Giving medication via your tube

"It's confidence. You get to know what's required and how to do it"
- Trevor

You can use your feeding tube to administer medications when you find it hard to swallow them. It is essential you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before doing this. Some medications can be prescribed as a liquid or in a soluble form, making it easier for you to administer them. Some other tablets may need to be crushed before being dissolved. Caution – not all tablets are suitable or safe to be crushed, so seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist before crushing tablets.

You and your carer will be trained on how to give medications down your feeding tube, and you may be given some help if required, such as visits from a district nurse. In this film Trevor talks about his experiences of managing Marlene’s medicines and Sean demonstrates a method to help avoid blocking your tube when giving dissolved medications.