3 yo refusing penicillin - help!

[MummyFoxy]

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??!

Don't go down the nutella route,

Your child needs to sleep and rest when they are ill and on antibiotics. If you sat and ate 3 teaspoons of sugar (about right for a tablespoon or heaped teaspoon of nutella) how easy do you think it will be to rest?

How easy do you think it will he to rest yourself if your child is ill, bad tempered and unable to rest.

You solve one problem only to cause another.

It's then an even bigger problem if you end up on permanent medication and you've taught your kids that if the medicine is unpleasant they can have it with nutella...

I didn't want to start a debate, just some plain and simple advice (I'm too tired to bother...).

As it happens, mixing the medicine in paw patrol yoghurts has worked. I'm not pulling the wool over his eyes, he knows the medicine is in there, it's just a bit more palatable. And he's getting the treatment he needs, which is the main thing 😊

Thank you to everyone for your tips.

@MummyFoxy it wouldn't be mumsnet if there wasnt debate

It's all advice really, even if it's conflicting.

I'd like to add to this debate!

I started off taking the no BS approach, this medicine is going in you so let's crack on with it. For my child, it didn't work. Physically holding and restraining him will I shoved a med syringe in his mouth did not work. Trust was gone, but I could live with that.

DS immediately threw up the medicine, was screaming and crying. His temp was higher because he was so upset. He cried for a good 2 hours. This was anti biotics for an infected spot/cyst on his back. Being sick wasn't deliberate, just his bodies reaction due to the anxiety and stress of the whole thing.

The spot has been infected 4 times now, last time swelling to the size of a golf ball. He tried his best to take calpol at the hospital while they put a line in his hand for surgery. I warned them not to try, if any goes in his mouth but he spits it or throws it up, they cannot then give him any more through a drip. Dr knows best but she ended up wearing the calpol. But my DS was still in pain and needed something.

His refusal is extreme and most definitely not deliberate. Whilst most kids will do as they're told when it comes to the crunch, a large proportion still struggle with this kind of issue. And a parenting forum is a place for advice when struggling.

Every parent knows their child best and how they respond to different approaches. It's great that we have such a diverse community of parents here, that we can give OP the benefit of our experiences. I think it crosses a line when we start to tell other parents what they should be doing, rather than what they could try.

I'm wary the OP has asked for this not to be a debate.

So I'll limit to suggestions all of which I've actually done. If anxiety is a problem, I'd be working on the situation ahead of any medical intervention being needed so we can try and bring down the anxiety. So much role play (Doctors coat and stethoscope for favourite comfort toy), visit to science museum how the body works exhibitions, social stories and makaton, . There's some old cartoons that are fab (once upon a time life).

I'll add I remember a paramedic who was doing an experience in a day unit as part of his advanced training. It was a real high anxiety situation for us, the doctor had booked the ward out and gas and air because DS' response was unpredictable because they'd failed on the previous occasion with much pain and trauma all round. I'd done a load of prep and I was holding him in a comfort hold that could have turned into a restraint if needed. I much longed for toy was in eyesight. I was covering every bloody base mentioned above.

None of that counted for pants.

The paramedic just talked. Calm regular , yes it's going to hurt but look at me and keep going it will be over soon. Played with the comfort toy and DS stayed completely calm and matter of fact. Didn't even need the bass and air

He was all "well I do this day in day out" but I learnt something that day and it hadnt let me down since.

I'm glad he is taking it op. Certainly best to find a pleasant way for all.

Can you tell I actually feel quite strongly about this :) my views are based on our horrific experience and lack of trust from having to force down antibiotics. Leading to food aversion etc.

My dh is a Dr, so we certainly won't be taking health risks. But my dd is in the unfortunate position of having to take frequently for chronic ear infections. Also ENT are trying a fairly experimental treatment of low dose and long term antibiotics as a preventative. Looks like she needs grommets this winter. I may start a ear infection support thread! Anyway, one last point on the ears. If it's an external infection i.e. you can see narrow ear opening and discharge, then drops are very effective. Gets right to the source and also helps prevent resistance to antibiotics which unfortunately we have experienced often. Luckily her hearing not affected yet.. anyway , hope your kid just has a one off infection. Anyone else with chronic esr issues out there, give me a shout and may be we can set up a thread?

Oh my goodness @CottonSock your poor dd. Chronic ear infections really must be awful for her, and you. I had a particularly horrific case of otitis externa about 15 years ago (involved a trip to hospital on Xmas day and me passing out in a&e from the pain) so I have complete sympathy with anyone with ear troubles, and especially children 😢

My DS has gone through 4 eye ops in the last few years involving GA each time and he coped perfectly fine with that. But not this penicillin. Children are all different at the end of the day and what is perfectly fine for one child will be the most horrific thing ever for another. I guess it keeps us on our toes...!

Buy a can of soft drink and a straw. Pour most of the soft drink out but mix a bit of it with the medicine. He won’t leave a drop.

Could you try him with tablets? I'm a paediatric nurse and that's what we try. Some children that young will take them. Or if you can get capsules empty them on some yogurt. We have awful trouble getting it down kids because it tastes vile. The lemon flavour is slightly less vile.

My mother used to tell me that if I didn't swallow it, I'd have to get it by injection. Things were different in the 80s.

Thanks mummyfoxy, I need to get myself brave for the prospect of the GA. She still seems so little. I had ear infections as a kid, but not this kind. She normally gets a lot of relief when ear drum bursts and drains.
As a kid I always felt better after a dose of the magic meds. You should get a better night tonight!