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Parenting

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Absolute nightmare trying to get medicine in 3 year old

7 replies

Roo747373 · 14/02/2023 12:06

My daughter has tonsillitis and has been prescribed pencillin. She was originally prescribed clindamycin but refused due to taste (and I agree it tasted bad). The penicillin is 4x per day 2 hours after and 1 hour before food so already a nightmare to plan around meals and snacks and tell her no to food when she’s hungry.

she hates the taste and won’t take it, I’ve tried everything including chocolate after, mixing it in things, hiding it in things, bribery with stickers etc. in the end I gave several warnings and said if you won’t take it mummy will have to put it in for you as it’s really important …I’ve explained why she needs to take it and shown videos on YouTube etc. so I had to restrain her and shove it in and she was absolutely terrified, thrashing around, screaming and screaming and spat it all out anyway :( I feel awful as she was so frightened and doesn’t understand and feel so stressed as this is 4x a day and I’ve got a baby to look after too who is screaming the whole time I’m trying to do this.

no idea what to do. I remember being smacked and worse as a kid so I really don’t want to have to force her as at this age she will remember it and I find it about as upsetting as she does. My husband can do the ones later but she spits it out anyway so don’t know how to get it in.

OP posts:
Roo747373 · 14/02/2023 12:08

Just read that back - wasn’t implying I would smack her of course! Just mean it feels so wrong to force it on her but I’ve tried hours of bribery and explaining and worried incase she gets really poorly

OP posts:
Choconuttolata · 14/02/2023 12:22

Ask them to switch it to amoxicillin or co-amoxiclav both are easier to get kids to take IME. Phenoxymethylpenicillin is notoriously difficult as it tastes awful and clindamycin is not normally given as 1st line antibiotic for tonsillitis in kids anyway, I am surprised they gave that first.

pippapipps · 14/02/2023 12:30

Are you using a syringe? Maybe you are already doing this so ignore me if you are!
I used the syringe that came with the Calpol and used to that to squirt the medicine in quick! If it was still a issue I would cradle them on my arms playing rocking back and forth and tell them I was going to squirt the medicine in side of mouth and it would go down quickly, I would just tilt their head back squirt medicine in side of mouth..job done!!
Always did it that way and it worked x

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Emilia35 · 14/02/2023 12:37

I had this issue a few months ago and the problem wasn't the taste - it was the pain swallowing. Got prescribed suppositories from the GP which made her feel bey, then mixed the antibiotics with a small amount of apple juice and told her she had to drink it or would be held down with syringe forced in her mouth. This worked, but mind, only with very expensive apple juice.

When she was very unwell and couldn't tolerate the pain of swallowing, we tried giving tiny amounts on my finger which took forever but got it down this way.

It is so very stressful trying to get medicine down a young child who doesn't want it and is amazing at spitting it out :(

fizzyfood · 14/02/2023 12:38

I used a syringe and followed by a teaspoon of Nutella

Emilia35 · 14/02/2023 12:38

The suppositories were paracetamol btw, but made a world of difference to her understanding of things as she felt so much better. They're massively superior to Calpol so it's a real shame it's not easy to get them from the pharmacy and only via prescription!

custardbear · 14/02/2023 12:50

I hated this! I ended up mixing her meds with neat ribena!

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