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Original poster

Tamiflu for kids-what to disolve it into?

21 replies

iMum · 30/07/2009 07:52

So ds1 has just been given Tamiflu-he is 7 and cant swallow the caplets. Ive tried mixing the powder into yogurt but the taste makes him retch and he is beginning to refuse to take it. Has anyone found a better way?

OP posts:

Elibean · 30/07/2009 08:40

Not had the experience yet, but have read chocolate is good - chocolate sauce, or Nutella? If he likes chocolate, that is. The other tip I've stored away for future use is to get a spoonful of jam, make a dip in it, pour powder in but not mix, make a 'lid' with another bit of jam and get him to swallow the spoonful whole.

Or you could try honey, if he prefers it to choc or jam. Its very bitter, apparently, so the sweeter the disguising flavour the better.

Good luck, and I hope he's better soon!

Original poster

iMum · 30/07/2009 09:12

He is not a chocolate person-but jam sounds good! shall try that with the next dose and report back-he seems a lot better than yesterday so thats good, just hope the rest of us dont get it!

OP posts:

seeker · 30/07/2009 09:15

Does he have underlying health problems? If not, had you considered not giving it to him?

yummymummy310 · 30/07/2009 09:21

We tried all sorts and wasted a couple of tablets. Only thing my eldest would take at first was chocolate sauce, 5ml of sauce mixed with the tamiflu shot in a syringe not near taste buds on toungue, we shot it in to cheek or back of throat, it is foul though and made her wretch so have a drink near by.

After around 4 doses though she just refused point blank to take it all, she got quite aggressive and aggitated as a side effect of the amount of ventalin inhaler she was on you see.

I despaired for a day and then decided to try hiding it in her food and was amazed it worked. We found icecream to be best disguise as is cold and tends to slip down the throat they don't really chew it, we covered the icecream in chocolate sauce too, we used one that was chocolate and mint ice cream mixed together as the strong taste seemed to hide the tamiflu and she likes mint. We hid the tamiflu in a tea spoon full of icecream and hid it in the rest of the bowl.

My youngest took it in a syringe for the whole course in chocolate source on the promise of a few sweets. We didn't want to risk hiding her dose in her food in case she rumbled us and gave the game away to eldest who suffered much worse with the swine flu.

Hope that helps and he's well again soon, my 2 were over it in less than a week even though my eldest had a bad time with her breathing

southeastastra · 30/07/2009 09:32

why would you not give it seeker? ds i half way through his, seems to have made a difference, was so worried about him on monday.

he gulps the tablets back then immediately has a chocolate biscuit.

HolidaysQueen · 30/07/2009 09:38

Click on the second link on this google search (i can't link direct for some reason) for NHS guidance on what to mix it with. Recommends Ribena.

seeker · 30/07/2009 09:54

I suppose because I don't like giving medicine unless it's actually vitally necessary, and this is just flu - surely it's better if they develop their immunities? And the more people who would recover naturally take tamiflu isn't there more likelihood of the virus mutating to become immune to it?

yummymummy310 · 30/07/2009 10:04

seeker have you had children with SF? With my little girls it wasn't 'just flu' and with me it wasn't either. Although think we were very unlucky wouldn't presume that because most people don't suffer bad symptoms it's the same for everyone it's a horrid nasty virus at times.

Does he like icecream? Could try another flavour with strawberry sauce x

magicwashingpot · 30/07/2009 10:07

We have treid the jam thing, and he was sick almost immediatley after. I think the ice cream/chocolate sauce route may be the next one to try. The pharmacist refused us the syrup for - said there was none left and anyway t could only be given to under 1's .

ilovemydogandmrobama · 30/07/2009 10:10

Calpol. break capsule and put a tiny amount of calpol and mix. Then put it a little more Calpol to disguise taste.

seeker · 30/07/2009 10:11

I'm not presuming that it's not a horrid virus - my dd had non-swine flu last year and was very poorly with it. But she recovered with paracetamol and rest. I just don't quite understand why we're giving them a newish medication with this flu when we haven't for any other seasonal flu we've had. But this is the wrong thread for my musings - sorry. I just wanted to raise the point that if getting the stuff into a child is stressful and difficult, you don't actually have to give it to them - they'll get better anyway - it just might take a day longer.

