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Original poster

3 yo refusing penicillin - help!

36 replies

MummyFoxy · 29/10/2018 15:55

My DS was prescribed penicillin for ear and throat infection this morning. He took the first two doses but now he's cottoned on to the fact it tastes bad and is gluing his mouth shut - I have tried every bribe under the sun (and spilt the horrible pink stuff all over the sofa while trying to get it in him ). Any tips please??!

OP posts:
nowbebe · 29/10/2018 16:02

If its pink, I know which one you talking about and it's foul. But a chocolate button before and a chocolate button afterward will help take care of the taste and he's far more likely to take it if he's getting chocolate as well 😂

Failing that, telling him if he doesn't take it he'll have to take even nastier medicine might do it.

Foodylicious · 29/10/2018 16:05

Ask your GP for a phone appt and if they will consider amoxicillin instead.

The stuff you have is truly vile Envy (not envy)

Original poster
MummyFoxy · 29/10/2018 16:19

Thank you - I like the idea of telling him he will have to take even nastier medicine, but he's so stubborn I don't think it will work 🙄
I will persevere tonight and tomorrow morning and then try phoning the gp for amoxicillin if all else fails. Many thanks

OP posts:
YouBoggleMyMind · 29/10/2018 21:14

Could you mix it into a yogurt or something along those lines? DS won't even take calpol or nurofen unless it's disguised, I feel your pain. 

CherryPavlova · 29/10/2018 21:42

A little bit of taking control? Wrap in bath sheet to control limbs and push it in to side of cheek and release slowly. Stop him spitting it out. Then a chocolate button.

CottonSock · 29/10/2018 21:47

Had this last week with dd age 2. First one so vile I would not have taken it myself. Rang pharmacy and they changed for a sugar version. Not much better, but slightly. She took one dose then refused . Rang lovely gp. She did me a new prescription for same thing (penicillin v) and said take to a different pharmacy and try another brand. Boots pharmacist was lovely, this one was orange not pink and tasted better. Chocolate buttons and that did the trick. Some pharmacies buy cheap stuff is my new opinion.
Can force it down, but my dd has it regularly and trust issues about food so that's not my preferred approach.

hiddeneverything · 29/10/2018 21:50

I agree with choc buttons. Is he getting calpol as well? If so, give the 2.5ml of calpol, then the antibiotic then the remaining 5ml of calpol. I had to do this for DS in summer. And get him to shut his eyes if at all possible! Get all the syringes filled so you can fire them in one after the other

OrdinaryGirl · 29/10/2018 21:59

Mix into berry smoothies. (My friend did this and it worked.)

3boysandabump · 29/10/2018 22:01

My son had this and wouldn't take it so I called the hospital who had prescribed it and they prescribed a different one.

The pharmacist said he didn't even know why they bothered prescribing it because most kids just won't take it and have to have the alternative

Piffpaffpoff · 29/10/2018 22:05

I’m of the take control school - tell them very clearly that we need medicine to get better so we have to take it. Treats before and after to sweeten the deal (literally!) but the medicine must be taken. No tv or screen time or other fun activities unless it’s taken. It’s not negotiable. It’s not the nicest part of parenting but we’re in charge and need to ensure they take whatever’s needed.

mariniere · 29/10/2018 22:06

Depends on the infection really. If you are prescribed Penicillin V for tonsillitis or similar then Amoxicillin will not necessarily do the same job. I have learned this to my cost!

fabulous01 · 29/10/2018 22:13

I remember the stuff. Vile. My health visitor told me it was the best for what we needed .... so I had to give it. It wasn't easy ... and for a while she wouldn't take the colour calpol as it reminded her of it

But we noticed the difference in a day so we stuck with it. Good luck

HettySunshine · 29/10/2018 22:13

If he's taking calpol at the same time I'd mix the two together in a cup, load it all up into syringes and give it that way.

Chocolate button at the end. Good luck op. I hope you both get some sleep.

RussellTheRaven · 29/10/2018 22:14

We always struggled with DS as he refused medicine from when he was old enough to turn his head away and contort his body. He would spit it out if I did get any in. DS now being assessed for ASD so by no means your average refuser.

You've not said how old he is. Here are all the tactics I tried.

