To ask how the hell you get medicine into a 3 year old?!?!?!

[princessconsuelobananahammock]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh as above really. DS has tonsillitis & has been prescribed antibiotics but I just cannot get him to take the medicine. Any tips?!

When DD was 5 she had a bad infection and we couldn't get the flucloxacillin into her. She ended up in hospital on a canula..... well let's say she does take her medicine now! To be fair the antibiotics do taste vile and they can't be hidden that well. She could always taste it.

Ds has had to have some long courses of foul antibiotics (6 week stretches). He also takes 4 different medicines daily (which he takes quite happily) The trouble with brute force, is that it could well end up with him being reluctant to take his daily meds, so would be counter productive. We couldn't hide it in food as he has lots of issues around food, and has a very limited diet, so this would only make it worse.

We used to wrap him in a towel, stroke his throat and do it dribble by dribble into the side of his mouth, with a bribe at the end - a nurse at hospital showed us this way, it isn't quick, but the medicine goes in. He doesn't like it, but we do it in the gentlest way possible, and the consequences of him not taking them would have been worse (he has been hospitalised several times with pneumonia and chest infections caused by aspiration).

Sometimes it is necessary for children to take medicines that they don't like (prednisolone steroids are bloody foul, but very necessary) and in these instances it has to be done, and it isn't very nice, but I wouldn't say that it is 'brute force'.

By the way, weebles, I haven't heard of the Calpol method, I will try that next time!

I hope those in the 'pin them down camp' are proud of themselves.

chicken

Goes to show brute force isn't a great option. It may be a short term solution in that the child takes the medicine but could set up long term problems. Horrible.

Unless it's something really serious, I find the "brute force" brigade deeply unpleasant. As somebody has already said, would you do that to an elderly relativ as well? Or is it just children.......?

I assume though that when the posters say they are using 'brute force' or pinning them down, they are using a method similar to us (or do you think that that is too forceful as well?)

I wish people would stop questioning whether the antibiotics is necessary the gp would not prescribe if it wasn't whilst I agree iits probably more likely to be viral n my case it is always bacterial I know when I get it ,I need penicillin as soon as possible otherwise I I'll be very ill for days and with peniciallan I usually feel tons better within 24 hours .my sister got quinsy sp?and ended in hospital for a/week after her gp kept refusing to prescribe antibiotics for bacterial tonsillitis!

Obviously if antibiotics are necessary then they are necessary. But they are still massively over prescribed. And even when they are "necessary' they only shorten the illness by 24 hours or so. So it is always worth thinking whether the stress and "brute force" is really worth it. And the same goes for fevers. Mostly they will come down naturally.

Rubbish 2boys. Thankfully those days of following doctors orders without question are over. If you 'need' antibiotics is never black and white, you have to weigh up the pros and cons. The body is actually very good at healing itself, it just takes a bit longer.

Flucloxicyllin (sp?) I'm afraid is just vile tasting. See if you can get your doctor at the very least to prescribe a more concentrated dose (less bitter liquid to swallow), or if at all possible (not always due to different strains etc) a different antibiotic. If all else fails see if you can get powder/tablets to grind up yourself. Mix it into something sticky and very sweet that hey don't normally eat - a different flavour of jam, honey, treacle.

And I second third and fourth syringes for everything else.

But I would assume if a Gp has prescribed it it must be necessary ? And the body may well be very good at healing its self not in my sisters case however but why should I be Ill for a/week with tonsillitus which makes me feel vile by the way I can't even swallow saliva I get achey all over have a temperature headache feel sick ,when I know pencillan will make me feel fine after 24\48 hours?

Absolute no reason why you shouldn't take the antibiotics that make you feel better. Nobody is saying you shouldn't.

But the antibiotics prescribed for children often only shorten an illness by 24 hours or so. So that's when you make a judgement. I would rather my child took a little longer to get better than use brute force on them. Particularly because if at some stage they do have to take vital medicine it would make it harder.

We just had this with my 2yr 11mo. Not old enough for bribes to work but mixing in peppa pig yog helped as did giving her an innocent fruit puree to have after every spoonful. Good luck you have my sympathies!

I was going to suggest what Explored said.

they only shorten the illness by 24 hours or so.

That is not always the case, hakylut, I agree there are times when an infection will clear up by itself, and the abs only shorten the time taken, but it can be hard to judge when that is the case, or if it is an infection which then lands you up in hospital due to secondary infections and complications.

There was a tragic case that was highlighted on mn recently where a little boy died of sepsis. A course of antibiotics may have saved his life

they only shorten the illness by 24 hours or so.

That is not always the case, hakylut"

I know. That's why I didn't say that it is.

Sorry, hakylut, but you did - here

"Hakluyt Sat 20-Sep-14 08:49:52
Obviously if antibiotics are necessary then they are necessary. But they are still massively over prescribed. And even when they are "necessary' they only shorten the illness by 24 hours or so"

Oops, sorry. I missed out the "often" I used every other time.

DD doesn't fall for bribary and with DH at work I can now do it alone (proud).

Sit him sideways on your lap whilst holding syringe in your teeth.
Pin the closest arm under your armpit and the furthest in your hand and hold on tight!
Lay him back a little and get the syringe in the corner of his mouth (easier when they're screaming, just wait for them to open wide).
Squirt a bit in as far back as possible but keep syringe in so they can't spit sticky gloop all over you.
I usually do it in 3 squirts, 2 more, last one.
DD still fights it but doesn't spit it at me anymore.
Good Luck!

As others have said you could try and sweeten it with sugar and then syringe into her mouth. If it's tonsillitis, is the antibiotic phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V)? If it is don't mix it with icecream or other food as it should be taken on an empty stomach.

younger, mix with small fromage fraise when they are not looking and spoonfeed them the lot.

older, explain reason for medicine and suggest they take it quickly and then offer some chocolate or something straight after to take the taste away.

Tablets, crush and mix with marmite or jam and spread on toast - like fromage fraise ensure its something you know they will eat the lot. And if you are able to get away with it don't let them see you add the tablets.

NOTE: If your child is really ill and not eating then these methods don't work and waste the medicine.

Once we had a weird new medicine and I managed to convince my 2 year old son it was a great new flavour which was not often available and much yummier than usual calpol. Oddly this worked.

I'd be careful about crushing tablets - it might be ok for some medicines but others need to be swallowed whole

When DS1 was that age, he had the Evil Virus From Hell, fluctuating temps, abdo pain, floppiness etc. Didn't need antibiotics but was having alternating doses of calpol and calprofen. It got to the point where he really wasn't going to accept the syringe in the mouth, he was very distressed by it - so I ended up putting it in a relatively small amount of his favourite drink (ginger ale) which worked better and got him past the syringe-hatred.

Much of the anxiety over taking the syringe was purely down to him being ill, as when he next needed antibioitcs and calprofen, he was fine with it again.

When DS was two, we went to India and took Malaria tablets. I coated his im either jam or Nutella and it worked fine. Also try to let them wash it down with a drink of water or milk.