SecretSlattern · 30/07/2009 10:11

DS is 13mo and we were told to mix it in with either juice or yogurt. DS now eyes his drinks suspiciously so I'm guessing he could taste the tamiflu in there, but mixed up in a yogurt, we have no problems.

dikkertjedap · 30/07/2009 10:17

Hi, on American websites they recommended 'Humco Cherry syrup', so I suppose any sweet fruit syrup might work. I tasted it and it really is extremely bitter (never tasted something so disgusting in my life). Maybe you can even hide it in fruit ice cream but maybe add extra sugar or syrup to make it sweeter.

seeker - I think that one of the issues is that tamiflu needs to be given within 48 hours (and even within this period the sooner the better to contain the spread of the virus in the body as quickly as possible, because less virus = less ill). So there is only a small window of opportunity. Also, even if you take tamiflu you still develop immunity - at least that is what we have been told by the GP.

With my daughter lots of chocolate syrup (e.g. 3 ml oral suspension in 30 ml petit filous size pot with chocolate syrup) and giving sips of water in between with a bread stick and a present directly afterwards, kind of worked (she (3 yo) had to take one dose for 10 days as a prevention, but it was still difficult.

I think the ice cream sounds like a very good idea, but probably needs to be sweetened extra given how bitter the stuff is.

Good luck - hope she gets better soon.

yummymummy310 · 30/07/2009 10:38

I know what you mean about tamiflu in a way Seeker but it is supposed to reduce risk of pneumonia and serious illness as well. If you got shingles would you take antivirals to stop blisters and symptoms?

My eldest suffered terrible breathing problems with SF and had what was like an accute asthma attack in the middle of the night less than 24 hours after any symptoms at all, for that reason I'm glad I gave her something that would stop the virus reproducing. She was also treated with steroids and an inhaler and has made a full recovery, she didn't have and has not got asthma was just SF that caused it. Having said that she was unlucky to suffer badly I think.

Good luck with the icecream / jam or what ever iMUM, hope he's better soon x

Elibean · 30/07/2009 11:15

Agree that the problem with deciding to Tamiflu or not is the small window of opportunity - both my dds are in high risk groups (though not hugely so, if that makes any sense) and I wouldn't want to risk breathing difficulties and/or pneumonia. OTOH, if I could wait and see how it panned out, I would.

I'm not in the situation yet (surrounded, though!) so will have to wait and see - but have seen first hand how much difference it can make to take it, if its taken straight away.

Am also storing chocolatey, jammy, icecreamy tips up....

devotion · 30/07/2009 13:38

I've been told that tamiflu does not interfere with immunity.

devotion · 30/07/2009 13:41

i gave my dd hers in her weetabix today, i added sugar which i dont normally do.

put some weetbix on spoon, then powder then more weetbix. she still tasted it and got cross but it has to be done.

last night i gave it her mixed with teaspoon of yogurt - she still tasted it.

will try the ribena.

JennyWren · 30/07/2009 14:24

My DD is having hers sprinkled on a spoonful of maple syrup - costing us a fortune in good maple syrup - but it is working. Yoghurt and jam were total disasters, as was a 'chocolate button sandwich'... The Tamiflu is incredibly bitter but maple syrup is sweet enough to hide it.

Original poster

iMum · 30/07/2009 19:55

Tried the nutella and it was a disaster, he spat it out everywhere and he is point blank refusing to take it and is being quite irrational and aggressive about it.
What do i do now!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

iMum · 30/07/2009 20:27

Success to be had.

Disolved about 4 teaspoons of icing sugar into about 5ml of water, added a drop of vanilla extract and the tamiflu-syringe right to the back of the throat-he said he couldnt taste it but did get into a right old state as I had to hold his nose to get him to open his mouth

OP posts:

yummymummy310 · 30/07/2009 20:35

yeah that's what my eldest went like really mad about it all, that's the time to never mention it again and hide it. I know it tastes so horrid that you would think they would realise and although she didn't realise a couple of the things I tried hiding it in she said tasted funny and left much to my panic. But she never once even pulled a face with a bowl of icecream covered in sauce. It's also important they can't see it. What about a pancake and mix it with some golden syrup that's very sweet? I know your boys 7 though so he may be a bit more savy than my 4 year old - have you tried old fashioned bribary?x

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