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Original poster

DS8's medicine / doctor / dentist refusal

9 replies

AliMonkey · 01/07/2015 23:42

DS has anxiety issues. Won't open mouth at all for dentist (seeing lovely special care dentist but no progress). Won't take any medicine or see doctor. Has had awful hay fever all summer (and last year) and won't take anything (tried medicine, nasal spray, Vaseline). I knew he had a really bad headache a couple of months ago as agreed to take spoonful of Calpol for first time ever.

He would be much happier if hayfever under control and I worry about what would happen if he was seriously ill (no doubt we would hold him down if necessary - but then would make it worse in future). So I would love some ideas to persuade him that medicine in whatever form is better than the alternative of pain / discomfort / things getting worse.

OP posts:
princessvikki · 02/07/2015 08:24

What about getting some kids vitamins and making it part of the daily routine. Some of them are like sweets so not obviously medicine and it will become a normal everyday thing, that way it won't be such a big deal when hes ill. Let him take them himself when he's ready and lots of praise when he does. Maybe its the pressure of being told to take the medicine that makes him anxious?

Original poster
AliMonkey · 03/07/2015 23:55

Thanks, princess. Not a bad idea, although not entirely sure it would work as I take pills every morning so he knows that anything small coming out of a small pot/bottle at breakfast is pills! Might work if I got his sister to try them first though ...

Although we definitely haven't pressured him, it doesn't take much for him to feel pressured and start digging his heels in, so anything to make it seem like nothing important helps him. Thanks.

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princessvikki · 04/07/2015 09:12

I would tell him that it is a tablet to get him used to it. I probably wasn't very clear,
I would buy them a pot each and say to you children together these are your new special tablets to take every morning to keep you healthy. Then in the morning get them out with breakfast and leave them on the table and let them take them out of the pot and take them themselves. He won't do it straight away but dont tell him to, let it be his choice. Give your dd praise for taking them. If he doesn't just put them away again and ignore that he hasn't. he'll probably start by picking them up and putting them back a few times.
Obviously it goes without saying keep watching them out the corner of your eye so they don't munch through the whole pot.

MarthaMonkeynuts · 04/07/2015 09:23

What is it about the medicine he doesn't like? Is it taste/texture or just the idea of it being a medicine?

Original poster
AliMonkey · 04/07/2015 21:15

I'm going to try that, princess.

Martha, it's all of it: taste, idea of it, generally being asked to do anything that he's not familiar with. I know DD would at one stage pretend to have a cough so she could have Tixilix and she has always thought Calpol was fine, but DS always said it all tasted disgusting, which I think was more likely to be him thinking it would. In terms of hayfever medicine, I have to say that I too think they taste disgusting - the choice seems to be very strong tasting Piriton or banana flavour (he hates bananas). I did a couple of times put some Piriton in a glass of Coke to get him to take some as it disguised the flavour, but I can't be letting have Coke every day just so he'll get the medicine!

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WanderWomble · 04/07/2015 21:40

Can't he have hay fever meds in pill form? Half a one is teeny.

BlackSwan · 04/07/2015 22:29

It's hard. I have been there, and have come out the other side. We used bribery to begin with. x number of jelly beans, a toy, anything. Just to get the medicine down. But not forcing. I am not joking, I remember this taking even an hour to get a spoonful of antibiotic down. Now he is much much better at it, without any bribery.

I think if they have an issue with it it is very very important for them to understand and see that you are not angry or upset with them for not taking the medicine on command, and that you're there to help them take their time and get comfortable with taking it.

But bribery is the cornerstone of my philosophy. Just to get them to try it and get used to it, as a distraction from their anxiety if anything.

DeeWe · 04/07/2015 22:55

If you can bribe him short term then you may find that he realises that he feels much better on them and then will take them (almost!) happily.

Ds used to be terrible-I have a bright yellow patch on the wall behind me where he projectile spat banana medicine out Grin

But when he got to about 6yo he discovered that actually calpol helps, and then he now will take antibiotics with only a small amount of fuss. I have to give it him on his terms ie when he says and that sort of thing, but it at least stays in him not on my wall!

Original poster
AliMonkey · 05/07/2015 13:31

Of course he can theoretically have it in pill form, wander but that is I think an even harder task than liquid form. I know I struggled with pills until I was a teenager. I agree with dee that finding any way to get him to take it is the key so he can see the positive effect is worth taking it. And bribery is definitely what often works in this house for things DC don't want to do but I've not found a bribe that works for this yet!

Thanks all of you for your ideas and sympathy.

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