To BEG for your help with this

[monkeymamma]

Ds (2) will not under any circumstances take any medicines, including Calpol. He currently has a chest infection and is clearly suffering. The gp had prescribed an inhaler (fat chance) and 6 days of antibiotics.
Surprise does not work as he is constantly on the watch for attempts to get it down him. Reason does not work, nor does reminding him that the doctor told him he must take it. Chocolate/bribery doesn't work - he either has no appetite anyway, or just wants the chocolate but no medicine and has a massive screaming hysterical fit if we won't give it to him. Until now we have got by by mixing it in with his favourite drinks but that doesn't work now, he's wised up to it and all it does is make him suspicious of all drinks (therefore risking dehydration). He won't hold the syringe or spoon. If he gets a whiff of me mixing it in with anything he just refuses all food.
We are in despair. Please tell me you have a magic trick that will work...

[Nocomet]

Will he eat the tiny peti flo (sp) fromage frais?

I very much doubt you'd taste strawberry calpol in a strawberry one of those. (Nasty antibiotics you might, still, but DDs friend who has to take drugs every day of her life used this trick in reception)

I agree if you can get a full dose of calpol in him and wait about an hour so it's at maximum effectiveness he may be massively more cooperative.

[NuzzleandScratch]

Sirzy, I agree that makes sense, but the paediatrician we see has published loads of papers on respiratory problems in children, and he said when they cry, it's a long out breath and a short in breath, so not great. Dd2 was a baby at the time though, so maybe it's different in older children. As others have said, they must breathe in something. Fortunately she's got so used to having one now, she rarely fights it, but I can appreciate most children not wanting a spacer on their face!

[Jollyphonics]

If he's got a temp then don't waste time with calpol, go for nurofen instead, much better at bringing temps down. I'd just hold him down and squirt it into cheek, then reward him with chocolate.

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

To be honest, he's obviously going to know what you're trying to do, however you do it. Break the cycle by getting someone else involved, then step back in.

[Sirzy]

It may not be ideal but it works better than not giving it. The respiratory nurses have given inhaler to DS with me that way many times when he was little - we just counted even slower than normal to make sure he got it all. Thankfully now he is older he happily takes it with no fuss. (Good job considering the amount he has!)

[GreenPetal94]

Inhaler, use the spacer with mask while he is sleeping.

Medicines - mix (whilst he is not looking) with a small drink of a forbidden and irresistible sweet drink, e.g. Ribena. Give this treat drink before water so he is thirsty.

[Nanny0gg]

Either mix it in 'magic' yoghurt (only thing that worked with my very food sensitive DGC) or pin down and squirt to the back of the throat with the syringe (that worked with the DGC that could tolerate the taste).

I do think he's too young to reason with, so it's either disguise it or force it I'm afraid.

Chocolate afterwards is still okay though!

[Bardette]

Get a blanket or large towel, wrap it tight around him, including arms, and lay him on the sofa. Squidge his little cheeks together, put syringe of calpol in his mouth and squirt into his cheek. Hold his cheeks for a couple of seconds till he swallows then unwrap him, give him a big hug and a chocolate button and send him off to play.
When ds1 needed antibiotics me and dh got this down to a 5 second operation, including eye drops!

[PetiteRaleuse]

Depends on the antibiotic footle

fair i think associating his bed with punishment and nasty medecine at this age would be counterproductive.

[Spurtle]

Boots sell paracetamol suppositories. They're £20 for ten doses though!

[PetiteRaleuse]

How much?? They are 2€50 ish here for 10.

[hairylittlegoblin]

He might be too old for this but for small children blowing on their face can make them swallow. This needs to be used in conjunction with the 'pin and squirt' technique above! Best of luck. Been there, it's awful.

[WilsonFrickett]

You can get suppositories on the nhs but they're far more expensive than, say, calpol so gps are reluctant to prescribe them. I have an italian friend who basically sweeps in and demands them for her DCs. They are common in Europe and so much easier to get tinies to take. So stand firm - that said, I don't think you get ABs in suppository form.

[Lovelydiscusfish]

Have you tried emotional blackmail? "It makes mummy SAD when you won't do this" etc. I know it's not terribly ethical, but I use this to get dd (just 2), to take essential medicine, hold my hand near roads etc. makes me sound a bit of a shit, doesn't it?

[monkeymamma]

Oh god, thanks for all the replies, some very useful stuff here. And the empathising also helps! :-) re pinning down, he is just so so strong (also am 10wks up the duff so trying to avoid full on wrestling...). And so hysterical.
Gumps may have given me an idea as he does have a weakness for those vile jelly-and-yoghurt pots which are just the same colour as his antibiotics. Will give that a go. And the side of the cheek technique. And blowing on his face!
Lovelydiscus I'm by no means above emotional blackmail (whatever works!!) I'll try that one too.

[pianodoodle]

Mine always wants to do whatever the latest cute book character is doing.

Any book/tv programme where someone he likes has to go to the doctor might help :)

[BobPatandIgglePiggle]

Sanctions he's only 2!

Pin down / pretending it's ours here. Amazing how much strength toddlers have when they don't want to do something (still traumatised from toddler haircut from hell last week)

[BobPatandIgglePiggle]

Sorry - meant 'sanctions' in a query way - I wouldn't give sanctions to a little 2 year old for not taking meds! Ludicrous!

[defineme]

Re him being strong. Firstly you need to be confident-I'm guessing you weigh significantly more than him so it's impossible that you can't over power him. I had to sit on my dc to cut their toenails(gently). Or I found strapped in a car seat was better. Removing splinters involved towels being wrapped very tightly and then just taking calmly over the screaming!

[MoonlightandRoses]

Any chance he'll listen to reason? I know it definitely won't work for all but, with a similar issue here around the 18 month stage we gave up on the pinning method and basically explained that the medicine was required for them to feel better so were they going to be all grown up and take it?

Took nearly an hour the first time (and several spilled doses) but worked and took about five minutes persuasion after that, (always followed by lots of praise and small treat). The other thing we did was to put the dose in one of those small measuring cups and let small child self-administer as they were being 'grown-up'.

With the spacer - we had success with getting them to play the trumpet.

[WillGardnersNose]

Spoonfull of Golden Syrup

[parentalunit]

For the space inhaler, we had a similar problem. We started using it as a toy, by putting it up to my face and making funny noises into it. The child caught on, and became less resistant although he still doesn't love it

[MaidOfStars]

I'm gonna go with: pin him down. You're the grown up.

[DoJo]

My GP recommended a complete blank face for the pin and squirt technique and it was actually much easier. As she said - the whole time I was trying to comfort him and saying 'I know you don't like it' etc was just confusing him, so to just be really matter of fact and don't say anything until afterwards.

We had to give my son a few sets of meds of varying vileness, but he got used to taking them all without fuss after a couple of days of just using a really no nonsense approach to the whole process.

With inhalers it was the same. We held it on his face while he cried, but gave him lots of praise afterwards even if he had been struggling and trying to push it away. We did big, exaggerated breaths with him and tried to distract him even if he wasn't paying attention. Then, after a few days, he just got over it all at once and now he loves doing it. If he's having an off day and argues with any of the above, we just say 'do you want to do it now, or after teeth/a drink/nappy change', so he has a choice, and then he thinks he's calling the shots and is happy to take it (usually!).

I know it feels awful when you are pinning them down, and in some ways it's also a bit heartbreaking when they get to the point where they open their mouths when they see you wielding a syringe, but it's all for the greater good and it's much better than the alternatives.