How to Make Medicine Taste Better: 6 Easy Tips to Try

Many people find that one of the most unpleasant parts of taking medication is the taste. Whether it’s bitter, sour, or metallic, a bad taste can make it difficult to take medicine. Tablets, capsules, and liquids can all leave an unwanted taste in our mouths.

This can be especially tough for children, who may not swallow medications that taste bad. But there are strategies that can help to improve their taste, making them easier to take.

From hiding the flavor to changing the dosage form, there are ways to make your medicine taste better.

Why do certain medicines taste bad?

How medications taste depends on the information our taste buds send to our brain. Our taste buds are connected to nerves that let us know which flavor we’re experiencing. This is how we are able to figure out different tastes such as sweet, sour, or bitter.

Some medications can temporarily change the way things taste. And certain active ingredients are naturally bitter. But even though some medications taste bad, there are ways to help make them easier to take.

Let’s discuss six tips for making your medicine taste better.

6 simple ways to make medicine taste better

Taking medicine doesn’t have to be unpleasant. Here are some ways to make your doses taste better and easier to swallow.

1. Ask your pharmacist to flavor liquid medications

Many community pharmacies have access to recipes that improve the taste of liquid medicine. Pharmacists can use these recipes to make flavors, sweeten medications, and/or hide bitterness.

Flavoring is commonly used to make liquid medications, such as antibiotics, taste better. But other liquid medications, including over-the-counter products, can also be flavored.

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Examples of popular flavor choices include:

• Grape

• Bubblegum

• Strawberry

• Watermelon

• Cherry

Be sure to tell your pharmacist about any allergies you or your child may have. Certain flavoring agents may carry allergy warnings. For instance, they may be produced in a facility that also processes common allergens, such as soy or eggs.

2. Numb your taste buds with ice or a popsicle before taking your dose

Temperature affects how we taste food because it can change the way our taste buds work. Cold temperatures slow down our taste buds’ ability to send signals to the brain, while heat speeds it up.

Cold food and drinks make sweet or bitter flavors less noticeable. For example, when you drink iced coffee it usually tastes less bitter than hot coffee. So, if you or your child suck on an ice cube or a popsicle before taking your medicine, it may help dull the taste.

3. Keep liquid medication in the fridge, if possible

Refrigerating your liquid medicine works similarly to sucking on popsicles or ice right before taking a dose. Your taste buds will be less likely to sense bitterness in your doses.

Just be sure to ask your pharmacist if it’s safe to refrigerate your medication before doing so. Some medications should be kept at room temperature.

4. Eat or drink something strongly flavored right after

Eating or drinking something strongly flavored after taking medication is another tip to try. You can lessen the bad aftertaste of some medicines by drinking acidic juices, such as orange juice. Butterscotch, cinnamon, or peanut butter may help with salty-tasting medicine. And if your medicine is bitter, try eating coffee-flavored candies or licorice.

Talk with your pharmacist before trying these examples. Some medications shouldn’t be taken with certain foods or drinks. For instance, many medications interact with grapefruit juice. And be careful when trying this with children. This technique could cause them to negatively connect certain foods to taking bad-tasting medicine.

5. Mix medications with compatible foods or beverages

Some people prefer to crush, open, or split solid medications and mix them with food to make them easier to swallow. It’s also common for parents to mix their children’s liquid medication with milk, juice, or baby formula. This can be helpful to mask the bad taste of some medicines.

Crushed or liquid medicines are commonly mixed with liquids or soft foods, such as:

• Water

• Juice

• Milk or formula

• Flavored syrups, such as chocolate or maple syrup

• Applesauce

• Yogurt

• Pudding

But don’t try this tip without asking a pharmacist first.

Not all medications should be taken with food. Eating can help your body to absorb some medications. But it can actually reduce absorption for other medications. This can cause certain medications not to work as well as they should.

Though, keep in mind, some medications cannot be crushed or split. And some foods and drinks can interact with certain medications. Ask a pharmacist about whether you can safely mix your medicine with foods or beverages at home.

6. Switch from a liquid to pills, if possible

Some people who cannot tolerate the taste of liquid medicines may prefer to take pills. Many oral pills are covered in a coating that helps to hide the taste of the medication when it’s in your mouth.

If you’re able to swallow pills, check with your pharmacist to see if your medication comes in a pill form. If so, they can contact your prescriber to make the switch.

What should you watch for when masking the taste of medication?

You should be careful when you use different strategies to hide the taste of your medicine. Not all options are appropriate to use for every medication.

Some things to keep in mind include:

• Knowing if you can crush your tablet or open your capsule. Some tablets or capsules are designed to open or dissolve at a certain time or place in your body. Crushing them can cause them to open or dissolve too soon or in the wrong location. This can raise the risk of side effects or make medications less effective.

• Knowing if your medication can be taken with food. Medications may not work well when taken with certain foods or drinks. Some dietary items change the way your body absorbs or breaks down medication. These changes can worsen side effects or prevent your medication from working properly.

• Making sure you take your full dose. If you mix medication with foods or drinks, be sure to consume all of it. Not finishing some of the mixture means you may not be getting your full dose. This can be especially tricky for children. It’s better to mix medications with the smallest amount of compatible food or drink needed. This helps make sure you or your child can finish the entire mixture.

• Consuming food-medication mixtures right away. If you mix your medication with foods or drinks, consume it right away. Many medications cannot be stored very long after they’re mixed with a food or drink. Trying to keep this mixture for later could change how your medicine works.

What other methods can help kids take bad-tasting medication?

Children often refuse to take medications because they taste bad. Use these strategies to improve your child’s experience:

• Let your child pick the flavor of their medication.

• Involve your child in the process. Try giving them a job to do, such as holding the medicine cup or syringe.

• Explain what a medication does in terms they can understand. For instance, you could say something like, “This medication will help your skin stop itching.”

• Involve the child in play while giving them a dose. For example, your child could give a stuffed toy pretend medicine before you give them their dose.

• Encourage your child to take medication and then reward them for good behavior afterwards.

• Distract your child while giving a dose. Consider having another person, such as an older sibling, distract your child to take their mind off the bad-tasting medicine.

Good to know: Don’t call medication “candy” to help a child take their doses. Doing so can lead to confusion or accidental overdose because many medications look like candy. Always be clear that medicine is medicine.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Brynn Gilbert, PharmD Candidate

Brynn Gilbert, a PharmD candidate, has been working as a pharmacy intern for Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania since January 2022. She has also contributed to research focused on improving patient care by analyzing the inclusion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility content at American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy annual meetings.

Edited by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

Reviewed by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

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