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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

No liquid antibiotics for 3 year old

40 replies

ineedastrongercoffee · 21/12/2022 09:47

My DD3 cannot have penicillin, we managed to see the GP yesterday for Tonsillitis. She was given clarithromycin, absolutely no pharmacy in our area has this in stock. I spent over an hour in the GP surgery yesterday ringing around pharmacies up to 25 miles away. No one has this in stock. I also asked what non penicillin antibiotics they have - answer was next to nothing.

I ended up managing to get clarithromycin tablets which I need to half and crush up. I've managed to do this so far by adding it to Calpol and a fair amount of bribery.

It just makes me so sad that this is the situation we are in. I feel very lucky that DD has taken this so well, but my other DD3 (they are twins) would definitely not be as compliant. It must taste absolutely vile.

I know that everyone is stretched right now. The Doctors in our area have the monopoly on all GP surgeries in our town and also 3 other nearby villages. Why not give me a heads up that I could struggle to get the liquid. I had to waste precious GP time by going back into the surgery to get them to alter the prescription for the tablets.

Now if it was me in charge (don't all laugh at once) I would be contacting all pharmacies in the area and asking them to report first thing in the morning via email, on stock levels of these antibiotics where they have supply issues. The GP's pay the pharmacies for sending prescriptions their way - surely an email first thing will give GP's vital information.

Doesn't solve the supply problem I know.

I feel so sorry for everyone in the NHS at the moment 😢

OP posts:
Jellycats4life · 21/12/2022 09:51

My autistic 7th was given antibiotic tablets last week.

The pharmacist told me not to crush, but to put it in a 10ml syringe, draw up 5ml of water (I’ve been adding a little squash, not that it hides the taste) and 2ml of air. Then shake and leave to dissolve.

It’s slightly easier than crushing a tablet but not much. And tastes disgusting. I am amazed he is taking it (but not without me having to jump through hoops: always in the kitchen, standing near the sink, with a drink and chocolate reward on standby 😄). If he was younger I wouldn’t be able to do this at all.

Jellycats4life · 21/12/2022 09:51

7yo not 7th!

Original poster
ineedastrongercoffee · 21/12/2022 09:55

Jellycats4life · 21/12/2022 09:51

My autistic 7th was given antibiotic tablets last week.

The pharmacist told me not to crush, but to put it in a 10ml syringe, draw up 5ml of water (I’ve been adding a little squash, not that it hides the taste) and 2ml of air. Then shake and leave to dissolve.

It’s slightly easier than crushing a tablet but not much. And tastes disgusting. I am amazed he is taking it (but not without me having to jump through hoops: always in the kitchen, standing near the sink, with a drink and chocolate reward on standby 😄). If he was younger I wouldn’t be able to do this at all.

that sounds grim, I remember my mum dissolving a paracetamol into lemonade when I was about 7 - I've never been able to drink lemonade since.

She's coping with the calpol at the moment so don't think I'll change it, and only got 5 days worth but it's so hard isn't it.

OP posts:
Maray1967 · 21/12/2022 09:56

I heard a pharmacist interviewed on radio 4 about the shortage of liquid antibiotics saying the advice he was giving to parents was to crush up the hard tablets or split open capsules and put the contents/grinds on to something the child will eat easily eg spoon of yoghurt and get it into them that way. Hope that helps someone.

Xiaoxiong · 21/12/2022 10:02

When I was little (not in the UK) we always had to crush tablets and put it in chocolate pudding or fromage frais. Something about the texture did a good job of disguising the powdery grains.

Mamamia32 · 21/12/2022 10:03

I agree it's absolutely awful situation. Just wanted to say that you could also crush up the tablets into a yoghurt and spoon feed, I've had to do this before.

Peasepuddingbloodycold · 21/12/2022 10:04

I know it's not as serious, but this was the situation with HRT a few months ago. Ringing and ringing round pharmacies trying to find some. When I finally found some, I then had to ring my surgery to re-issue the prescription in the other surgery's name, go and collect and then remember to ring the surgery again to swap my designated pharmacy back to the one in my village.

The NHS is broken through chronic under-funding and selling parts off. Why Labour aren't publishing a clear and concise manifesto for revolutionising and saving it, I do not know.

Mamamia32 · 21/12/2022 10:04

Oh sorry I posted that before I saw others replies.

Original poster
ineedastrongercoffee · 21/12/2022 10:10

Peasepuddingbloodycold · 21/12/2022 10:04

I know it's not as serious, but this was the situation with HRT a few months ago. Ringing and ringing round pharmacies trying to find some. When I finally found some, I then had to ring my surgery to re-issue the prescription in the other surgery's name, go and collect and then remember to ring the surgery again to swap my designated pharmacy back to the one in my village.

The NHS is broken through chronic under-funding and selling parts off. Why Labour aren't publishing a clear and concise manifesto for revolutionising and saving it, I do not know.

I actually think it is as bad - my friend was taken to the edge of sanity when she had to come off HRT whilst she had the results back from a potential cancer biopsy. Luckily all was well but she really struggled for those few weeks.