Bribing with chocolate
Placing a chocolate button on his tongue until it melts, then fire the dose in. Another chocolate button for after.
If you complete the course, I'll buy you x toy.
Freeze calpol in to cold lozenges to ease a high temp
Spoon of Nutella before and after
Be careful: in his sleep, use the plunger to administer, but take care to check his swallowed it all. Go slow and steady.
Mix with a yogurt - awful move don't even try
Watch Get Well Soon with Dr Ranj and educate age appropriately.

Get Dr to issue prescription in tablet/capsule form.

Crush and hide in Nutella spoons
Teach him to swallow a capsule

Only the last one works for us. We use a Jaffa cake. DS will eat one bite and as he's about to swallow, he throws the capsule in. Job done, he then gets the rest of the Jaffa cake as reward.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 29/10/2018 22:16

Smarties. I rattle the box to keep him motivated while I spoon the medicine in.

hiddeneverything · 29/10/2018 22:26

@Tawdrylocalbrouhaha so only smarties have the answer then?

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 29/10/2018 22:39

Boom boom!

But yes, it's worrying what he would do to get them - and handy, when he's sick.

Original poster
MummyFoxy · 30/10/2018 07:27

Thanks for the advice all. We've just about managed to get it in him this morning mixed in a petit filous loaded with extra syrup. He will be high as a kite but at least the medicine is in him. Not sure how long the tactic will last though so I'm going out to buy emergency Nutella today (for him and me 😉) as he absolutely loves that stuff.

OP posts:
Original poster
MummyFoxy · 30/10/2018 07:29

By the way, I would love to take control and ban screen time etc, but I've got a baby at home with a heavy cold too, so I think I will completely lose the plot if I can't plonk him in front of a bit of Peppa Pig today!

OP posts:
Coldhandscoldheart · 30/10/2018 07:31

Strawberry jam seemed to cover it well for us. Although that was for a six month old.

GreenTulips · 30/10/2018 07:32

Put Nutella on the bottom of the spoon
Press the spoon on his tongue - they have to swallow

Try it on yourself first
It makes the job easier

tissuesosoft · 30/10/2018 07:33

DD has to take a lot of oral medication- we push it towards the back of her cheek and hold her nose, this forces her to swallow.

GreenEggsHamandChips · 30/10/2018 07:47

Medicine syringe in the side of mouth. Keep it there until swallowed. Spoons are just pointless.

But I'm also of the "I'm the parent this is to make you better so stop being silly" school of thought. no tv computers tablets no anything etc until it's done. Im not really a fan of chocolate everytime either. Changing the medicine and chocolate everytime you are teaching a child if they don't fancy that medicine you'll just change it or give chocolate. There may come a time when that isn't possible and the medicine your trying to get them to take is urgent. Or a medicine needs taking so often the it really isnt appropriate giving chocolate. Much better to get them used to yes taking medicine may be unpleasant but the quicker you do it the sooner its over and we can do nice things.

If you end up in any kind of hospital situation with needles and catheters, when medicine is the most pleasent thing to be dealt with, having "this may not be pleasant but let's get it over and done" down pat can be a godsend

CottonSock · 30/10/2018 08:52

Greeneggs, maybe with an older child you can negotiate, but 2 or 3 years old? I think if there is no way I can take it without puking, then it's hardly fair. Especially if there are alternatives. My dd was forced to have antibiotics as a baby (by me) and she would not go near food for months. I think it's a trust thing for my dd.

GreenEggsHamandChips · 30/10/2018 12:45

It's not negotiation. It's the opposite. We are doing this and you can scream strop etc but it's still happening because it will make you better. Taking medicine is not negotiable.

The tissuesosoft trick with the syringe really does work. Makes it simple and easy. It's down so quick you can't puke it. Doctor showed me a variation of the same trick when it was a case of either get the medicine down or risk ending up in hospital very ill indeed. Calm, confident and effective.

And actually it's all about building trust. Your teaching your kid that sometimes you have to just get on with it, even if it doesn't taste good or isn't nice.

Because if heaven forbid you're ever faced with 10+ blood samples that need taking now for example , there's no chocolate or bribery in the world that is going to make that palatable.

It's a whole load easier if you're already learnt how the talk your child through it in a calm confident it will be ok way, and the the kids has learnt they can't negotiate their way out of it if mum says its for their own good. That starts with taking nasty tasting medicine, hopefully for most kids it ends there too.

We're really not talking about kids that cant take medicine here. Because chocolate or changing medicine isnt going to make any difference for them.

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