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Original poster

Wise Mums, I Need HELP!

34 replies

expatinscotland · 05/01/2006 18:49

DD1, age 2.5, has chest infection. She has been prescribed oral ab's. BUt she will NOT take medication. She spits it up.

Have already tried bribery w/sweets. No joy. Have offered drink of juice/water afterwards. No success.

How do you get your little ones to take meds??

OP posts:

Original poster

expatinscotland · 05/01/2006 18:50

bump!

OP posts:

bundle · 05/01/2006 18:52

did the pharmacist give you a plastic syringe?

JenumGeranium · 05/01/2006 18:52

Don't really know what to suggest - my 2 have always liked having their medicine (strange kids!).

I use the syringe thing that you get with Nurofen for children - they like to do that themselves you see!

Sorry cant be anymore help, oh and poor DD1 hope she is better soon.

Original poster

expatinscotland · 05/01/2006 18:53

yes. she just squeezes the medication out of the syringe. onto the floor, couch, whatever. grrr.

she's stubborn like her dad.

OP posts:

JenumGeranium · 05/01/2006 18:56

Hmmm there goes that idea then!

sunchowder · 05/01/2006 19:01

Sorry Expat, my DD and DS always used to take their medicine from the syringe. I usually made sure I pointed it at the side of their cheek to avoid chocking and made sure it was not ice cold. Have you tried it in pudding or applesauce?

sunchowder · 05/01/2006 19:01

choking NOT chocking!

Mud · 05/01/2006 19:02

put syring down side of cheek to back and squeeze wait till really shrieking and mouth is open then

Mud · 05/01/2006 19:03

tip her backadwards aor hold head betwen your kinees - how old is she?

marthamoo · 05/01/2006 19:05

OK. Can I just say initially that I am A Superbly Smug Mum Who Does Not Allow Her Children To Drink Coke?

But when ds1 was prescribed oral antibiotics and was completely unable to swallow them without gagging them back up again I mixed the dose in a small cup of full-fat Coca-Cola and he drank it down OK. It was the only thing I could think of strong enough to mask the taste.

He turned out to be allergic to penicillin anyway - maybe the gag reflex was his body trying to tell him something ?

Original poster

expatinscotland · 05/01/2006 19:07

2.5

OP posts:

sunchowder · 05/01/2006 19:20

Can you just ask her to please take it to help her feel better?

Loobie · 05/01/2006 19:35

I would go for wrapping her in a towel/blanket to keep her hands out the way and when she opens her mouth to scream as she inevitably will squirt the meds slowly into the inside of her cheek,this will stop her choking and the neds will go far enough down the back of her throat that when she swallows to catch her breath from screaming she swallows the meds!!
Not very nice and can feel quite distressing but works!!

Caligula · 05/01/2006 19:37

DS was like this until quite recently.

I would hold him down and hold his nose and hold his head still so that he couldn't spit it out.

Brutal but it really was the only way. You can't reason with an hysterical child.

I'm so glad he's grown out of it because I'm not at all sure I could manage that now he's got a bit bigger.

Yummymummy24 · 05/01/2006 19:49

pretend father xmas is on the phone and he wont bring the pressies if she doesnt drink it getsomeone to ring you for realistic effect haha. Alternatively force her or tickle her till she laughs then whizz it down keep tickling till she swallows.

Original poster

expatinscotland · 05/01/2006 20:00

K, the next dose is coming up. I'm going to go for squirting it down the side of her cheek. She just gets hysterical and screams, 'No! No meds! Don't like it' and there's NO reasoning w/her at all. She just gets beside herself.

I am hoping she'll come to associate her meds w/feeling better and being able to sleep and that will help.

She's at last sleeping after sooo long.

OP posts:

LadySherlockofLGJ · 05/01/2006 20:04

I know this is not ideal, but I was on my own with DS one night and at the end of my tether, I just snapped and raised my voice quite significantly and said ........(oh ok I shouted,)

Just cut it out, you are poorly and you need to take this, he was that shocked he opened his mouth and we have had no real problems since.

He was coming up for 3 at the time.

Caligula · 05/01/2006 20:12

They never associate medicine with feeling better because it doesn't happen immediately. I gave DS some neurofen the other day for his tooth (loose and wobbly) and he instantly complained that it tasted horrible and didn't do any good because his tooth still hurt.

Weatherwax · 05/01/2006 20:45

My dd1 was like this too and dispite the holding down etc etc still managed to spit it out. I have a lovely yellow stain on my carpet as a reminder. I went back to the doctors and they prescribed some tablets so we could grind them up and put them in her food. This didn't work and they then prescribed a different antibiotic which actually was a barbie pink colour. With a bit of hard sell this was acceptable. I am so pleased that she is old enough to be reasonable about it. A drink of water on hand to wash it down and she holds her nose.

I am so pleased that she is over this and my stress levels are reduced. My sympathies and I hope you have some sucess.

eidsvold · 05/01/2006 20:57

what about mixing it in yoghurt - we did that with dd1 and it works no problem - although she is now at the stage of jsut taking them - thank goodness as she has been on antibiotics for four weeks and we have another two to go with two doses a day.

Original poster

expatinscotland · 06/01/2006 11:22

Still can't get her to eat. But have used the side of the cheek combined w/offering a sip of juice immediately afterwards to get down 5mL of antibiotic AND almost a full dose of Robutussin.

We'll try it again around 3 for her second dose of ab's and hopefully some more Robutussin, as the cough is what's stopping her from getting some quality sleep.

As long as she is asking for liquids and taking them I'm pleased, b/c last night she was coughing so hard she was throwing up the liquids she drank.

She's parked in front of Cbeebies today but not wanting to dance or sing as usual. Last night she was so weak in the bath - had to wash her after she boaked on herself and her bedding, poor thing! - she needed help to maintain her balance.

Just breaks my heart that she still says 'thank you' when you hand her her cup of juice.

OP posts:

poppiesinaline · 06/01/2006 11:26

This post will be of no use whatsoever but it just brought a childhood memory to mind. My mum used to hide medication in strawberry jam. Can't stand the stuff now. Any other jam is fine but NOT strawberry. YUK! Strangely enough I can taste the medication in it even to this day!!!!!

Albert · 06/01/2006 11:50

My Mum did the same thing with strawberry jam, I can't stand the stuff now either.
Expat, I hope she starts to pick up quickly, it's horrible when they are like that. Don't worry about her not eating, just makes sure she is drinking (not milk though).

Original poster

expatinscotland · 06/01/2006 12:03

She seems to only want to drink at night. Like 3AM, when she starts calling for a 'drink of water'.

OP posts:

sunchowder · 06/01/2006 19:26

How is she today Expat? If she is still so weak, I would take her back to the doctor'sespecially if she can't stop coughingchest x-ray is very important if she is not getting better. Let us know, thinking of you.

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