I agree the NHS is broken - although I don't 100% agree that it's underfunded - I've spent so much time in hospital with one of my DD's and the level of waste is shameful. Much of the responsibility with this lies with the government I agree. Our NHS cannot continue under a conservative government - of that I am absolutely convinced - for this reason only (never mind all of the other reasons) they need to be kicked out NOW

OP posts:
HerbErtlinger · 21/12/2022 10:11

I used to work with an autistic boy who could only take tablets crushed up with some icing sugar and a bit of water to make icing. Very sugary obviously but worked really well to mask the taste

Original poster
ineedastrongercoffee · 21/12/2022 10:11

HerbErtlinger · 21/12/2022 10:11

I used to work with an autistic boy who could only take tablets crushed up with some icing sugar and a bit of water to make icing. Very sugary obviously but worked really well to mask the taste

that's a really good idea

OP posts:
neverbeenskiing · 21/12/2022 10:13

I would be contacting all pharmacies in the area and asking them to report first thing in the morning via email, on stock levels of these antibiotics where they have supply issues.

This is exactly what our local GP surgery have been doing.

JoyBeorge · 21/12/2022 10:14

You can probably also mix them into food if absolutely necessary like yoghurt or custard, just to get it inside her. She won't taste it that way.

User359472111111 · 21/12/2022 10:28

My recommendation, from too much practice is to cut it into small chunks and put each one in a teaspoon of favourite yoghurt. Dissolving, crushing etc, disperse the flavour (grim) but with the yoghurt it just slips down.

User359472111111 · 21/12/2022 10:29

And the other thing is, I recommend you taste all medicines yourself (unless a good reason not to). Some are much worse than others.

At 2/3 you can also bribe with chocolate. If it’s something very bitter, shove the chocolate in with the medicine.

Shatterproof9 · 21/12/2022 10:33

HerbErtlinger · 21/12/2022 10:11

I used to work with an autistic boy who could only take tablets crushed up with some icing sugar and a bit of water to make icing. Very sugary obviously but worked really well to mask the taste

This is genius, thank you!

Peasepuddingbloodycold · 21/12/2022 10:37

the level of waste is shameful

And I agree with this. The solution has to be wiser than just electing a Labour government (but I can't see a solution without a Labour government if that makes sense).

I am sorry about your situation OP and I don't want to derail your thread with (too much) politics Flowers I just think people need to see the link between the state of the country and electing tories again and again.

babyjellyfish · 21/12/2022 10:44

I don't think this is UK specific.

I'm in France and we are struggling to get hold of liquid medicine for babies too. We can't get the equivalent of Calpol in liquid form and my son needs penicillin but we have been given tablets to crush up because there is no liquid form available at the moment. Not sure what's causing the shortages.

AliceS1994 · 21/12/2022 11:04

Paeds nurse here- unfortunately lots of liquid forms of medication are unavailable at the moment and I sympathize. Some options are- sprinkle tablet on yoghurt/puree, add syrup, make a game of drinking it as a shot together

It might be good to practice taking whole tablet for the future as I suspect this will happen again. Child as young as three can learn to take tablets safety and I have known many to do so! Practice with tic tacs and make it fun! That could save you poor girl the same ordeal in he future.

AliceS1994 · 21/12/2022 11:06

That's flavoured syrups, like the ones you'd add to coffee and let them choose, that way they get a small 'win' out of choosing the flavour (you can buy small packs). They're not really a common ingredient in adult life so if she develops an aversion to them it's not as troublesome as her deciding she hates lemonade or applesauce or whatever until the end of time!

burgledinParis · 21/12/2022 11:08

Not much help but it's not only the UK.

I'm in France

(Disclaimer, I work in a hospital and know the pharmacy and pharmacist as we also use it on a professional basis)

I took a rapid test step test yesterday at the pharmacy - and was talking with the pharmacist whilst waiting for the results - saying that I was testing because if my sore throat/fever was viral I wasn't going to bother seeing a doctor and getting a prescription. The test came back positif for step and he told (the pharmacist ) me that there was no point getting a prescription for amoxicillin because most pharmacies were out and I'd be best just asking friends or colleagues gif they had any left overs to make up 18g for a six day course...
They have such limited supplies that they're keeping what little they have for under 3's....

babyjellyfish · 21/12/2022 11:10

burgledinParis · 21/12/2022 11:08

Not much help but it's not only the UK.

I'm in France

(Disclaimer, I work in a hospital and know the pharmacy and pharmacist as we also use it on a professional basis)

I took a rapid test step test yesterday at the pharmacy - and was talking with the pharmacist whilst waiting for the results - saying that I was testing because if my sore throat/fever was viral I wasn't going to bother seeing a doctor and getting a prescription. The test came back positif for step and he told (the pharmacist ) me that there was no point getting a prescription for amoxicillin because most pharmacies were out and I'd be best just asking friends or colleagues gif they had any left overs to make up 18g for a six day course...
They have such limited supplies that they're keeping what little they have for under 3's....

I'm not far from Paris and pretty sure I have some if you are really desperate.

Yolanda524 · 21/12/2022 11:12

Crush them and add to yoghurt or custard

burgledinParis · 21/12/2022 11:15

babyjellyfish · 21/12/2022 11:10

I'm not far from Paris and pretty sure I have some if you are really desperate.

Show quote history

@babyjellyfish Thanks that's really kind! I got some yesterday from a colleague so I have what I need.
It's crazy though - I work at Cochin and we're out of so many things - also there is not one bed left in the whole ile de France in pediatric réa ...

Bunnycat101 · 21/12/2022 11:17

It is rubbish. But.. tablet form might be better than the liquid. I couldn’t get my 3yo to take the last lot because they tasted like paint stripper and made her sick. It must be adding a massive amount of stress though not being able to get them when you need them. I’m dreading the next bout of sickness.