How to get antibiotics into a refusing toddler

[sycamore54321]

My two year old has been prescribed antibiotics 4 times daily for ten days. Despite the pharmacist telling me the flavor of the liquid is designed to be irresistible to children, he hates it. I’ve been using the syringe, which he happily takes Calpol from, but he fights the antibiotic fiercely and spits out as much as he can.

I’ve tried sliding it inside his cheek and squeezing it in despite his resistance but he will struggle and spit out. I’m also nervous about it being too much flailing about as I worry he might aspirate some if I force it in while he’s flapping.

Any advice? He’s largely off his food too so I can’t really hide it in food, unless you have some genius ideas for me. Can it go in milk?

In juice?

I tried juice/milk - didn’t work. He could taste it.

The only way I managed it was to scoop a yoghurt into a bowl, syringe the antibiotics into the bowl, mix it all together and then spoon feed the yoghurt to toddler. Worked a treat.

Mix it in those highly flavoured yoghurt drinks, actimel or similar, kids love them.

I second mixing it with yoghurt or juice but only a little bit or you can’t tell if they’ve had the full dose if there’s a bit left.

Yoghurt especially those sweet Peppa Pig ones. Also the smoothie drinks but I had to tip most out, snip off a corner and put the meds in.
Now older a you tube video helps to distract and slow syringing works. My DS used to throw it all back up from crying if I forced it.
GPs abs pharmacists were no help at all. Not that I’m bitter!

Mix with squash and bribe with a smartie or very small choc. Yes i realise sugar not great when ill but on balance it's better than no antibiotics taken in.

Also go OTT with cheering them on during the drinking then mass whoops and cheers once finished.

Tough love I’m afraid

Back of the mouth then pop a finger in so they can’t spit it back out

Chocolate button after

Thanks for all the tips. He doesn’t have a sweet tooth at all (unlike me!) and is off most of his food so it’s hard to find the right thing to hide it in. I’ll give some of these a go. I like the idea of sticking a finger in to make sure he swallows and can’t spit, I will give that a try.

As someone said, it’s so frustrating not to know whether or how much he has actually taken in. Thanks all.

We had this last year and it was a nightmare. You couldn't sneak it into any foods so that was useless.

May I ask why he's taking the antibiotics? In my son's case it was infected chicken pox sores on his hand so we got around it by getting as much antibiotic into him as we could (which wasn't much!) and using Fusidic acid on the sores and that did the trick. I must say the drs were very good at helping us find a solution. Good luck op.

I shudder at the memories of this. But in the end it was pinning down and just doing it.

The finger does work - I’ve had to give such regular antibiotics to my child I’ve tried pretty much everything!

You do need to give something to take away the taste after - a drink of milk would do. Taste the antibiotic yourself and you’ll see how vile it tastes then think what you’d want to take away the taste after

I had this with DD. She had IV antibiotics in hospital and had to continue the oral course at home. In the end I did it the same way the vets give medication to feral cats. Wrapped her arms in a blanket so we could not fight, tipped her back and squirted it into her mouth. Followed by a chocolate button and a drink of milk to take the taste away.

She had to take it and this was the quickest and least distressing option.

Which antibiotics are they?
A couple of the penicillin ones are truly vile. The pink one especially so.

If no joy by Monday, you might need to see GP and ask for an alternative

mix with ice cream?

Chocolate buttons first to coat their tongue, swiftly in with the ab , swiftly in with more choc.

It would be easier, IMO, if they would give you capsules rather than liquid for kids, and you could empty tne granules into yogurt or even a marmite sandwich.

Could you do some of it whilst asleep? Nap times and night time

Squirt it on a saucer and get him to pretend to be a dog/cat. Worked with my oldest 🤣🤣🤣

Feral cat method as above!

You need to give it to them like you do dogs and cats. Wrap them up like a sausage roll, squirt it in their mouth and stroke their throat to make them swallow. Its what we do with paeds in the hospital

Had to give DS 14mo some abs recently and the only thing that worked in the end was giving him my phone with a YouTube video of 'U.K. trains going fast' or something equally dull exciting for him to watch. Is there something similar you can give your DS to watch/play with? CBeebies playtime app could be pretty distracting?

With mine i go for simple bribery. Sweet in their hand ready to shove in the second they have swallowed. no time delay

Thanks all for the ideas. It actually tastes lovely to me - a sort of sweet lemony taste. I will try a combination of any and all of these, and if no joy, I’ll have to revert to the doctor to explore alternatives.

I have no problem being firm when needed and have dosed dogs and farm animals regularly. But I do have reason for concern about his aspiration risk so it needs to be a controlled sort of force to make sure it doesn’t go into his airways. I’ve also roped in a few staggered visits from other adults so they can help with the bribery, throat stroking etc. Just two hands is a bit of a limitation!

Thanks everyone. It’s good to know I’m not the only one and that there is some reason to hope.

My 4 year old totally refuses all medicine only way I can get her to take is by mixing in little milk then giving her one of those milkshake straws to drink from