Getting medicine into a two year old

[singingtree]

My DS has been prescribed antibiotic medicine for an ear infection - but he won't take it. He's fine with calpol but seems to really dislike the taste of this. I've tried disguising it in apple juice, orange juice and ribena, have tried to syringe it in (he just spits it out) and in desperation, even put some into chocolate mousse. Is there anything else I can try, or do we need to go back to the syringe, which was distressing for both of us

If putting it in mild/petit filou and/or bribery (chocolate button??) don't help, I would ask the GP for a different one. There are some that taste vile, and others that both my dd's beg for

Sorry, no non-distressing tips. None of my 3 would take medicine of any sort. Dd reluctantly accepted medicine on a spoon when she was about 4. Last week ds2 (12mo) was on antibiotics, soluble steroids and paracetamol, 3 times a day - I am the syringe-meister.

Syringe it a bit at a time into the back of his cheek, then hold his mouth shut and tickle him under the chin (this makes them swallow).

thanks - both useful tips

Jam is a pretty good alternative if it's fruity medicine and therefore easily detected in chocolate mousse. Or honey works well, too, in this house.

thanks, I tried honey, but hadn't thought of jam, he's keen on jam

is it amoxicillin?

SOme people have success with banana custard.

DD is wise to this, and have to resort to DP holding her arms and I jam it down throat with syringe

Not nice; not pleasant, but ends justifies the means.

yes, it is amoxicillin - I thought it was pretty sweet but there's something in the taste that he seems to be able to detect a mile off. DS has never had banana custard, I'd forgotten about it - will make him some medicine or not, he'll love it.

just tried to get some down him with a syringe earlier, but it's really hard on your own and most if not all came out. He's been saying his ear hurts and asking me to kiss it

Will take him back to the doctor to see if there is an alternative tomorrow

Bribery with choc coins is the only thing that's worked here. Amoxycillin is banana flavoured for children, and dd doesn't like bananas, so that isn't very helpful!

I've had to do it on my own. It's really brutal, but you grip their arms and wait until they open their mouth and shoot it down throat and then very quickly close their mouth. Best if they are lying down as when you close mouth, it isn't against gravity.

Hopefully someone else will have some better ideas....