administering medicine

[Ellaroo]

My 11 month old dd is having to take medicine quite regularly at the moment. She point-blank refuses to open her mouth for it and so dh has taken to pinching her nose lightly to force her to open her mouth for it. When I saw what he was doing I said I didn't feel comfortable with him doing that and didn't think it was a good idea as it seems a bit of a mean trick even if the medicine will make her feel better in the long run. However, I don't seem to be able to come up with an effective alternative for how to get her to take it and dh is now upset that he may have been doing something that I suggested could be psychologically damaging!!! What are your thoughts on this - am I being over-cautious? Do any of you do this?

[codswallop]

Ok have sussed it

put 5ml in 2 formage frais mixed up wiht the juice from some blackcurrant jam

Mummy one point baby none!

[codswallop]

ds2 was ok

[codswallop]

I know

sorry I am going to go mad soon

I lose all sympathy with his tears as it gets on my nerves

[dinosaur]

I'm sure, but needs must and all that...

[codswallop]

it is ssooooooooooooooooooooooo annoyingf

[codswallop]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
dome that he hates it

[dinosaur]

medicine syringe?

[codswallop]

also at this rate will finish the course by tomorrow

[codswallop]

YOU WOULD THINK ON DS3 i WOULD KNOW WHAT i AM DOING BUT I DONT

i have bloody medicine everywhere

WHY Do they make it acid yellow?
he hates it

have tried althe usual tricks, hates calpol hates nurofen hates me and ia m rather un keen on him at the mo

[bobthebaby]

I'm not a pharmacist but a little simple logic will sort this one out. Going in is an antibiotic - it kills bacteria (bad ones and good ones). The Yoghurt contains bacteria (good ones only). Worst case scenario is that the antibiotic kills some of the yoghurt bacteria. Its a numbers game really to put more of the good guys in than the antibiotic can kill. I would use probiotic capsules, which you would need to mix with food. That way you know the dose they are getting.

[Dickers]

My DS has just been prescribed another course of amoxcyllin (sp?) In the past we have mixed it in with a yogurt and he wolfs it down. A doctor recently suggested this may reduce the effect of the antibiotic. Any pharamasists (sp?) out there to give advice?

Thanks

[Dickers]

My DS has just been prescribed another course of amoxcyllin (sp?) In the past we have mixed it in with a yogurt and he wolfs it down. A doctor recently suggested this may reduce the effect of the antibiotic. Any pharamasists (sp?) out there to give advice?

Thanks

[iota]

Well, we seemed to have turned the corner last night, and managed to get a full dose down him - syringe-full mixed with orange syrup (vitamins).

DH has found a solution to the blow-back - he sticks his finger in ds2's mouth until the medicine has been swallowed. This is a risky strategy however as DS2 has 12 teeth and strong jaws - ouch

The septic hand (ds2 not dh) is now healing nicely

[Tickles]

The whole medicine thing is a real pain - my little one hates it also. My ds does not get sweets but we give chocolate on occassion when meds are being given. We tried the syringe and also the spoon, during and after meals and ended up finding that honesty worked. If we tried to trick him into having the meds it never worked and we abused his trust. We tried to give meds after meals and all that happened we he refused to eat his meals as well. We decided then to give meds 30 minutes after meals and in a different room - we also gave him advanced warning they were coming. I don't know if he understood as he does not say much, but it made me feel better. He is now just turned 2 and when we show him the meds and the chocolate he will go and sit in his seat and wait for them. This has been an uphill struggle and many tears shed by all. Keep perservering, it will come good.

[iota]

Help - I'm having a real problem with DS2 - a wilful 20 months. He is supposed to be taking a 10 day couse of antibiotics, but is spitting it out. (big-time, blowing rasberry effect, so holding his mouth shut doesn't work)
I've tried a spoon - only worked once, and a syringe. I've tried mixing it with vitamin syrup - which he loves, I've tried multiple small doses and large ones.
He will happily take Calpol, Medised and vitamins, but seems to hate the taste of this antibiotic. I've already used half the bottle, trying to get enough down him. He's too young to reason with, but old enough to put up massive resistance.
Any ideas?

[Ellaroo]

Thank you so much for all your advice. The syringe is amazing and has made medicating a positively joyful experience after the last week or so of battling with a sticky spoon and a closed-mouthed screaming baby. Mumsnet is just amazing - I have never failed to find good advice here! Thank you all!!!!

[wmf]

I find the syringes supplied by chemists to be rather un-child-friendly: they're just like ordinary syringes so the shape seems a little uncomfortable for the baby to have in its mouth and the plunger is difficult to press gently. I got a very good syringe from Perfectly Happy People which has a rounded end to put in the baby's mouth and a bulb to squeeze for filling and dispensing. DS almost always rebelled at the conventional syringe, but has never made a fuss with the PHP one - in fact, if he's sleepy enough or likes the taste, he'll actually suck the medicine out of the syringe.

[Azzie]

Ds was always a nightmare to get medicine down. He had an op at 2yrs 5 mths and the hospital gave us some Nurofen for him - I remember thinking that even if he was in pain we had a fat chance of getting any of it down him (luckily he didn't seem to need it). I wish someone had suggested a syringe to us. Dd on the other hand has never been any trouble - from just a few months old she would take spoonfuls of medicine with no trouble (would still take medicine all day every day if we let her). Funny thing is that as soon as he saw his baby sis taking medicine ds changed his tune completely and from then on took it like a lamb.

SofiaAmes - love the idea of your poor deprived ds thinking of sweet medicine as a treat .

[dejags]

I am with the syringe, however, if all else fails you can get a medicine dummy from blooming marvellous. Basically you fill up the teat of the dummy with medicine and as baby sucks away on the dummy the medicine goes in. Not very useful if your baby doesn't take a dummy though....

[aloha]

Tee hee Ellaroo - I know what you mean. Actually the yellow antibiotic isn't too bad!

[leander]

Just another supporter o f the syringe.

[lou33]

The chemist should supply a syringe with the medicine at that age, so try asking for one instead of a spoon next time, or ask the gp to specify a syringe for the medicine if you need a repeat prescription.

[threeangels]

Ellaroo, We use syringes too. I have found their the only thing that worked when my kids were smaller.

[sylvev]

We used syringes too, it does work. Try squirting into the inside of the cheek, I read somewhere that this stimulates a swallow reflex.