To think actually, they should give IV antibiotics to my (likely) autistic child?

[MrSpock]

Ended up in A&E with DS1, who’s 3, after his temperature went to 40.1 at 3am a few nights ago and he was not himself. He had recently had grommets and he’s got an ear infection.

Prescribed amoxicillin.

This would be fine, except DS1 is being assessed for autism and has sensory issues. He will not take antibiotics. It’s not a simple job of refusing, it’s a whole kicking, screaming, biting affair and it takes two adults an hour to administer it. He had a panic attack last time and I’ve never seen him so frightened. I can’t explain how severe it is, it doesn’t sound bad written down but it is.

I rang the department and asked for them to admit him and administer IV. He’s had cannulas before and isn’t anywhere near as bad with them, but they said no and told me to “hold him down and be cruel to be kind”

DS1 thinks he’s being tortured. All day today he’s hid in a corner, bit me, kicked me, and his speech which has been coming on was replaced by screams all day. He’s cried constantly and gestured for me to go away even when not giving the medicine. he won’t let me, his dad, my mum or my dad anywhere near him and has had what was effectively an all day meltdown.

Am I wrong for thinking they should just admit him and treat him?! Autistic kids don’t respond the way NT kids do. Any advice would be lovely :(

Oh and now he won’t eat anything either because he thinks everything we give him is the meds.

Liquid amoxicillin? Can’t you mix it into a drink that he likes?

I would have thought that in IV in hospital would be far more traumatic than getting a syringe of medicine down him.

Huge sympathies. It's taken us weeks to get a worm tablet into 6 year old DS with ASD. I tried everything. If the hospital is refysing IV, I think parents have to weigh up the need for antibiotics versus the child's overall wellbeing.

I don’t have an autistic child, but my NT child used to refuse meds. The only way I could get him to take them was to swaddle him in a bath sheet (so his arms were tucked in) straddle him (so pinning him and his arms in the towel down) and using a calool syringe, use one hand to hold his face and the other to get the syringe in down the side of his cheek (teeth would be tightly clenched) and squeeze slowly but steadily do that he didn’t choke.

Not nice, but it worked. My child hated me and thus method does produce volumes of snot. Antibiotics have to be administered though 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry to hear your predicament, it sounds rough but they can't just admit patients (especially as he isn't currently diagnosed) for IV AB.

Have you tried all the tricks? Putting medicine in yoghurt? Chocolate milk?

I’ve tried it in his bottles, so now he refuses all his bottles. I’ve tried a syringe, a cup, a spoon, he won’t have any of it.

The last two times I had to effectively hold his legs and arms while my partner squirted it in his mouth, he tried to spit it out and was shouting PLEASE. STOP. NO. it was awful. And today we’ve had behaviour we haven’t had for months

He’s allergic to dairy and soy so I am limited with things I can mix it into. I’ve tried it in his milk.

I’ve tried bribery too and nothing works.

My ds is autistic, they’ve always told us to put it in his food, he eats it in yogurt without realising. I wouldn’t want IV ab for him, I think that would be more distressing with the cannula and everything

I sympathise so much, in our case it was so bad that we had suppositories for all possible medication.
Amoxicillin is not available in suppository form. We did the cruel to be kind, pinning down etc but our daughter got so worked up that she just vomited all meds up straight away.
One doctor told us to put it in her milk, or stir it into a little pot of petit filou or chocolate mousse. And finally that worked.
I hope you find your solution as it is so distressing.

I’ve just seen the intolerances which make it more difficult but still think the whole hospital and iv would be traumatic

Chocolate ice cream. I used to mix half the dose in as otherwise you can taste it then mix the other half in another portion.

I don’t think this sounds that out of the realms of what is normal for toddlers / young children, but it is shit. I’ve not been able to get calpol into my son since he was about 5 months old. He has always gone absolutely crazy, thrashed out and none of the calpol gets swallowed so I gave up. He’s 2 and NT and I have no idea how I’d get medicine in him if I had to (pinning down and forcing is how I do teeth twice a day basically).

Bezm - op had said:

He’s had cannulas before and isn’t anywhere near as bad with them

So for her ds, IV antibiotics may well be far less traumatic. The other issue when possible/probable ASD is an issue is that in some cases anxiety drives them, if he doesn't trust OP/other family members not to put them in anything then he could easily end up in the hospital due to dehydration if he refuses fluids. That's before you get to the fall out of a full day meltdown, the ramifications of the onset of panic attacks and the meds that he's not getting properly due to everything else.

Just read allergic to dairy

And way more costly.

I'm sure if it was as easy as putting it in his food you would have done that. What you don't want is a child who won't eat. I would go back to hospital and say you physically can't do it and can they do it. They will then see the reality and hopefully listen to you.

Maybe ask to move this to special needs as many poster just won't understand what you are experiencing and will be unhelpful.

I would try but to worry about this. Many young kids, NT or not, won't take medicines. Dd2 never did, and to this day, she's 7, still hasn't ever taken anything.
In fact, it's probably done her a favour in the long run. Now if she's poorly, it's straight to bed to sleep it off, which I personally think is better than reaching for the medicine cabinet, where it's possible.

*not to worry

The towel trick works. It is not pleasant for anyone but it works and gets it over with quickly. It will still take two people but the biting kicking is less.
Ask if he can be prescribed an Antibiotic that only needs administered twice a day.

IV antibiotics are toxic and dangerous, with risk of serious side affects, such as deafness and allergic reaction. Routine or regular iv's will ruin his veins and cause resistance and sensitivity in the future.
Swaddle administer with a syringe.
Good luck

My ASD son was like this as a toddler and still gets really anxious about meds. He also had severe asthma when he was little.
I used to have to swaddle him in a blanket to get his meds in him.
Hospital and cannulas were even more traumatic to him and made his fears even worse.

As much as I can see why you'd want an IV in this situation: they're generally not a good idea repeatedly. I'd avoid them where you can - I always have because I hate needles; but I've still had some side effects from having so many in my life due to ongoing medical problems.

The other issue when possible/probable ASD is an issue is that in some cases anxiety drives them, if he doesn't trust OP/other family members not to put them in anything then he could easily end up in the hospital due to dehydration if he refuses fluids. That's before you get to the fall out of a full day meltdown, the ramifications of the onset of panic attacks and the meds that he's not getting properly due to everything else.

This is what I’m afraid of. He won’t accept bottles at all now and they’re his main source of calcium due to his dairy and soy issues, the only things I could get him to eat today were ice lollies and I had to show him I was getting them out the wrapper.

Hopefully he will be better tomorrow :(

Also I have ADHD and mild aspergers myself and when I was a bit older than my DS, I was held down for a cannula and it caused lifelong issues with fear and anxiety around hospitals and losing control in general. I don’t want my DS to develop this. :(

Im afraid I don't think it's reasonable for them to admit every child who
Struggles to take antiobiotics. Our A&E's just couldn't cope. You have my sympathies though.. it's very difficult.