advice for helping DS take his antibiotics.

[MomaP]

Hi :)

DS was diagnosed yesterday with Scarlet Fever. He's on a big dose of Antibiotics (penicillin) - he has to have 5ml, four times a day.
He has never had a problem taking any medicine before, however, he is really struggling with this. Don't get me wrong, he will still take the medicine, after the tears and me threatening to take him to the hospital if he doesn't, but I was really hoping you ladies may have some advice on "helping the medicine go down" - So to speak. Whether there's anything that will make it more bareable for him to take? Something before, during or after the dose is given. He will be taking four doses, for the next 10 days. I am dreading it if this is the reaction we will get each time.

Thank you in advance.

Ds1 had some horrible antibiotics when he had chicken pox plus something else. (It was a while ago!) We tempted him with ice cream which helped with the sore mouth and the horrible taste!

I find bribery works much better than threats.

When DD had eye drops it was a choc after it was done. She enjoyed the eye drops after that :)

Smarties win every time

stick it in a chocolate petit filous. it's all deceit, bribery and corruption...

If it's anything like the strawberry smelling but incredibly bitter-tasting one my DS had with his last infection, we ended up (after a bit of a carry-on in refusing to take it etc) buying a bunch of sweet grapes. After each spoonful, he was encouraged to have a mouthful of water then a couple of (suitably halved!) grapes. That took the taste away nicely and school was fine in us sending a small pot of grapes in with the meds!

Paneer, we tried bribes and oh boy, did they fail..

In the end, we've managed to compromise with a mouthful of medicine, then a spoonful of ice-cream straight after. It's sure doing the trick - so far.

I do apologise for not mentioning - Scarlet Fever has a huge impact on the throat. The throat is swollen and extremely sore, therefore the only things he can have are liquidised.

Try to check he's not allergic to penicillin! I assume they've checked this (somehow) but I know someone who wasn't aware that their DD was allergic and it turned out that was why she hated it. Like your situation, never any problems with medications before... I always think it's weird how they NEVER FAIL to ask adults if they are allergic to any medications, but with children, don't think to mention it...

I think the problem is the taste to be honest hun, his taste buds have gone into 'disgusting taste mode' - everything he eats, he complains it tastes different and disgusting (Even Ice-creams)

We did bring it to their attention that there may be a possibility hes allergic to penicillin, because both myself and DH are, however, she stressed that it isn't genetic.

How old is he?
sometimes surprisingly small children can swallow capsules..DD could from 6, but DS has only just managed it without gaggig at 12yrs!

When ds1 was poorly it was a struggle to get him to have anything. We also found chocolate mousse was a success. We bought really good quality ice cream and mousse in the hope he was getting some goodness. Hope he is feeling better soon.

Nutella?

MomaP, I envy you that you've managed to get him to take it with Ice Cream afterwards!!

My DD refuses all medicine except Nurofen. I have taken her to the OOH GP in tears before and asked him to try and give it to her (she used to have persistent ear infections as a baby), the GP was nearly in tears himself by the end with the trauma.

They've agreed now that they will no longer prescribe Anti-Bs and will just hope that it goes away on it's own OR will hospitalise her to have them done through IV. The amount of times different GPs used to say 'You're the parent, just force her to take it' and various bits of advice about putting it in jam, mixing it with icing sugar, putting it in yoghurts and fromage frais (which she never really liked anyway), we just couldn't take the trauma anymore. After the experience that the GP at the OOH had, they never told us to 'just force her' again...

For pain-relief she has to have paracetomol Suppositorites. Horrible but they work sooooo much quicker than medicine.

Sorry that I haven't been able to help, but just keep going with the Ice Cream, anything to get him to take them and I hope that he's better soon.

Thank you ladies, some great ideas and pleased to hear I'm not the only one having a hard time giving medicine!!

He turns 5 years old in 2 weeks time.