Any suggestions/ideas on how to get medicine into my 2 year old ?

[Starryeyed2021]

Hello! Getting my 2 year to take medicine is the most horrific thing I have had to do! He ends up throwing up screaming etc etc nothing works!
to the point we end up in hospital on IV each time as nothing works! I’m trying to be prepared for the next time he’s sick - can anyone suggest any innovative ideas for how to get antibiotics/ Calpol/ nurofen into him?
it can be liquid or tablet form; I’ve managed to get some into his milk bottle but he doesn’t always finish the milk.

This might sound terrible but it worked for mine. Spoon with medicine and cake sprinkles on top of the medicine.

Calpol syringe. Hold child tight on your lap with arm across his body pinning both arms down. Add distraction of tv etc. squirt calpol into one cheek and hold his mouth shut for a moment til he swallows. Then give a drink and mountains of praise. It feels cruel but once he realises the calpol is ok it gets much easier.

If it's flucloxacillin you need to ask for a different antibiotic, it's the devil's juice and absolutely rank. For other medicines wrap in a towel like a baby burrito, Calpol syringe into their mouth a little at a time and sing to yourself/them until it's done to drown out the horror.

Paracetamol comes in suppository form. If they won't take it orally, then its an option, also handy if they are vomiting.

If anything in tablet form- crush between 2 spoons and mix with jam, honey etc

When mine were little and had to take antibiotics, I mixed it in with a little bit of yoghurt and then they ate it, they never knew they were having the medicine

I agree a syringe is best. Hold down, syringe in and clamp mouth shut and hold head up.

Yes it’s a bit like worming a horse.

Former 2 yr old tried everything. - The only thing that worked for me was cake sprinkles, and a video from an older cousin saying she’d sent the sprinkles specially.

my current 2yo calls it “pudding” and takes it willingly

Spoonful of flavoured yoghurt/ fromage frais with a tiny bit of medicine squirted on; repeat until medicine all consumed.

In any food he’s sure to eat, yoghurt worked for mine, or try ice cream, chocolate pudding etc

I agree with the holding them and forcing it in I'm afraid.

My son was a nightmare last year when he needed antibiotics. We tried 3 different types of antibiotics, tried hiding it in food, explaining why he needed it, reward charts etc. After he wasn't getting better we knew we absolutely had to get it in or he'd end up really poorly. I restrained him (on my knee, one arm around his body and arms, the other arm holding his head) and my husband used a syringe to squirt it into his cheek (rather than onto his tongue) and then blew in his face to make him swallow it. It was absolutely awful but necessary and he got better so was worth it. We did a reward chart along side it counting down the doses and got him a big present at the end of it so he only remembers the good bit now thankfully!

I always put it in petit filou.

It's really bad the hospital and your gp haven't given suggestions as standard for this op. My kids always got all medication in liquid form without me asking. Have you tried putting it in just 50mls/100mls of milk or juice? Or what about mixing it into a spoon of yoghurt. I hope you manage to get something that works it's always a worrying and stressful time when little ones are unwell.

Omg we had the same thing, totally understandable that stress! Now we just use paracetamol or ibuprofen suppositories (in the bottom). Hard to buy in UK (ibuprofen you can buy in some pharmacies but paracetamol less/not), but we buy them from Germany. I imagine many people in UK would find that really weird, but its pretty standard in Europe. Maybe you can order some online?

I gave a dose of antibiotics in a piece of ginger sponge cake earlier this year. The sponge really soaked it up. 19 month old none the wiser.

My son has just been on this, for the first time. When he sort of cougher and spluttered half the first dose out I was a bit annoyed at the ridiculousness, he's 7 not 3.. and then I licked some off my finger and oh my God that is horrendous, I don't think I've ever apologised to him so profusely! Looking at it he was probably expecting it to taste like calpol, and then he got that. Bribed him with junk food for the rest of the course, not even ashamed of it.

I have to syringe meds into a chocolate brownie for dd. She's autistic and has never willingly taken meds of any type. She knows it's in the chocolate brownie but her love for brownies outweighs her hatred of meds and her PDA

With mine she loved yogurt. I would spoon her a couple of yogurtful spoons then a spoon of antibiotic then back to yogurt, rinse and repeat!

Now luckily she takes the calpol!

A spoon of Nutella after the medicine