Child with whitlow- won't take antibiotics?

[BarbaMamma]

My son has an infected finger and has refused two different kinds of antibiotics as he just can't bring himself to swallow it for love nor money. Should we try to get the doc to prescribe yet another kind, or should we just wait and see if his finger improves? It's not looking too bad, but I just don't know much about this condition so if anyone has any experience of this or medical advice (including of child friendly antibiotics) I'd really appreciate it.

Ask for liquid antibiotics (usually yellow stuff)

how old is he?

He is five - and we've had two sets of liquid antibiotics, both of which tasted really disgusting.

They all taste disgusting. Even medics at A & E were unsuccessful at getting antiobiotics into my DD (age 2). Am sure you have tried mixing it with something. I found Nutella worked well for a couple of days (with plenty of teeth brushing). My DD has had 5 lots of antiobiotics since Jan and the easiest was something called Zithromax which was only 3 ml per day and only for 3 days. Much more bearable. I would speak to your GP.

Will your doctor give you suppositories?

Antibiotics can be vile (6 weeks of flucloxaccylin nearly killed me, never mind DD), but jam is a good thing to mix some of them into and some kids are made up about being given a spoon of jam to eat.

Thanks. We've tried mixing it with orange squash, bribing with treats, washing it down with water, squirting it in with a 'syringe'-type thingy - nothing works.

Will speak to GP again tomorrow - but meanwhile, does anyone know if whitlows can disappear on their own?

Hmm - hadn't thought of jam... But I don't think he'll fall for it. That flucloxaccylin stuff is hard to disguise - MAN it's revolting.

freezing it in ice cubes or as an ice lolly

Is he on fluclox? I think it is the worst, but the nurses at the hospital told me that there are more terrible ones! Jam may not do the trick then tbh. Nothing disguises it IME.

I've had a couple of whitlows and always just stuck a needle in to get the pus out, coated the finger in sudacrem (you could use antibiotic cream) and it went away. I wonder if antibiotic cream might help in this case, perhaps the GP can suggest an alternative, or a different antibiotic.

Mix it with a fromage frais and freeze the goo into ice lollies

DS was prescribed floxocillen for an infected thumb, nothing would disguise the taste, it is horrible. I just had weeks course of the tablets myself and they left me with horrible heartburn. I took DS back to the doctor and he was given amoxycillan

If it is a whitlow, get magnesium sulphate paste from the chemist. It is excellent at drawing out any pus

Dd has had various disgusting tasting meds from the age of 2, she is now 5.

I didn't try to disguise them but told her she had a special packet of chocolate buttons and she could have two after swallowing her spoonfull (or two) of medicine. We had it out of the packet and ready for her as soon as she swallowed her mouthful.

There was also a particular dvd that she was desperate to have and she was also told that once she had taken the full course of meds without spilling it or spitting it out, she would be able to have it.

Sometimes that just have to have nasty things.

That said, I don't know anything about the finger problem and whether it requires abs but imagine the gp would not have prescribed two lots if it was not necessary.

Thanks everyone - particularly to the genius who suggested Nutella. I mixed the medicine in with it and he ate it with gusto. Phew!

It's a long time since I have been called a genius ... actually, I have never been called a genius. Glad the Nutella worked!

Thanks for the Nutella tip!

If it's pointing take to A&E; it might be better if you can get it lanced. Anaesthetic cream, do it there & then.