How do you get a 2.5 year old to take medicine without spitting it out??

[sleepyhorse]

My ds1 who is 2.5 has got an ear and chest infection so been given antibiotics to treat it, only problem is ds just spits it back out! Have tried giving it to him with a syringe as well as a spoon. Any tips would be appreciated.

Oh was just going to suggest a syringe but see you've already tried that so no advice I'm afraid.

My ds1 loved his anti-biotics (chest and groat infection)

Throat obviously not groat

Try mixing it in a small glass of milk shake, with extra heap of powder. Is it the horrid bananna flavour medicine, that one can be difficult to disguise the taste! If you still have problems, you could try asking the doctor for the capsules. I use to, and still do, open them up and put the powder in a small strong milk shake drink. Good luck hope he gets better soon x

You brible them with a sweety immediately after swallowing the medicine.

bribe not brible

1- bribery, milky chocolate buttons taste strong enough ime.

2-put the dose in a syringe and put a small amount on a medicine spoon and then top up the spoon with strong tasting fruit puree (we use ellas kitchen strawberry + apple). repeat until all the medicine is finished for that dose.

3- if really desperate, pin down, squirt into side of mouth and hold mouth/pinch nose to encourage swallowing - HORRIBLE for everyone involved though.

4- ask the doc for a different medicine or ask if you can get a different flavour of the same medicine.

Good luck!

Which med is it btw? Amoxycillin isnt TOO bad, erthrymycin is horrible and clarithromycin is actually the most disgusting substance ever invented.

Yes it's the banana flavour one. He seems to love calpol but not this. Can't really bribe him with sweets as he doesn't talk yet so difficult to negotiate.

Two-person job in our household.
One to bundle DS2 up in a towel and keep his limbs pinned down, one to prise open his mouth, get syringe in to side of mouth as far back as possible and squirt quickly.

Bribery doesn't work on my stubborn little beggar darling angel.

It's also worth considering if the illness is really worth the stress. I'm not advocating leaving raging infections untreated of course - but if it's something self limiting then why not treat the symptoms with calpol and let their bodies get on with dealing with it. Antibiotics are not compulsory, you know.

I dont know why they make bananna flavour medicine! My son even hates calpol. I even tried the pin down method, I dont recommend that one. Afterwards he was sick and now has a phobia with medicines. And I felt dreadful. I hope the milkshake trick works for you, it did for us.x

I agree with seeker!