of Stalevo. The fear of swallowing big pills made her not swallow the rest so when i got rid of the culprit the rest was pie. thanks Lizzy for suggesting Parcopa.

It doesn't work for my mom because she doesn't know why she's taking it with apple sauce so she will hold it in her mouth while she swallows the sauce. Same reason the cup didn't work. Unless you have the goal of getting it down it won't work.

Ever since she stopped Stalevo she's more willing to swallow her other pills so her doctor switched her to regular sinemet in place of Parcopa. Parcopa gave my mom really bad breath and it has artificial sweeteners which is not good. I also noticed she's losing more hair so maybe it is better that she switch out once again.

The nightmare starts again. My mom started back on Stalevo last night and she swallowed it fine. This morning she swallowed with little effort so I thought we are home safe. Then in the afternoon she chewed it up and then by the evening she wasn't swallowing it at all. She choked on her water but kept the pill in her mouth with water refusing to swallow it down or spit it out. She looked like she was going to choke to death. I tried opening her mouth for her but she just clenched her teeth. Finally she swallowed the water down slowly but the pill stayed in her mouth. I dont' know how much longer I can take this.

Sinemet was a dream to take but it wasn't very effective. Stalevo works great for her but she's not swallowing it like she's suppose to get the full effects. I need help. Her doctor is useless and has no suggestions other than putting it in apple sauce which I've done and she only eats the apple sauce and keeps the pill in her mouth. It's the size of a thumb nail with the thickness of her pinky. Her other pills are flat so they are eaiser to take. Most importantly they can be crushed so I would do that sometimes for her and also knowing when she chews them up it's ok. But Stalevo is not like that.

Hi Laurin,

I'm so sorry about your stepfather. My mom's had it for about 11 years now. She was diagnosed when she was 59 years old. No one told me about the dementia part of this so I was totally unprepared for it. She has nighttime incontinence which results in me getting her up 2 times a night to change out of her wet diapers because they leak and I then have to do the laundry. She does not yell out when she needs help so she just lays there until I go and get her. She also doesn't go #2 on her own anymore so that's done by me with a gloved finger. She's awake about 4-6 hours daily and the rest of the time her eyes are closed. She doesn't know my name but recognizes me by face so I'm "hey" to her.

As for the swallowing problem, she only has this with medication. She eats very well and doesn't have trouble swallowing her food. She does choke once in a while with drinking liquid. I have tried everything to get her to swallow her pills whole but she's too smart and won't be fooled into taking it with something else to mask it.

I do not understand how the makers of these PD meds come up with horse pills for people who have trouble swallowing. Makes absolutely no sense. It's almost like adding fructose corn syrup to diabetic meds.

There is NO cure for anything. Have you noticed that? When was the last time you heard a doctor said " oh, yes I can take care of that and you will never get it again" The whole pharmaceutical industry and MD's/hospitals will be out of business. What they do is invent a pill for one thing and gives you multiple side effects which will result in you needing some other drug to offset it. It's a vicious cycle and all for profit.

I'm sorry if I sound bitter and negative. I've been caring for my mom alone all this time and it's getting to me. Life is very fragile and incomplete.

Hi Dewey,

I use apple sauce and it works great but my mom takes Stalevo and that is the one drug that should not be crushed but I have to or else she won't swallow it fully. Now she is grinding her teeth all day long. I know it's from crushing the meds because they are being absorbed too fast this way and causing this as a side effect. My mom also has dementia so if I got her a mouth guard she will not wear it. It is very frustrating.

No my mom can swallow just not whole of anything. She always chews her pills when I put any in her mouth. I'm sorry to hear about your father.

Stalevo is a hard drug to take. Have you tried feeding her something that she loves, but after 2 bites, sneak in the pill? Or you could use a mouth swab. It has a spongy tip..you could use that to force her mouth open...it's not at all rough and use another spongy mouth swab with the pill hidden on it. Push it all the way far down her throat and follow immdiately with thickened water...It is hard, my prayers with you

thanks Bella for your tip...Yes i do know about the protein in Icecream, but with a table spoonfull of icecream wont have mujch of an impact (that's what the doctor said).....