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Original poster

To ask for tips to get a toddler to take medicine (without 'force')

43 replies

Totality22 · 02/03/2015 17:50

DS, 27 months is severely constipated. Got a month's prescription of Movicol but he will not take it.

I've tried it diluted in squash, in yoghurt, bribing with choccie buttons.

He has now refusing all his drinks as he knows something is up (he drinks several beakers a day) . He is so grumpy and uncomfy and I'm feeling really stressed and frustrated about it. ..

if it was a one off I'd syringe it but he is going to need the full course (one month).. beginning with 2 sachets a day. He hasn't had so much as a sip of drink since about 8am.

OP posts:
Jasonandyawegunorts · 02/03/2015 17:52

Could you try on ice cream or in milk?

TheFecklessFairy · 02/03/2015 17:52

At 2.3 years he should be able to drink Fybogel Orange (tastes like orange juice).

Original poster
Totality22 · 02/03/2015 17:53

Ps. I've posted here for traffic.

He doesn't drink milk and he won't eat mini milks (that's the only ice cream I have in and he hates them!)

OP posts:
Jasonandyawegunorts · 02/03/2015 17:54

Is he constipated becuase he's dehydrated?

imissvicderbyshire · 02/03/2015 17:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hakluyt · 02/03/2015 18:01

Do you know why he's constipated?

In any case I doubt if you're going to get it in to him tonight- why not back off completely for now and try again tomorrow- could you make ice lollies out of it?

123Jump · 02/03/2015 18:02

Hi Totality22, one of my DC has Aspergers, with extremely limited diet, they need Movicol daily, with occasional full courses. It is so hard, I know! He was about the age of your little one when we started.
We use half a fruit shoot-whichever flavour. Pour the whole shoot into 2 beakers/cups, so half in each cup. We add 2 sachets to each cup. Then pour one cup (half fruit shoot + 2 sachets) back into the fruit shoot bottle and pass it to him.
I think he likes the fact that it is in the actual bottle that helps. I also find he drinks way more water if I give it in a water bottle with a drinking spout, as you buy it off the shelf.
You may already know this, but the poo will become very runny and liquify, this is normal, and don't be tempted to stop the course. They should be 'running clear' at the end of the course, that is, pooping water. Then they are fully cleared out, and a maintenance dose should keep things regular.
Good luck!

Crazy8 · 02/03/2015 18:02

I used to have to mix calpol into the flake dessert pots for my DS.

juliascurr · 02/03/2015 18:03

try Exlax chocolate instead?

nocoolnamesleft · 02/03/2015 18:06

Any non-boiling* liquid. Seems to go down better fridge cold, or hot (stress again not added to boiling hot liquid), rather than room temperature. Different kids different things work...for lower doses I've even seen custard, instant whip, and gravy work. Hot chocolate seems to work pretty well for one sachet, 2 if a decent sized mug. Rocket fuel jelly can be made (dissolve jelly in boiling water, movicol in cooler water, then mix), but can be hard to get enough into them.

*Mate of mine rang up the manufacturers in despair to check.

TattyDevine · 02/03/2015 18:17

Oh god. Nothing helpful but I feel for you. I hate forcing medicine. They always tried to inhale it. For stubborn DD I had to get some tablets I could mash into jam and she even got wise to that. Thank god they are bribable now. Not much advise but hope it works out.

RestingFuckFace · 02/03/2015 18:20

I had this for my son, just water it down more.

So give it to him, but put it in a pints worth (or more) of squash or water. Rather than the amount in a beakers worth and slowly give him more throughout the day.

If theres less in the squash or theres a lot more squash, he won't be able to taste it.

Or, theres chocolate Movicol. Which I think sounds hideous, but it might work.

hauntedhenry · 02/03/2015 18:22

I feel for you, dd is like this. I'd put it in a dessert, petit filous or something with a strong flavour. Good luck.

Original poster
Totality22 · 02/03/2015 18:25

Dehydration isn't the cause of his constipation. He is normally a good drinker (several beakers a day). He has chronic constipation on and off but he's not been bad enough to need medication for over a year.

He's had a few colds in a row recently - and i've had a baby - so his diet has been more limited than usual.

He has only been refusing to drink since we've been trying to give him the medicine. He also refused the yoghurt id added it to and he didn't see me add it? We've gone through 4 sachets and he has had none.

OP posts:
IWillOnlyEatBeans · 02/03/2015 18:25

Ds2 is the same age and needs twice-daily doses of liquid iron. It tastes vile!

Good luck OP you have my utmost sympathy.

hazeyjane · 02/03/2015 18:32

Ds has to have movicol daily, at one point he was on 12 sachets a day! He started to refuse it after he saw them putting it into his drink at school, after this we had to take a break as he started to refuse all drinks.

Now I make sure he never sees me put it in. It has to be well stirred into a half cup of water first, then left to go clear, then I add juice (it is the flavourless one).

If you can't get movicol in, would lactulose help? How severe is the constipation?

Original poster
Totality22 · 02/03/2015 18:32

I am ready to lose my mind. Honestly.... this child has not had a drink since 8am (before we went to dr's)

I sent OH out for fruit shoots. DS doesn't have them though so doesn't see them as a treat? Sachet 5 wasted!

OP posts:
Original poster
Totality22 · 02/03/2015 18:34

Lactoluse has been useless for us.

He's almost a week with no poo and in a foul mood and intermittent discomfort.

OP posts:
wonderpants · 02/03/2015 18:36

I could only ever get movicol into my difficult non-drinking DD in very cold orange juice or Apple juice, drank with a straw. It can take a while to stir in, but she never sussed it was there.

Over time, I could get several into a reasonably small glassful!

Good luck!

Booboostoo · 02/03/2015 18:51

Try this:
Put the medine in a syringe and show it to him. Explain that it will make him feel better but that it may not be very nice. Arm yourself with a lot of small rewards like stickers. Figure out the most he will tolerate, e.g. maybe he will accept the syringe being on the table next to him. Reward him for this with a sticker. Then tell him he can have another sticker for taking a step closer to the syringe. Keep this up with tiny steps towards your goal, as much as possible get him to do things like touching the syringe, picking it up, touching it to his mouth, etc. if at any point he refuses to go further respect this but make a big deal of the stickers he is losing. Give him a half hour break and try again starting from a point where you an reward him. Have a big reward for finally taking the medicine.

Becles · 02/03/2015 18:51

Get some suppositories from the doctor

Piratejones · 02/03/2015 18:58

I second suppositories, it really is the easiest way. just be read for an unpleasant nappy change, you might want to to it in the bathroom.

hazeyjane · 02/03/2015 19:03

Glycerin suppositories are available over the counter - but it was quite unpleasant for ds when I used them. Not the actual putting the suppository in, but caused him quite a lot of discomfort when in.

EveBoswell · 02/03/2015 19:18

Not that it will definitely help but, for myself, I tried some chocolate intended for diabetics once because it has no sugar in it. It's sweetened with sorbitol which gave me the runs is an extremely good laxative....

Perhaps I ate too much chocolate in one go.

Piratejones · 02/03/2015 19:20

Yes it's not nice while it's in there, Mines 7 years old now so we are able to really play up the "relief", the feeling of cleanness and nice feeling of a clean nappy afterwards rather than while it's doing its work.

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