Baby refusing antibiotics

[Mamabear04]

DS is 11mo and has a middle ear infection. He has to take 3x 5ml of antibiotics every day. He absolutely hates it and is refuses to take it. I'm having to wrestle him while he screams and syringe it into his mouth. It's brutal. Is there a more gentle way I can coax him into taking it?

Not until he is older. Swaddling in a blanket and lay him across your knee and squirt small amounts at the back of his cheek and then offer milk straight afterwards to take the taste away.

Not at that age. I always tried to time them with calpol and alternate the syringe as they like the taste of that.

Can you hide them in anything? Treats he isn't usually allowed? Over the years we have used:

Nutella
Cordial
Ice cream
Yoghurt
Fruit juice
Jelly

I tend to try a bit myself in a few things (only a tiny amount) and see what masks the taste best. We have a calpol refuser, so have to hide that too. Good luck, it's awful.

Add Nesquick to this list.

Good luck. It's horrendous when they refuse vital antiBs! I remember being exactly where you are now and have total sympathy. We had some success with various things off the list - I think mixing it with a tiny yoghurt/fromage frais worked best for us to begin with (until she got wise to my actions!).

DD eventually learned how to swallow tablets aged 5 because she was on repeated courses and just couldn't handle the taste.

Which antibiotic is it? There’s one that’s incredibly vile and hard to mask. Try a taste of it yourself.

We generally hid in a petit filous (they handily also do a chocolate and vanilla version too, but for the really rank one we had once resorted to putting on a teaspoon of sugar - Mary Poppins knew what she was talking about

Some antibiotics cannot be taken with anything that contains milk so check that before mixing it with anything.

The vile one might be flucloxacillin - Christ on a fucking Ferris wheel it's FOUL.

Two person job, one to hold baby on their lap with its arms tucked in; the other to squirt syringe.

When baby opens mouth to scream, squirt in medication.
When baby learns to keep mouth shut, put syringe tip in the corner of the mouth and squirt.

I generally have to just lie DD on her back and squirt it in and then wiggle her chin to get her to swallow it or she'll spit it out. Usually tears but needs must unfortunately. She's recently happy to take it off a spoon but I think 11 months might be a bit hit and miss on that. Good luck!

I think you’re right @BeautyGoesToBenidorm. as if it’s not bad enough feeling poorly!

I always mixed it into a petit filous

Thanks folks I'll try mixing it with something sweet and getting DH to hold him if that doesn't work. Honestly why on earth has a drug company not make a nice tasting kids medicine? They would make bloody billions from the demand!

None of our 3 liked anything when small calpol,antibiotics so I would hold and hubby would squirt straight in quick,no fuss and they got what they needed to mend

Because it's the active ingredient that tastes foul.

What antibiotic is it?

Amoxicillin can taste alright, and is easily mixed in with yoghurt and is then barely noticeable. Just don't mix it in with too much, because you want to be sure he eats it all.

Flucloxacillin is absolutely vile and I couldn't force myself to swallow it as an adult. There's no disguising that taste so I wouldn't even bother trying as then it's just more horrible stuff to get through. If it's that I'd just hold down and squirt it right into the back of his mouth.

It's amoxicilin! He's been fine taking calpol but just refusing this stuff. I remember hating it as a child too so I really feel for him! Needs must though!

Definitely try putting it in a little yoghurt then.