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Original poster

getting child to take horrible medicine

25 replies

jamhead · 13/10/2006 20:44

Have to give DD (2 1/2) some pretty grim medicine 3 times a day and being very unsuccessful. It's really bitter and nothing seems to mask the taste. Any ideas?

OP posts:

NastyNemo666 · 13/10/2006 20:47

bribery..thats what I am having to do with DS at the min who is on antibiotics 3 times a day. Basically reward him with something he likes such as a jaffa cake. Even then he is still crying and we have to semi pin him down..you have my sympathies.

TheUnholyTrinity · 13/10/2006 20:49

I'm afraid pinning down, using a syringe and rewarding and cuddling TONS afterwards is about all you can do

gigwig · 13/10/2006 20:56

We always use a syringe and have to hold DS really firmly to do so, then a drink and snack.

franca70 · 13/10/2006 20:58

def bribery... can you put drops of the medicine on a sugar cube?

EmmyLou · 13/10/2006 21:29

We used to put a chocolate button on top of the medicine on the spoon, and one in dd1's mouth. The idea was she would take the medicine and not want to spit it out because of reluctance to spit out chocolate.

Worked - sort of, in a messy kind of way.

WickedestWitchUpsadaisy · 13/10/2006 21:32

Mix it in with a drink she likes. What medicine is it?

EliBoo · 13/10/2006 21:44

Bribery. I promise a chocolate button or similar straight afterwards - but one in the spoon with the medicine too sounds good. Good luck!

Californifright · 13/10/2006 21:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

7up · 13/10/2006 21:48

hold them down, squirt it in, then distract them and lots of praise.my ds is on yukky meds 4x a day and thats the only way i can get it in him.

he doesnt hate mefor it and my mum say he wontremember it

nearlythree · 13/10/2006 21:49

You might be able to mix with fromage frais, check with the pharmacy as some antibiotics are affected by dairy. O/wise syringe in the side of the mouth and have chocolate to hand, plus a good video!

BudaBeast · 14/10/2006 00:25

I get DS to take fish oils (which he doesn't like) by having a spoonful of something he DOES like ready straight away. So medicine goes down and something nice goes STRAIGHT into mouth to get rid of taste. Even if something I normally wouldn't give - I don't care!

Of course - this works with fish oils which are not totally necessary. Anything more inmportant woudl be guarntenteed to be spat out!

Good luck!

Original poster

jamhead · 14/10/2006 16:46

thanks everyone for advice. i tried the 'get it down quick and have a chocolate button' ploy and so far it's working. hope i don't have to get into bigger and bigger bits of choc! but by then the prob should be over anyway, fingers crossed. thanks again.

OP posts:

NannyL · 14/10/2006 17:23

is it flucloxacillin?

My 3 year old was prescribed that on friday..... ewwwwwits SOOOOO gross....

ironically i tell him its yummy and he just takes it no problem...

i nearly died when he just took it, but guess im lucky causehe does eat ANYthing! (even made some little cakes to act as the bribe! but didnt need to use them!(

MadamePlatypus · 14/10/2006 20:55

We had this problem, but for a different reason - we got some antibiotics from the chemist that weren't 'sugar free' and DS hated them because they were gloopy. Anyway, by chance we had some Green and Black's little chocolates in the house and we managed to persuade DS to take the medecine by bribing him with a chocolate. Felt a bit guilty, but organic chocolate is good for you, isn't it .

nearlythree · 14/10/2006 22:09

Am deeply embarassed because my baby ds wolfed down his abs for bronchiolitis. Obviously proves that ffed babies like junk!

bubbaOOOOOOO · 14/10/2006 22:32

My ds(16 mths) is on Amoxicillin at the mo and it's bright yellow and absolutely vile.He refuses to swallow it and because of this his infection has returned.Was told today to give it to him in the syringe,BUT pinch his nose at the same time,and he will swallow it.I've done this 3 times today and it's worked everytime.Apparently if you pinch the nose,they have to swallow it.Might sound strange but it definately works,so give it a go.hth.x

SquillosMum · 15/10/2006 11:38

My DS (21months) has to have about 10 doses of different medicines every day as he had a liver transplant earlier this year. He doesn't mind the watery ones, it's the gloopy ones he hates. The best way we have found so far is to distract him while he's having them by putting on a favourite video and also having a nice drink of milk ready fo rwhen he's had them. He'll be on medicines for the rest of his life and I guess at each age there will be hard times to get him to take them - I'll remember the chocolate buttons trick for later on when the videos stop working!

indiemummy · 15/10/2006 13:35

My 3 year old is also on flucoxacillin (sp?!) antibiotics 4 times a day for 7 days. It is truly vile! For the first time ever I made a reward chart. You know those boxes of round stickers that come on the front of certain toddlers' magazines? We had some knocking about and I let him stick one in the box each time he has the medicine. Now we have it down to a fine art, we have to have something nice (sometimes chocolate buttons, sometimes a cereal bar, sometimes a banana) to "take the taste away". I show him I have it ready and pop it into his mouth as soon as the medicine's gone in. Can't blame him for hating it because it's so horrible but he is so good now. Have promised him a special treat when he has put a sticker in each one of the boxes, i.e. when the course is over. The least he deserves! So yes in other words bribery and buttons! Xx

puppydavies · 15/10/2006 14:00

after much distress, various failed bribes, threats and appeals to her better nature my 3 year old asked if she could do the syringe herself. she felt better having some control and eventually took it with no fuss at all.

whiffy · 15/10/2006 20:59

With my toddler I syringe medicine in whilst he is eating an ice lolly and he seems to be ok with this (so long as scooby doo is also on tv as further distraction)

Orinoco · 15/10/2006 21:16

Message withdrawn

micra · 15/10/2006 22:21

Yes, pin them down and syringe it in - only thing I have to add to what's already been said is someone once told me to squirt it into the back of their cheeks, rather than on the tongue, down the throat. can't spit it out too easily then, but not as easy to cough and splutter if it's in their cheek.

If you're sure child is thirsty, or eg craving a nice comforting bottle of milk, just mix it up with a good quantity of milk. Bit of a bugger if they don't drink it all though as don't know how much they've had, etc etc.

Also, what about those dummy things that actually dispense medicine? Kids that like their dummies might like them with diluted with juice/anything.

FredArthur · 16/10/2006 08:26

Added tip on the syringe thing that dh came up with for our younger one who always needs antibiotics for infections - dip the syringe in honey - it counteracts the bitterness and they like sucking it, so suck in the medication.

Also, next time ask the doctor to prescribe medication with sugar in the suspension - there are a number of antibiotics and other medicines that come this way, but doctors seem to assume you don't want to pollute sick child with something they actually like the taste of.

shelley85 · 16/10/2006 15:24

i drizzled dds medicine over her ice cream and told her it was syrup, needless to say it went down without a fuss

ProfYaffle · 16/10/2006 15:55

DD had to take something for pneumonia (can't remember the name) and it was really gritty, very bitter and wouldn't mix with anything. We had to wrap her in a blanket, pin her down, use a syringe and then I wiped her tongue with a damp muslin to get the bits off, then chocolate and loads of cuddles.

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