Getting 3 year old to take flucloxacillin

[vvviola]

DD2 has a nasty staph infection on her face. Started off as a small spot under her nose and on her lip that wouldn't heal - doc prescribed erythromycin and 3 days later she woke up with the infection spread all over her face.

Back to the doc and now he's prescribed flucloxacillin - which is obviously the most vile tasting medicine ever, as DD who is usually an absolute star when it comes to taking medicines screams and runs away when she sees the bottle. Even the usual bribe (which we are using for getting her to sit still for her eye drops) of a sweet afterwards isnt' working - and we technically shouldn't be doing it anyway as flucloxacillin is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach, and hour before food which is near impossible with an ill toddler who grazes rather than eating proper meals.

Any suggestions? We're on standby to take her to A&E if the spots spread or she gets a fever, and I'm really concerned that she's going to get worse if I can't get her to take her antibiotic. :(

I don't know if this will work for something that tastes so foul but, for other antibiotics, I had success with DD by getting her to hold a chocolate star in each hand before she had the medicine. It was her job to get the chocolate in her mouth as quickly as possible after the medicine. I found this worked because she was occupied with holding the chocolate and getting rid of the taste as quick as possible.

2 more tricks: sucking an ice cube before the medicine can 'numb' taste buds a little. A mouthful of lemonade afterwards, or any other fizzy drink, can take away the taste better than water.

Hope your DD gets better soon.

I have a feeling that when we spoke to the GP about this, we were allowed to disguise it in a drink, notwithstanding empty stomach. Definitely worth asking the pharmacist anyway. Otherwise it's a syringe, squirt into the side back of the mouth (aim for just past the molars) mid-scream so that the child is so startled they swallow before realising, then give lots of praise and a chocolate button.

V practised at giving medicines here! DC1 now has a buttons allowance worked out based on how vile the medicine is.

Thanks! Shall try mixing it in a drink and going with the reward. I wonder would an icepop work (numb the taste buds, plus reward all in one).

DD appears to have mastered scream with clenched teeth, which is quite a feat really.

DH reported in that dose no 2 has been successful. Not sure how - possibly a surprise attack as DH is usually not in charge of medicine giving.

I'm at work for a couple of house, and then back home in time for the next dose. I just hope it works for all this hassle.

Cherry cola is a good one for disguising the antibiotic taste.

Can you encourage her to hold her nose as she takes it? It really is vile.

it is foul - mixing it with a teaspoon of yoghurt worked for us combined with a reward chart (which also helps to make sure all doses given and course completed) with an agreed reward at the end such as a longed for toy that you can keep showing her pictures of to encourage her. I think they thoroughly deserve a nice treat after enduring a course of fluoxicillin! We also put the mix in an oral syringe so she can control for herself the rate she takes it in (within reason!) and there's no issues with spillage.

Is it possible to give it in a pipette, which you can squirt on the very back of her tongue so that it doesn't touch many taste buds on its way down? The polio vaccine used to be given like that, although that's just a few drops - how much volume of medicine does she have to take each time?

catsofa she has to take 5ml at a time, so quite a big dose. We're already using a medicine syringe, but will definitely try to get it as far back as possible.

Goanddosomework reward chart is a great idea - I think we'll do that too. We're trying to reduce the amount of toys at the moment due to an upcoming move, but maybe a promise of something small plus a trip to her favourite soft play place when she is better might be a good incentive. Yoghurt is a no-go unfortunately due to her allergies, but I think mixing is probably the best option.

It really is disgusting. The first time one of my children had it, I phoned the surgery to check they had made it up right!

We have given it in a syringe, with a syringe of water, and chocolate to hand. Squirt medicine gently into back of mouth. Wait for child to swallow, then squirt water, then when water has been swallowed, give the chocolate.

Given what previous posters have said, maybe a syringe of lemonade/cherry coke instead of water would be optimal. Good luck, OP.

Amazingly logic appears to have done the trick - combined with a tiny bit of bribery:

DH had a chat before her 10am dose and said. "DD, I know it tastes yukky but you need it to make your sore face better and you can have a jelly afterwards".

She still says "no, I don't want it" before we give it to her, but opens her mouth to take it while clutching the jelly in her hand.

Unfortunately after day 2 there is still no improvement and it's actually spreading still, so I'm not sure what the doc will say tomorrow.