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Original poster

To force my child to take medicine...

193 replies

WankingMonkey · 06/04/2017 17:01

I have not done this. But this is the advice of the doctor Shock

So yesterday my son was given antibiotics for a strep infection. He took the first dose, then realised how vile it was (and it is vile, I tried a little to see). When it was time for his next dose he saw the medicine and ran from me. I eventually got him to take a little but that was it.

I called the doctors back today to ask if they have any other kind of the medicine as it says sugar free on the bottle so I thought they might possibly have a nicer tasting version. Doctor says no. She told me to try hiding it in yoghurts, bribing him with a piece of chocolate if he takes it, and so on. I have tried these and he clicks on straight away about it being hidden in food/drink and point blank refuses to take it for treats. So the final advice the doctor gave was to 'pin him down and force it down him' which sounds fucking horrendous.

She says he really has to finish his course. And a minute or two discomfort is worth it to make him better, which I sort of agree with but I just don't think I can bring myself to actually force medicine down his throat...won't that make him sick? He will hate me too.

I don't know what to do here, and any other advice is very welcome Sad

OP posts:
DingDongtheWitchIsDangDiddlyDe · 06/04/2017 17:17

I've actually had to squirt meds down the throat and hold nose to get a child to swallow medicine. Fucking barbaric but they absolutely had to have it and there was no other way.
I can assure you though that they don't remember and my dc finds it funny when told, they really don't hate you for it!

Original poster
WankingMonkey · 06/04/2017 17:17

I suspect your ds has the utterly rank supposedly aniseed flavour one (white liquid).

Fluorescent orange this one is

OP posts:
Original poster
WankingMonkey · 06/04/2017 17:19

Or could you get capsules that could be opened up and mixed with a spoonful of yoghurt??

I asked the doctor if he could get pills or capsules and I figured those would be easier to disguise but she said no.

OP posts:
Bubblysqueak · 06/04/2017 17:21

I would wrap him in a large towel so he doesn't hurt himself by struggling and then syringe it into the back of his cheek. Minimum fuss and time to keep upset at a minimum.

user14889577547 · 06/04/2017 17:21

Mix up with a large dollop of Nutella or jam. It will be super sweet - and high in sugar-but does pretty well at stopping the taste, it's only for a few days. X

fannydaggerz · 06/04/2017 17:21

Is this antibiotic pink in colour but tastes like chewed paracetamol?

I bought some flavouring from the baking aisle as the supermarket. Strawberry kind of hides it, peppermint eliminates the awful taste. Big drink of milk for after it's been swallowed.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 06/04/2017 17:22

It's hard but you'll have to persevere.
Giving him some of the ABs and not finishing the course could make him more ill. The first doses will work on destroying some of the weaker bacterial flora, allowing a worse infection to develop.

Lots of cuddles and reassurance after each dose and a treat.

Elvish · 06/04/2017 17:23

That's a shame Monkey

Like the PP says, he won't remember and you're not the worst mother in the world for forcing it down him Wine

Crunchymum · 06/04/2017 17:24

Can you speak to a different Dr, or even a pharmacist.

I may not an expert but I'm sure there is a more child friendly version of penicillin based oral antibiotics. May be the same for other types of AB too?

I've had to do the whole shebang - pin both mine down for spacers, force antibiotics down and just a few days ago I've had to hold a very angry (albeit very ill and weak) 4yo in place to have a cannula fitted for IV medicine. I also had to syringe Dirolyte into same child at 5 minutely intervals for hours.

You do what you have to do to get them well OP.

Do you have a partner who can do it?

SilenceOfThePrams · 06/04/2017 17:25

Wrap him in a blanket so he can't hit you, hold him between your legs if you need to, squirt it down the side of his mouth.

Don't get cross with him, thank him for being a big boy and taking it. Don't squirt anything else like juice down his cheek, just offer him a drink or something afterwards if he wants it.

He's 2. He doesn't understand the consequences of not taking it. He just knows it doesn't taste nice and he's feeling horrid.

But if he doesn't take the whole course then it could come back worse, and IV antibiotics would be much worse for him and for you.

You can do this.

ilovevenice · 06/04/2017 17:26

Hmmm not sure marmite will be the answer if he's ever tried it before (but worth introducing it so you can try it with any future nasty meds!). In the meantime I'd revert to the syringe followed by something yummy...

TigerBreadAddict · 06/04/2017 17:26

It is awful but some things we have to do as parents because we know best. If your toddler resists getting in the car seat you still (hopefully) strap them in. The consequences of not taking this medicine could be that he becomes very sick and needs hospital admission and IV antibiotics. He won't like that much either.
I've been there too. My DS has autism and sensory aversions to most forms of medicine but what choice do we have? Just be quick and don't prolong it, job done, big hug, distract and move on. They do become more resigned to it.
Also, you could ask the pharmacist about different preparations/flavours etc IME they are quite helpful about this sort of thing (ask to speak with the actual pharmacist though, the assistants can be less helpful ).

