Sick baby, antibiotics fiasco. Advice?

[mummysknackered22]

Ds is nearly 1 and has been poorly for coming up 2 weeks. Firstly with a snotty nose, cold etc. Then he went very lethargic, irritable and completely went off his food. I don't think he's eaten a proper meal in 2 weeks! Woke up one morning last week to lots of yellow pus oozing from his ear so clearly an ear infection. Was prescribed antibiotics the same day but my god, I haven't been able to get them down him at all.

I've tried everything. Syringes, spoons, mixing into food, mixing into bottles (but he refused his bottle then and since his milk is his only source of nutrients at the moment I didn't want to risk him refusing them too). Out of a full bottle of amoxicillin I'd say I've probably got 2-3 full doses down him and maybe a few smaller amounts here and there but nowhere near the full course. Dh and I tried to force him once and it was horrific. He vomited straight after and was so distressed. I felt terrible.

I used to see posts here from people complaining about the same thing and roll my eyes thinking just stick a syringe in for gods sake. But having now experienced it I realise how impossible it is and also how frustrating that they are refusing, spitting it out, throwing it up, clamping their jaws shut, thrashing about and basically wasting the one thing that will help them.

Thankfully his ear is no longer weeping and he does seem a little happier so I'm hoping that either the small amount he's had has helped a bit or that his body has fought off the infection itself. Presumably the pus indicates the infection coming out so hopefully that was a good sign.

Either way I'm worried for if and when this happens in the future. He's also started refusing calpol now which I've never had a problem with before. I'm guessing it's because he's so bloody traumatised by the antibiotics. What on earth are you meant to do in this situation?

When he’s older there’s more scope for bribery and coaxing, right now he’s too little for that so you do, frankly, need to force them as horrid as that is, an untreated infection is worse

Swaddle him tightly in a blanket or bed sheet or lay him down on the floor as if you’re changing his nappy and put your legs crossed over his arms and put the syringe in between his cheek and gum towards the back of his mouth and squeeze it in gently then hold him whilst he swallows it.

it’s not

I feel your pain, I think not getting the full dose is why DD 17months is on her 2nd course in 2 weeks. I thought the tonsillitis had gone after the amoxicillin the week before last, but it came back Sunday night.

I got the syringe in her mouth yesterday, squeezed it in slowly a bit at a time and held her for a bit after.

Turns out she had held the full dose in her mouth and when I let her go she spat it all over me and herself. Bright red penicillin, looked like a bloodbath!

The only thing I can suggest is to hold the head back, push it past the lips and stroke the throat to encourage swallowing. Is you can get someone to hold him it is easier.

The only thing that worked for us is mixing it with one of the mixed fruit purée fruit pot and in her porridge on a morning (where we put mixed fruit in as well).
My daughter wouldn't even take calpol or ibuprofen. It's a nightmare!

The only way we could manage was to use chocolate milkshake powder, mixed with usual milk & the meds.

Forcing it down was horrific and she ended up vomiting all over.

We have pretty much finished this bottle now and most of it has been wasted. It was hard enough getting this course (three doctors appointments, two of which where I was told it was just viral and no sign of infection). I only managed to get the antibiotics when he literally had yellow pus running out of his ear. I had to take lots of time off work for the appointments and for him being off nursery. And then he just spits it everywhere. I know he doesn't understand but it's so frustrating.

I am hoping he's over the worse of it but it's driven me mad this week. I've been in tears more than once. And he's a strong little thing so trying to pin him down and stop him thrashing doesn't always work. Like pp, he just spits it all out.

It has been harder because he's so off his food too. I can't mix it into food if he won't even eat food. He's been surviving on milk and the odd melty puff for the past few weeks!!!

Ask for it in suppository form. All over in a second. I think it's more expensive, so a lot of GPs don't like prescribing it, but I think you could make an excellent case for it.

Entirely normal, the refusal and being a great parent before you have one 😉

The trick is, 1 ml (or half even) a tiny tiny amount over the space of 15,30 or even 45 minutes until the whole amount has been swallowed.

an amount so small, they can't spit it out or yak it up.

That and paracetamol suppositories...

swaddle, force it in and then blow on his face. It triggers the swallow reflex.

taught to me by a friend who is a vet. Never fails!

