Antibiotics - how to get them into a toddler.............

[Flossie69]

Hi there - need some advice, calming down, stiff talking too, as am getting quite stressed and anxious about this.

DD, 21 months, has a ear and throat infection, and has been given antibiotics by GP. Took first dose ok, but has now decided that she doesn't like the taste, and refuses to take any more. Bats spoon away, spits out if any does get in her mouth, and even gags and vomits. Some of this is from past experience of when she was prescribed them, and ended up not having any, and so now two weeks later she is worse.

So does any one have any fool proof, toddler-wrangling method of getting them in? I have even tried putting into yogurt, but she has sussed and is having none of it.

I am getting very frustrated, as I can't simply say fine don't have them. And I don't like the idea that she is getting the better of me, but I can't force her, can I? I wouldn't dream of force-feeding her any other food.

To top it all, she also has gunky eyes, and has been prescribed eye drops. I am SOOO not looking forward to trying to put those in..........

i've got a nifty little device that fits into the top of the bottle that you fit a syringe into, then use the syringe to squirt the meds into DDs mouth.

she can bat and bite as much as she likes, it ain't going nowhere except her mouth

the pharmacist gave it to me, let me see if i cna find one online for you...

Ooh you have all my sympathy.both mine do this. The only way I ended up getting them into my oldest was tiny bit of ab, large spoonful of ice cream, tiny bit of ab, large spoonful of ice cream etc etc
Only way of getting drops in is either hold them down and just do it (doesn't really work and you will end up in tears before they do), or wait until they are asleep and see if you can get a couple in the corner without waking them, sounds bizarre but I managed it...or get cream instead??

found it

maybe your pharmacist will have one?

When DS was little and had lots of ear infections we got a syringe type thing which we put the dose in and then just squirted towards the back of the mouth. It wasn't pleasant but like you say, it's not really optional.

At 21 months, she should be old enough for you to explain to her that she needs it to get better - would she go for a treat/reward of a bit of chocolate for taking them nicely?

Oh you have my sympathies.

My three year old was hospitilized in November with Mastoiditis, and at one point it took six nurses and two doctors to hold her down to get meds into her. That was fun.

We were told that when we came home she had to have meds for a further fortnight, and if she didn't it could come back worse.

So. We backed off completely.

We didn't try to force her at all. Just hid it from her in a small glass of fizzy orange - it was orange flavoured - something that she would never usually be allowed at all. We never mentioned medicine again to her, and always made sure that she was never in the kitchen when we prepared it. She didn't always drink it all, but drank enough that i was happy.

Good luck.

I bribe my 3 year old with loads of chocolate which usually works. When it doesn't, I get super cross and eventually she takes it, in floods of tears normally. But mostly the chocolate does the trick.

To be fair they do taste absolutely awful. So it's really either bribery or subterfuge........
Btw syringes are great, but they can still spit.....

Thank-you all for the advice and sympathy - both very much appreciated.

Managed to get the meds in by mixing with the Calpol - hid the taste enough, and she took it off a spoon in several goes. Lets just hope this continues to work for the rest of the course. [hopeful emoticon]

With the eye drops - on her changing mat, I straddled, Dad held head and arms, I opened eyes and squirted in. Not too bad, but will probably be worse tomorrow when she knows whats coming.

For me, this is one of the hardest parts of parenting..............

when dc had pneumonia we went back to the gp and were prescribed capsules. we broke them open and mixed the powder with nutella.
it was a case of either he takes it or goes to hospital for iv ab.
hope she's better soon!

Well done!!! Good luck for tommorow!

Which antibs is it? Some are worse than others taste-wise and I know of at least one person who has managed to pursuade a GP to prescribe a different and tastier antibiotic. My DS actually seems to enjoy flucloxicillin. We call it 'nice red drink' which he has taken on board completely and gets quite excited about having it. Weirdo.

pin them down and squirt it in, it's the only way x

I have force fed dd medicine; it was really the only way. Come to think of it, I have pretty well force fed dd breastmilk- I had to because she wasn't eating and was losing weight dangerously. No worse than a nurse holding her down when she had to have an injection.

If it is serious enough, you just have to. I think it helps if you can stay very calm though.

But obviously better if you can get round it by hiding the taste. But either way I wouldn't feel guilty about it, she will only pick up on your feelings and get more upset.

it's hard - things that have worked for us in the past:

• choose a coloured spoon to take it from (gives her control)
• let nursery staff give it to her (takes mummy & daddy out of equation so no fuss)
• let daddy battle her down so she'll eventually accepts it from mum
• and tonights success: give her the syringe and let her do the squirting by herself and show how grown up she is (again responding to control)

but we've done the pinning down and squirting in side of mouth too - syringe is definitely the way to go