CigarsofthePharoahs · 06/04/2017 17:26

Ugh, sympathies op. I remember having to take a bright yellow liquid antibiotic for a UTI when I was quite young. Worst thing I have ever tasted.
I definitely agree with the syringe followed by favourite treat approach. Still, I once had to treat my then 3 year old for a nasty infection in both eyes. Do you remember the episode of Friends where Rachel needs eye drops and they all have to pin her down? This was worse!

corythatwas · 06/04/2017 17:26

Another one who has had to work the syringe trick. The calmer you manage to stay the easier it will go.

Basically, children can die from untreated strep infections. I would rather mine hated me than came to serious harm.

Writerwannabe83 · 06/04/2017 17:29

As a children's nurse there's nothing worse than parents who don't want to upset their children by making them take medicine Grin

Staff never have any problem getting it into the child. It has to be done, so just do it.

The trick is to put the syringe into the side of the mouth, I.e facing onwards towards the cheek and quite far back so that it passes their gag reflux. When you squirt the medicine in leave the syringe in their mouth because it makes it so much harder for them to spit the medicine back out and they will naturally swallow.

Just ask yourself whether you'd prefer forcing it into him 4 times a day or whether you'd rather him be admitted to hospital for intravenous antibiotics because his once quite innocent infection has now turned nasty and made him quite unwell simply because he wasn't having his oral antibiotics properly?

I know it's hard OP, but just crack on. You have to be cruel to be kind.

Flowers
Original poster
WankingMonkey · 06/04/2017 17:32

Thank you all. You have made me feel less evil..I do understand it has to be done but it just seemed so wrong and was looking for anything else I could try but its going to have to be syringe forcing.

I have vivid memories of my own mother chasing me into the street and sitting on my on our lawn and forcing me to take some kind of medicine. Though I think I was about 7 at the time so maybe DS won't remember with him being so little.

OP posts:
minisoksmakehardwork · 06/04/2017 17:32

Bleurgh. I remember the orange one from a kid myself.

I think the 'problem' is that certain liquid antibiotics treat certain illnesses. So asking for a different version won't necessarily help as it won't treat the illness your child has.

Sadly it looks like this is going to be one of those occasions where you/oh are just going to have to be the mean parents. But definitely syringing will be the least traumatic option all round.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 06/04/2017 17:33

The other thing is the smell often provokes the gag reflex-have him pinch his nose.
The smell makes the taste much worse and lack of smell does weaken the strong taste.
Nose holding and syringe.
Before antibiotics children died of strep throat.
Winston Churchill's little two year old daughter Marigold did....

Cubik · 06/04/2017 17:35

We tried the above tip also from a paeds nurse. Slowly but surely and we got it in.
Nesquik granules in the medicine worked for one of mine.

cattychatty · 06/04/2017 17:35

Used to pin my boy down it was like a bucking bronko and I'd be left sweating like a bitch but still did it. He doesn't remember now

Chilver · 06/04/2017 17:41

My sympathies, we have a VERY stubborn now 5yo and she refuses to take medicine. Up to recently, we had to wrap her in a towel to pin arms, sit on her, syringe it into back of cheek and hold nose. Usually a 2 person job. I hate it, it's so traumatic - for me! She doesn't really remember and we are doing it to make her better. Now we get moans, running away etc etc and we just have to threaten a removal of privileges (tablet, play dates, tv, etc - whatever works) if she doesn't take it without fussing (the without fussing is key) as we've found a bribe doesn't work!

BearHunting · 06/04/2017 17:45

Not Flucloxacillin is it? DS1 needed that once and it's the vilest tasting stuff I've ever tasted. And he's always been terrible at taking medicine at the best of times.

As pp have said, it's not nice at all having to force feed medicine to children, but given the possible consequences of not giving medicines, sometimes there's simply no choice. I'd rather force antibiotics down my DC than have them wind up very ill and in hospital getting IV antibiotics.

We found syringes (like the ones you get with Calpol) best for giving medicine. Much harder for them to spit it all out with a syringe. With the Flucloxacillin, I ended up mixing it with a syrup I made with sugar and vanilla essence to try and tone the horrific taste down. Still had to hold DS1 down, but it was easier to get him to take it mixed with sugar and vanilla essence.

Original poster
WankingMonkey · 06/04/2017 17:47

Yes it is Flucloxacillin. Tastes how I imagine pure acid would taste

I didn't actually realise strep could be so serious. Just been googling after someone mentioned it and now I am shitting myself incase it develops further. GP never mentioned any of this

OP posts:
reallyanotherone · 06/04/2017 17:48

Thisis why taught mine to swallow pills as soon as possible!

One of mine used to be physically sick if we forced her to swallow medicine. Fortunately never ab's, so we struggled on without.

Peas and tictacs, practice swallowing whole with drink.

The relief on the gp's face when i asked for tablets not syrup when we did finally need ab's!

SparklyUnicornPoo · 06/04/2017 17:54

DD had Flucloxacillin a few weeks ago, we discovered if you take it and immediately have a sip of coke the taste goes, i don't like her having too much coke but frankly thought it was worth it to get her to take the medicine