Sinkers or Floaters?

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The subject is probably not what you were expecting, since sinkers and floaters usually refer to swimmers. I’m talking about pills. The supplements doctors told me to take were boring – same pills every day for years on end. Finding a good deal on vitamins for eyes, I bought them from a different manufacturer. The excitement began when I tried to swallow the first one. Pictured are the three I take after breakfast.

Supplements? Or a killer??

I popped all three in my mouth as usual, took a big gulp of water, and was able to swallow only two. A bit more water, and the tan one went down, fighting all the way. I was suspicious that the new one did not stay with the other two because it was floating. Who ever heard of a floating pill? The next day I took the odd pill by itself, and sure enough, it floated to the top of the water near the roof of my mouth. I’m positive I’ve never tried to swallow a floater before. It’s against the law of nature! Pills are supposed to go down, not up. Aaarrggghhhhh! These pills are going to last two LONG months! I am presuming the floaters will not kill me. I realize I could take that dratted pill with food, but that defeats my goal of zero calories for pill swallowing.

If you have ever taken floating pills, please let me know how you handled this bizarre situation.

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Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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44 thoughts on “Sinkers or Floaters?”

  1. Wow! Never heard of taking pills by putting them in the water first. I just put them all in my mouth and then drink a glass of water to wash them down. My grandmother took pills like a bird drinks water. She would put one pill in her mouth, take a sip of water and then tilt her head back to swallow like when a bird drinks water. I have no advice for you on this one!

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    1. I did not put the pills in water first. That tan one floated inside my mouth! When I took the three pills together, two went toward my tongue and one floated above. It was the craziest feeling!

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  2. Wow, thattotally makes sense. I have a supplement that sometimes takes forever to go down, or gets stuck sideways in my throat. Now i know why, its probably a floater. Its my tumeric. Is that your floater too?

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            1. Is he at risk for AMD? My dad went blind from it, and he passed it on to me, one daughter, and one niece. Lise just had her eye doctor in Denmark do a retina scan, and she shows no sign of it yet.

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              1. He has dry AMD. He needs to take the medicine and hasn’t been. He is also due an eye check, but will not bother with it til we go home again-but should. You know how men are about going to the doctor.
                I’m sorry you inherited it. Lise is blessed not to have.

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                1. They say AREDS 2 is the only known supplement to help you avoid the wet AMD. You could probably find suggestions for foods that are good to eat for it. I seem to remember green leafy vegetables, but I could be wrong. You might be able to help David without his knowing it!

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  4. I have a suggestion. If it’s a powder filled capsule, buy some empty capsules and transfer the powder into them.

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      1. That won’t help, it is the powder/granules inside of the pill that are too light that makes them float. But you can open the capsule and put the granules on a spoonful of something you are going to eat for breakfast. Or you could opt for chewables. I am a huge fan of Areds, it kept my mother in law from developing AMD in her right eye, after being diagnosed with it in her left eye, for over 30 years.

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  5. I dislike taking pills and have never heard of this floater idea. I can barely swallow a small gel capsule, let alone anything larger. Doctors may not agree with me, but I refuse to swallow what you call a floater. Make it small— or go home.

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    1. I was considering dosing myself like a dog. I could cover the capsule with a thin coating of peanut butter and see if that made it heavy enough to swallow. I would be concerned if I began to growl.

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  7. I’ve never heard of floater pills – weird. As my mom got older, she could not take large pills at all. She almost choked once and after that she cut them in half (she had no gen caps or filled capsules, so it worked out). It was a real fear for her that she would choke.

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    2. You first lose the central portion of your sight, then gradually the rest until you’re blind. The injections keep the damage to a minimum. I will have these injections until I die. A relative of a relative was still getting shots until she died, well into her 90s. She drove her car until she could no longer leave her house.

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    1. I hire a county bus to take me to the injections, because my eyesight can be disturbed by the shot. The following day I can see normally. It is difficult to read a large print book and almost impossible to read music on a normal day. Lise bought me an iPad that I scan music with, but enlarging it makes it almost too big to take in. I walk with neighbor Joyce most days, and she tells me what she is seeing. I can then spot the squirrel or bird when she points to it. This has really enhanced the walking experience for me.

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        1. The interval between injections began at 4 weeks. When my eyes had improved, it was 6 weeks. I’ve just made it to 8 weeks for the third time. The last two times my eyes did not do well, and I went back to a shorter interval.

          I blog only when I have something to write about. I like the spontaneity. I usually don’t find the time to write when family members are here. I just lurch from post to post.

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  13. Since it is a capsule and doesn’t appear to be time released you could probably open the capsule and just take the powder inside – maybe mix it with a little water. If you are uncertain ask your doctor or pharmacist.

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  14. This title had me cackling! Put the pill in your cheek as close to the back of your throat without feeling like you’re choking yourself. It should slip right down. Another alternative? Try using milk instead of water or Coat in a little peanut butter on a spoon and drink milk to chase it down quick.

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