3yo taking amoxicillin

[notworthanything]

3yo DS has been prescribed 5ml of amoxicillin, 3 times a day for a chest infection but I cannot get him to take it. He had the first 5ml no problem as he is pretty good at taking medicine usually but he's decided this one tastes disgusting (yellow banana one), he is literally gagging at the taste.

I've tried disguising it in yogurt, home made and shop bought banana milkshake (shot size!) and holding him down but he won't drink/eat the former and the latter he is throwing up/clamping his mouth shut. I never knew he was so strong! It doesn't help he is hardly eating at the moment, making it harder to add it to stuff.

I've tried to talk about being a big boy (hates being called a big boy/will scream he isn't), I've talked about it making him better, the doctor giving it to him (hates the doctor and he is already better) and even having to go to hospital if he doesn't take it and get better ("ok, let's go tomorrow")

I don't know what else to try. Any ideas? Is there a better tasting one I can get?!1

Our child is on maintenance antibiotics 3 x per week. Without is she becomes very ill very quickly.. It really tastes vile. Things to try might be squeezing a doze into a yoghurt pouch etc as you have already tried, or in strong juice.

Unfortunately, the only thing that works for us is the threat that not taking it means being admitted to hospital for an IV doze instead and needles. Unfortunately it's not a threat, because without that will be necessary within a few days if she stops talking the medication.

We do offer a Drink, piece of chocolate/ something they really really want and don't get often as soon as the doze is taken.

Good luck, it's no fun at all when they're ill.

Maybe put it in their dinner rather than something matching the taste? Other than that I am a strong believer in bribery.

He's barely eating dinner, he asked for beans on toast tonight and only ate 2 slices of toast, which is probably the most he's eaten all day.

Unfortunately he can rarely be bribed (strange child!) he would rather go without and will often say "it's ok I don't want any chocolate/toy" etc. he's just so stubborn!

It doesn't help that he is really sensitive to smells and tastes, he will gag if someone burps or something smells bad (to him)

I think I'll try strong juice tomorrow morning, but not sure what to do tonight. Thanks for your advice

Does he know you're putting it in food, or can he taste it?

I don't think that amoxicillin has a particularly strong taste (I'm bad with swallowing pills, so if they're the sort that you can't cut up, I have the liquid), is it not disguisable in chocolate mousse, or stronger than normal squash? Maybe a new food that is a bit of a treat he hasn't had before eg mousse, or some new milkshake drink or something, might tempt him, especially if he doesn't know it's in there.

How old exactly? Mine at a young 3 and we would have to be swaddled them in a towel, syringe jammed in back corner of their cheek, then clamp their mouth shut and blow on their face to make them swallow. Not nice but nicer than ending up on hospital on IV antibiotics. So needs must. And it does work. I actually learned the technique from the vet who was treating the cat but actually it’s also really effective on toddlers/preschoolers! Thankfully once they got to 3.5+ I could bribe them if I offered something good enough, a piece of chocolate wouldn’t have done it but a lollipop or bag of haribo would usually persuade them.

We have success with the syringe and letting him suck it out at his own pace. Feel like it's about control.

No, he doesn't know we're putting it in food. He either has a taste and then says he's not hungry, just doesn't want it or he says it's "yucky". It's hard to know if he can taste it in the first instance or if he just isn't very hungry as he also isn't finishing other things he usually does.

He is a tall 3 years 7 months. We tried swaddling/forcing but he just clamped his mouth shut or screamed/coughed until he was choking, then he immediately threw up when it touched his mouth.

Just tried at bedtime in milk with a milkshake straw and he drank maybe half, then said no thanks. Definitely going to try a fruit shoot tomorrow and chocolate mousse as he doesn't usually have that. Hopefully his appetite will be back and that might help.

Thanks again for all the replies

Only give him half of whatever it is, less volume the better whilst still disguising the taste, means if he doesn’t want much you’ve not given him loads if that makes sense. Pen v is worse though, aftertaste is horrible (paeds nurse) 3 is a hard age to negotiate with if he’s as sensitive with gagging etc

Ds was like that only he had antibiotics about twice a month at that age.

So, hug him tightly in a towel, or just in arms if you have two people. Squirt it into the side of his cheek, holding his chin up. Then put a chocolate into his mouth.

That was the most successful method. The chin up meant he couldn't spit it out (there's a yellow splotch just behind the computer monitor in front of me from that) and the chocolate normally won out over the medicine taste.

My three year old was exactly the same. I bought some syringes on Amazon that fit in any sized bottle. He didn't love it, but was a bit more used to syringe method from having Calpol. We followed quickly with a couple of chocolate buttons. With him it's often about control so after a couple of days he was absolutely fine having it and even now weeks later looks in the fridge and asks if he's having his yellow bottle!

Tried the juice this morning and once again it smells funny and is yucky. It's like smell/taste is some kind of superpower for him. He's adamant he's not eating chocolate mousse, usually he would.

We went to the shop and he asked for smarties, I said yes you can have them after you take your medicine and he said "ok put them back". This is so frustrating. Going to have to try the holding him down/chin up method when DP is home tonight.

Agree with the towel swaddle and putting the syringe as far back into the cheek as possible, to the back teeth if you can. Go in 2 pushes so he has to swallow. If you can keep him calm enough (who are we kidding) getting him to breathe deeply through his nose will stop the gag reflex.

If there are 2 of you get one to hold his feet as well.

It feels awful doing it, but my DS had maintenance antibiotics too and it was take them or get very ill. So we did what we had to. He is 11 now and I still have to threaten to get the towel out some days lol

Juice and a chocolate or he preferred a haribo after.