Help me please!! At wits end

[Rafalito]

Hi all

my 3rd child has strep. Hes 21 months. Obviously as he’s my 3rd this isn’t my first go around with illness but this child WILL NOT TAKE MEDICINE - he projectile vomits whenever I try to give him calpol, ibuprofen or any kind of antibiotic.

doc has now given me azithromycin because it’s only 1 dose a day but I can’t explain how traumatic it is for us - me and him - the first mouthful, projectile vomit all down me, then I have to force the rest in as he’s gagging, sometimes sick more sometimes not. It’s only 3mls. We’re both in tears. He’s probably getting about half the dose each time - we’re only on day 2. We have paracetamol suppositories so can use those for the temp but they don’t seem to be helping with the sore throat - he cries whenever he drinks poor thing.

I syringe, slowly, tiny bit at a time - into cheek not back of throat. Have tried mixing it with everything under the sun. Vomit every time. Has anyone else experienced this?? I am so exhausted - my other half is away - my two other kids have been living off pizza and screen time for 3 days now - feeling like a failure and all hope is lost! Just want to cry and hide. Do you think the dose he is getting will be helping at all if it’s not a full dose? Any words of positivity appreciated x

Oh no poor kid and poor you.
I know you've tried mixing but have you tried mixing it with ....

Ice cream
Yoghurt
Milkshake
On a dummy / teether with fruit
Sweets/chocolate
Rice pudding
Mix it into any meal
On your finger bit by bit
Chocolate spread / honey

I know controversial go wing sweets chocolate and some others on the list

Have you tried Coke? I wouldn't normally endorse giving a 21 month old soda, but it's got to be done.

Thanks so much for your message. Honestly i’d mix it with pure sugar if I thought he wouldn’t be sick - the problem is he’s so poorly he doesn’t want anything. I’ve used the suggestions you’ve made on other occasions towards the end of a course of amox or something and he wants the chocolate so works well but he’s so unwell atm he won’t even get excited about a chocolate button and basically doesn’t want to consume anything voluntarily so am left with forcing it in - it’s so awful! I have no experience of azithromycin - am blindly hoping that day 3 tomorrow it might have started to work a bit and he might feel more like eating so I can bribe more. I just honestly want to give up - the thought of getting through tonight is so horrendous :(

Can you take him to A&E for injection rather than oral medication?

This is what I resorted to op and it worked.

Otherwise it may have yo be IV antibiotics unfortunately.

I haven’t tried coke actually - he’s never had it…. Should I try just coke on its own first, in a beaker? Hes never had a fizzy drink I’m not sure what he’ll think of that but will honestly try anything. Then do you put the coke in the syringe with the meds or the meds in the beaker and mix? Thank you all x

Flatten the Coke by stirring in sugar first maybe?

Yes go for the coke, it's o my while he's poorly. Try it with it I would at this point. He may not like the fizz but tell him it's fizzy and have some first so he sees you 'like it'

Try a straw.

Op if he's so averse to anything oral and he's being sick, is he getting any fluids in? I'd be worried about dehydration on top, which is an a&e thing

Ok will try coke - he’s having an ‘up’ moment now so might try whilst he’s ok in the hope he likes it and gets excited when he sees it at med time tomorrow.

yes he drinks water like a fish! Its JUST medicines he projectile vomits - any kind of antibiotic, and calpol and ibuprofen…. Never seen anything like it.

I wouldn't flatten the Coke! Put it in a normal cup you can hold and let him sip it with the medicine mixed in. The carbonation might help a lot.

Let us know how it goes 🤞

Can you give it in his sleep?

My sister had an extremely strong gag reflex and medicine was a nightmare apparently. My mum used to put it insome very thick honey and put iton the inside of her lip while she was asleep.

He took a couple of sips of the coke and was quite surprised - didn’t not like it but wasn’t massively enthusiastic either. Meds next due tomorrow at 11am so will see how we get on. It’s just also that if he refuses it, it’s another batch gone and I run out so fast with the load he vomits away too 🙈

good idea for the sleeping but it’s 1 dose every 24 hours with this one - altho could try it with the ibuprofen - if I’m honest I’m on such frayed nerves that the thought of disturbing the small bits of sleep I get with a possible projectile vomit is scaring me!

So another disaster today but I tried it - it’s literally the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tried - even ruined a McDonalds milkshake- I don’t blame him at all!

I did an online doc apt thing and the guy was horrified and said he’d never prescribe it for a child as it’s so utterly horrible. Hes given us amoxicillin and we managed one dose very slowly in 0.5ml at a time over 30 mins in the garden with bits of chocolate button and no vomiting - yay!! Feels like a huge win.

I can relax for a few hours now til this evenings dose! Thanks so much for all the advice x

THATS good news that you have managed to get the new medicine i to him. Hopefully he will be on the mend now