Chewable tablets should be chewed until they have completely dissolved. They're not meant to be swallowed whole. Examples of chewable tablets include Tylenol Chewable and many brands of children's vitamins.

What happens if I swallow a chewable tablets whole?

Also, some of the active ingredients may be absorbed directly into your bloodstream through your mouth, rather than having a direct effect on your stomach. Swallowing chewable tablets whole prevents them from working quickly and from having a direct effect on the stomach.

What happens if you don't chew chewable tablets?

For a number of reasons some tablets shouldn't be crushed or chewed. Most importantly, doing so may result in dose dumping; this is when the body very quickly absorbs a large amount of a drug. One consequence of dose dumping is an overdose of the drug, which can lead to death.