help! medicine refusing ds

[gotthearse]

ds really needs to get some flucloxacillin down him. infection from chalazion, if it does not clear up he'll need an iv dose. point blank refuses to take it. tried putting it in cordial with no luck. it tastes very bitter. he is 4, and we are camping

Have you tried bribery?

oh yes. no currency good enought so far. waved a whole bag of haribo at him to no avail. he's quite a stubborn sort.

Have you tried the tough approach "if you don't take it you will have to go to hospital and have a needle in your arm, that means you won't be able to enjoy your holiday?"

Good luck having to battle medicine is horrible!

yes this, and i'm ashamed to say, brute force. will just have to have another go in the morning. listening to reason is not something he's ever had a go at, yet.

have. you got the vile syrup? maybe go back to gp to get capsules prescribed. you could then break them open and mix the powder with nutella or whatever he likes.
had to do this with my dc with pneumonia. it was either that or hospital for iv meds...

great! pharmacy in the morning

You may be able to mix it with chocolate petit filous or M&S chocolate mousse to take the edge of the taste.

After each spoonful with medicine a spoonful without medicine.

I still think that it is very important that he learns that we take medicine in order to get better and yes, it doesn't taste nice. Don't frighten him with hospital because if he ever needs to be admitted he'll remember and will be petrified.

You could explain that he has a bacterial infection, explaining what that means and how antibiotics will help his body in fighting the infection.

Hope he gets used to taking it and gets better soon.

My Ds had cellulitis earlier this year and we tried every which way to get first the syrup version down him then tried capsules. Managed about 2 days then GP gave him Fusidin ointment (foot infection).
Anyone suggesting mixing it with any food needs to try it themselves it is vile and you would need to mix it with a bucket full of nutella to take the edge off it. All GPs should be made to taste all child medicines before prescribing them! (had a very patronising lecture from my GP he is new to the area and doesn't know I'm a dentist and pretty good at introducing vile tasting liquids into little mouths).
I failed miserably with DS but he is the size and strength of a 10yr old so couldn't pin him down and force it down him. Tried rational and irrational approach and he was quite prepared to undergo amputation of said foot rather than take 'that medicine'.
I can only suggest that you try to find a very sweet syrup to mix it with and experiment with different dilutions until he can palate it.
We even had a go at the salt/tequila/lemon method obviously substituting tequila with Flucloxacillin. Oh and emptying capsules has same result it tastes just as vile.
If he can swallow capsules this may be your only hope.

thanks all. willdo my experience is much like yours! got a fucadin gel from local gp and it seems to be doing the trick . that syrup really was nasty. even neat ribena wasnt cutting it .

sorry fusadin gel