Impossible to get Antibiotics into toddler - help please

[TwittleBee]

My DS is 18 months and has what the Nurse thinks is tonsillitis, she prescribed him penicillin (5ml 4x daily).

For the past 2 days I just cant get him to swallow much, if any!

We tried giving it to him on a spoon, in a syringe, putting into milk, putting into orange juice. This morning we battled him to get the syringe in his mouth whilst he was constantly trying to spit it back out through crying, it was horrid.

He is so ill atm that he hasn’t really eaten anything for past 3 days (yesterday I managed to persuade him to eat an ice lolly and that was it) and so far today he sucked on a rice cracker before giving up. Fluids are just as bad too, he will only drink milk or orange juice (not something he usually has but desperate to get him to have some fluid!) but even then he will drink maybe 2oz at a time most. Yesterday he wore the same nappy all day as he didn’t actually wee until the evening!

He has a temp of 38.2 (we have been trying to get Calpol in him but he reacts same bloomin way as he does with the penicillin!)

He is just so bloomin ill, wont do anything but have cuddles with his blankie all day really. He only perks up a bit if we manage to get some Calpol in him. He also has a rash all over too and his glands are very swollen.

Thinking about taking him to the Walk in Centre after work (MIL is currently looking after him) but I am worried they will tell me they have given me antibiotics and it is my job to continue trying to get that into him!

So any ideas or tips how to please?

So pleased he is better. I was coming on to say he probably doesn’t need antibiotics but keep the fluids up. But seems you got that advice anyway!

When the NHS website itself says that all cases of viral and most casss of bacterial tonsillitis get better without medication, I don’t know why they keep being prescribed. They should only ever really be prescribed following a swab and if the patient is very poorly, as I understand it.

That was my understand too Coper but I suppose when we did take him in the 1st time he was very poorly so maybe they thought it would help? Even though most tonsilitis is viral? Just relieved he's clearly getting better now!

Yes such a relief. We had similar with my little girl. She was really poorly but her poor tummy just does not tolerate antibiotics. I researched it and made the call to stop the course. My gut told me this was the way to go despite DH and MIL reservations. I watched her closely but after a few stressful days, she bounced back! It’s so lovely to get them back to their noisy selves!

I do miss his snuggles though! Loved how much he just wanted to snuggle up whilst he was ill 🙈

Excellent. Good to hear he is on the mend.