Hi - I was just wondering if anyone still has their medication crushed at all ?
Mum had impaired swallow function after her stroke (April 2020) and so all tablets were crushed / opened and either mixed with yoghurt or water, as per the hospital.
Two years later she still has her daily medication this way - even though her swallow function is now ‘normal’, and the SALT team cleared her to be able to swallow her tablets as soon as she was able to eat solid food. She refuses to even try.
This is not a problem in the morning for her Atenolol, Lansoprazole and Clopidogrel, but at night - it can take up to two hours to ‘drink’ her Atorvastatin (as she keeps falling asleep), and it’s causing a lot of stress for my Sister and I.
We have to keep continually chasing her up to finish it - which is not nice for her, or us. (And it means we’re not getting to bed until really late)
I know the preferred time for Atorvastatin is at night - but does anyone take it in the morning ? As then I could crush it with the others - obviously I’d check with the GP first.
Please ask your GP but I would think if she can swallow a whole Artovastatin or any of the other medications, then let her with a simple glass of water. My husband has done since his swallow was passed as okay.
Anne
@Craftchick I think the preferred time is evening but see no reason why it couldn’t be taken in the morning. Quick chat with pharmacist would confirm for sure.
Best wishes x
Thanks @AnneC , the issue is that she doesn’t want to swallow them whole. She wants to continue to have them crushed. I think this stems from a fear of choking - but also a desire to do things in the same manner as when she returned home. Her anxiety and fear means she doesn’t want to change anything. Even if it would make things easier.
This is OK in the morning as I crush them and mix in with yoghurt.
At night, I crush the Atorvastatin and mix it with 125ml of water - which she can then drink. But it takes her a very long time to finish it, and we have to keep continually reminding her that it’s there. We’ve tried starting earlier - but then it just takes even longer.
Many thanks @Mahoney , I think Atorvastatin is one you can take in the morning but will double check, and that it can be crushed with the others.
Whether Mum then agrees to try it in the morning is a different matter…!
The ideal solution, would be for her to face her fears and try taking it in the normal way, which we’ve been trying to achieve for the last eighteen months.
Even though Mum still continues to have her regular medication crushed - we’ve had to tackle the situation with swallowing tablets “head on”, as she has been prescribed antibiotics for an infection.
Despite telling the HCA that she required a liquid formulation …they sent tablets (why does no-one listen ?!). And she has just taken the first one. No fuss - no problems swallowing the capsule. So this is a massive step forward and gives me hope that we might be able to get her to swallow her normal tablets as well. Fingers crossed
Just a quick update…Mum has finished her antibiotics and is now taking her nightly Atorvastatin in tablet form, rather than crushed with water.
It’s taken a long time but we’ve got there in the end and although it’s only been a couple of nights, it has made such a difference to our pre-sleep routine. We are all a bit less stressed and able to get to bed a little earlier…which is a big thing for me as I’m knackered most of the time !!