Lay him on his back then put the ABs in his mouth, as far in as you can. If you have help it's slightly easier to hold the arms, legs and head still of the little angry wriggle monster.

He will try to spit like a fountain, but its the only way to get them into them. It may be easier to give in 2 or 3 smaller squirts so if he manages to spit some out, then he still gets most of the dosage.

We've just overcome a throat infection, and conjunctivitis at the same time. We had the screaming and fight fest that was eye drops, oral antibiotics and calpol and ibuprofen. Felt like it was around the clock.

By day 3 it became slightly easier.

He may get on slightly easier with a different flavour calpol.
My son doesnt like the calpol we usually have, but the different brands of paracetamol are different flavours and he got on with the next one we tried, and he went nuts for orange ibuprofen.

We always followed medication with something that was enjoyable for DS. In my mind atleast it made the routine less upsetting.

There are different antibiotics that are once a day for three days- I asked for these after many many ear infections with ds2. I went for syringe between the gums at the back, squirt it in and don’t remove the syringe until they’ve swallowed. Then bribe with chocolate buttons as necessary.

My son (age 3) recently had penicillin v, which he spat out on the first dose. I was really worried it would be an awful 5days, turns out it tastes fine but he wasn’t expecting cold liquid from a medicine syringe as calpol is room temp, so we gave him it in a spoon for the rest of his doses (measured 5ml with syringe, then put it into a 15ml spoon so he didn’t spill it).

Babies have a reflex where if you blow on their nose, they swallow. Even when they are crying. Yours may have grown out it, but it is worth a try. Other than that, a syringe to the far right or left of the mouth, instruct to swallow and bribe straight after. A drink, lollies, whatever it takes.

Agree sometimes it is the taste, DD refused Calpol which I think is strawberry flavour but would take Lloyd's own brand of Paracetamol syrup which was cherry flavour. 🙄 Ice lollies or ice poles are great for masking the taste and will help with encouraging fluids as well. Good luck x

Hold down/ cuddle, syringe medicine into the side of cheek and straight away blow in his face.

My daughter was hospitalised as a baby and had to be given liquid aspirin (which tastes disgusting) - this is how the nurse managed it. It sounds cruel but it’s not as cruel as leaving them unmedicated 😬

My DD1 is incredibility stubborn when it comes to medicine. And food. And washing teeth. Basically, anything that would go in her mouth.

How I get her to take calpol:
Buy 2 syringes
Buy some juice that's the same colour as calpol or the drug you are trying to give her.
One syringe with the juice for you and one for her with the drug.
Yum yum yum, it's so good.
Usually, I start with the drug myself cause she always wants whatever i am having.

Doesn't work 100%of the time but worth a try. Beats holding her down ...

But how does that work when they vomit it straight up? That’s what happened when we did exactly what you describe and like OP here child vomited it all straight up.

I've been a paediatric nurse for 19 years and still do t know the answer to how to get antibiotics down a child who won't take them. I had a three year year old last week who was refusing and spitting out what we did get in. My cat is also on the same antibiotics, and was much easier to get them into than my patient!

I think it's doubly stressful because it's so difficult to see a doctor these days too. Each time I rang I had to wait in a queue for the best part of an hour. Then go through triage to decide if he actually needed an appointment 🙄 then get misdiagnosed twice. Then finally get given antibiotics that he won't take. Give me strength.

I should have posted for some of these tips last week before we actually wasted most of the bottle. I'm still not convinced anything would work though. I tried the blowing in his face. He just kept fighting.

Praying that the worst of it is over. I read that some ear infections fix themselves.

Have you tried mixing it with pure sugar (honey)?

We used to do a dose at night. Gentle stir and in to the mouth whilst they were mostly asleep. They'll automatically swallow most of it before they realise it's vile.

My husbands a paramedic and sees sepsis cases mostly in people that have failed to take previously prescribed antibiotics. As awful as it is to force them it's better than an u treated infection turning bad.

I mix ours into a lolly with juice/fruit. Small lolly mould. Do the same with diaoralyte . they eat it fine, even if they won't take it

This is very scary. Even when I tried to force it it didn't work. I feel such a failure.