Medicine tips

[jerkface]

My ds (who will be 3 this week) has been to the docs this morning and they've prescribed 10 days of antibiotics 4 times a day (the medicine form). He won't take it without gagging and working himself up so much that it all comes straight back up. Last time he had it I mixed it in with yoghurt and he didn't know, this time around, he isn't eating, he hasn't eaten for 3 days so far so I can't do that, I've sneakily put it in his drink at the moment but he's had this drink since 9.45 and is only taking tiny sips here and there, he has almost a full bottle left to drink and his next dose is due in an hour 🤔😫
How am I going to get it in to him? I even tried to sneak it in his mouth while he was snoozing but he woke up straight away. Any tips? Starting to worry now it's been 3 days with no food and his temperature is awful (he has tonsillitis apparently, but he keeps telling me his belly really hurts all the time)

What I did at that age for my DS1, who is (still) a devil about taking medicine was to effectively swaddle him. Get a really big towel or blanket and completely wrap him in it, arms pinned in. Oddly it seemed actually to have a calming effect on DS1 - he still wasn’t happy but would take it. Don’t tell him what you’re about to do. Just wrap him up, hold him very tight and tell him to open his mouth. Spoon or squirt the medicine into the side of his cheek, and if he shows any inclination not to swallow it, pinch his nose for a second (don’t hold it closed, just close it quickly and he should swallow by reflex). Then immediately give him a drink of water and/ or a chocolate button, say well done and release him. Don’t let him see you approaching with the towel the next time though.

A paeds nurse taught me to do it this way, and I absolutely hated doing it, but it does work. It went against all my parenting instincts of giving fair warning, explaining, negotiating etc. But ultimately they HAVE to take the medicine or they’ll get sicker. And doing it quickly and efficiently is much less distrsssing for them in the long run.

Thanks I'll try that, so hard because as soon as he tastes it he starts gagging straight away and it just comes straight back up x

Is it flucloxacillin - it really is gross. Does it say it needs to be taken on an empty stomach?

It's phenoxymethyl penicillin, and yes on an empty stomach or 1 hour before food. This is the third day he's gone without food now though, I did manage to get about half a yoghurt in to him this morning. He keeps saying how much his stomach is hurting, but for all I know it could be hunger pains but he wouldn't understand that 😢

so hard because as soon as he tastes it he starts gagging straight away and it just comes straight back up

You need to get the medicine as far back/to the side as possible. So it doesn't hit too many tastebuds on the way. Really hope you've had some luck with it today and he's doing better soon!