This doesn’t seem normal? Taking medicine

[APipkinOfPepper]

My DS (9) has been prescribed antibiotics for an infection. He’s supposed to take them 3 tines a day and it took over an hour to persuade him to take the second dose yesterday. I have just had to stop trying to get him to take the next dose as he was sitting there sobbing saying he wanted to take it but he couldn’t.

In terms of the actual medicine, I’m going to go back and see if I can get something else - maybe tablet form if it exists - on Monday.

But my bigger concern is - this doesn’t seem, well, normal? No-one likes the taste of medicine, but most of us gulp it down, have something to eat/drink and get on with our day - not spend hours crying and worrying about it. So I’m concerned there is something else going on, but I don’t know what. Anxiety or something? Anyone got any experience of something like this?

Not wanting the potion was my DS's normal, too.
Bribe with chocolate buttons chaser?

Tried bribing with choc buttons, crisps, anything he wanted. Didn’t make much difference

at 9 y I would expect dc just to get on with it tbh.
no bribes, just explaining that this is to make him better and he has to take it. no discussion.

but then for a 9yo I would ask for the tablet form in the first place (if dc can take tablets)

My dd is like this. She's 5. I mix it in a strawberry milkshake.

What helped, sort of, was she was ill last year and had to go to hospital and have a cannula with fluids. She remembers having that put in. I explained if she didn't take medicine and it got worse that was the alternative.

NHS have taken all sugar out of kids medicines recently. They really do taste vile. Get tablets and grind them up?

That’s basically what I spent an hour telling him. That it wasn’t optional, he had to take them. He got it, but every time he went to take it it was like he couldn’t force himself to. I don’t understand why he couldn’t just get it over and done with!

When I finally took it away this morning, he went upstairs screaming and crying worried that he was going to get really ill. And that he knew he should take it. But he couldn’t!

No experience as such but I could imagine myself behaving like that at his age. I am very sensitive to taste and remember trying to drink Lemsip aged about 20 (!) and it was so disgusting I couldn't do it. I think his reaction probably is normal. He just can't make himself do it despite knowing he should.

I would try to think of a way of mixing it with something else sweet - milkshake is a good idea, make it extra sweet! I have a feeling antibiotics do taste disgusting. The only worry I'd have is that he will still probably be able to taste it and then he's got a bigger volume to get through.

At 9yo it’s not normal. It’s old enough to know that while something is vile it is only for a second (then chase it with something overpoweringly sweet and flavoured).

There may not be a tablet/capsule option as antibiotics are dosed in weight and the tablets may start at a strength for a higher weight. Given more kids refuse tablets than refuse yukky liquids they tend to make liquids for kids dosing. It does not hurt to ask though, you may get lucky.

Parents have brought this whole problem on themselves. Not so long back in the scheme of things medicines for kids were absolutely stuffed with sugar and strong artificial flavours like cherry and often colours. This was in recognition that otherwise they tasted like putrid cats wee and kids would not drink it. So all the extras were stuffed in to mask the taste and make it ok and for it to look fairly pleasant as well. Then parents got on their high horses and made a fuss that they were stuffed full of sugar (we never allow little Johnny sugar) and artificial flavours and colours (little Johnny acts like a hyper maniac after having his medicine). So huge pressure in this regard made medicine manufacturers do away with all of that. Not sure whether it’s still a thing but lots of medicine then put ‘sugar free’, ‘no artificial colours, flavours’ on their labelling. They now use ‘natural’ flavours, colours etc and while it helps it doesn’t totally mask the yuk taste like all the old nasties used to. And kids are not as compliant and there’s often a huge drama getting it into them. One could argue it would be better for little Johnnie to be hyped up and acting like the devil for a short period AND getting the medicine they need to make them better rather than going the equivalent of 10 rounds with Tyson in the ring trying to get the stuff into him.

I wonder if you could even just make your own sugar solution with a bit of water and 1 or 2 tsps sugar and mix it with the medicine?

I would persevere a bit longer bu if no joy, see if DS would prefer tablets.
If not I'd give the GP or the pharmacist a call tomorrow and see if it would be ok to give covertly? You can't do this with all meds but at least if this is the only way to get them down him...

Then talk to DS and GP after it's finished, to see if there's another reason for refusal.

To add, it's not great to have to secretly "drug" someone but if he has an infection it's absolutely in his best interests to go covertly. The alternative, as you've explained to him, is so much worse.

But for now the priority is getting that medicine in him. Other issues can be dealt with at a later date.

The proverbial spoon full of sugar?

But I'd try a straw. It can go faster to the throat and he should be able to feel the taste less.

What I usually do with DS is also to give a glass of water so he can wash off the taste immediately afterwards.

What do you think is wrong OP? Do you mean like a sensory issue he can’t help? Or that he isn’t compliant like a behaviour thing? He’s your child, does he ever overcome things himself in other scenarios or force himself to do stuff he doesn’t want to? Or does he have other sensory issues that bother him?

That's a shame, my dd is 8 and been showing signs of anxiety. I have been meditating with her using the headspace app.

Won't help with the medicine but may help longer term if he is anxious about things.

It's not normal. Yes, medicines are yucky tasting, but my children know if they are prescribed antibiotics, they have to take them, end of.

Stop being so nice and tell them to put the damn spoon/syringe in his mouth and shoot the liquid down his throat. Have a glass of something nice tasting ready.

One of the liquid antibiotics tastes utterly vile. I can't remember which.

My dc have all been able to swallow tablets since they were about six, and I've nearly always been able to get their medicines in tablet form since then. It may mean making a bit of a fuss at both theGP (to ensure that she puts TABLETS on the scrip) and at the pharmacy (to ensure that they dispense tablets, and don't just automatically default to child=liquid version).

Is it fluclox? That tastes foul. Mix it in a yoghurt and tell him he HAS to take it. I remember when my son had to have it at 2, we were holding him between our legs and forcing it in. Eventually we found he’d take it in a yoghurt followed by chocolate buttons.

Thanks for all the tips! Got a new prescription for tablets today and that went ok, thank goodness.

I'm so glad about this.
tablets are soo much easier (and cheaper if you ever need a private script) once dc can take them.

good luck