DS can't swallow his ABs

[Todayissunny]

Ds 13 has been in hospital in IV antibiotics for the past 3 days. They have sent him home with capsules to finish the course. He can not swallow them. We've wasted 2 already.... and foolproof tips please.

Can your gp prescribe liquid instead. What antibiotics is he on.

Put them in a spoon of ice cream.

Really helps pills slip down easily if you're not good at swallowing them.

Crush them and mix them in a bit of his favourite drink?

Don't crush any medication without speaking to a pharmacost/ reading the information leaflet to see if it tells you how to take them. What antibiotic has been prescribed?

No dont crush or dissolve them unless thats recommended in the leaflet. Capsules can be given because they are slow release or less irritating.

Try swallowing them with a fizzy drink. It worked for me at a similar age.

ABs are Climdamycin.
We've tried yoghurt and fizzy drink.
I've now given him ice cream.
They are really bitter (melted in his mouth) so breaking it open and mixing it with food isn't really an option.
They prescribed capsules because they said with the dose he needs he would have to take a large amount of syrup. But if he cant get it down tonight I'm going to have get another prescription tomorrow.

Thank you for all your suggestions .

Could you roll it in peanut butter?

... god idea. Nutella might work.

If he's been given Clindamycin it was likely for a very good reason - it isn't so simple as the GP just giving a different one. And the liquid may be disgusting.

As a non-tablet swallower til late in life - I found that sticking them as far back in my throat as I could and then just going for it and having a gulp of water.

Between his Bottom lip and bottom gum, pop it in there and hold it. Fill his mouth with water, then release the pill and throw his head back to swallow

Liquid clindamycin is foul, if he can stick with the tablets! Get him some tic tacs to practice with and try as people have said putting it in nutella etc. If all else fails phone the ward and explain and get liquid, but make sure he knows its horrible and not an easy option!

Chew up bread or something else doughy, stuff pill into middle of chewed up food while still in his mouth and swallow food.

Hi OP, I’ve never been able to swallow tablets or capsules - any time I have had ABs I tell the GP, they chuckle at me then prescribe a liquid form - yes they taste appalling but it’s not the end of the world, just make sure there’s something he likes (preferably strong flavoured) to eat afterwards.

Thanks for the info. I guessed the liquid would be disgusting.
He had a graze on his back for a long time that didn't heal. Very suddenly (or at least it seemed sudden to me) an infection appeared that had travelled around into the lymphnodes in his groin.

We trained ours up to swallowing pills through hundreds and thousands, silver cake balls, tic tacs.

I've managed to replace the capsules with disgusting liquid (smells of dirty cat litter) which he is taking....but I'm definitely going to train the dcs to swallow tablets for the future.

... and he has to take a bottle a day ... the smell is so foul I can smell it in everything and everywhere now. I have no idea how he is stomaching it.

Try drinking water from a bottle when you swallow a tablet rather than a glass, no idea why it works but it seems to.

Ick. Cherry cola tic-tacs or chocolate are a good chaser.

I struggle to swallow tablets with liquid. I've found if I take them when I'm eating if I pop a pill in my mouth when I have chewed up food in then the tablet goes down with that.