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Original poster

How on earth do I give my dd her medicine?

28 replies

123ken · 08/04/2008 20:27

My dd has just turned 1, and we have always had a nightmare trying to give her medicine. The only way we can manage is if 2 of us hold her down and we force it in with a syringe, but half the time this doesn't work either - she spits it or vomits and it goes everywhere except down her throat. We've tried offering it respectfully on a spoon, mixing it with drinks and yoghurt and she won't have any of it. I have just been given a course of antibiotics for her and the first attempt this evening resulted in medicine all over her, me, the floor and furniture and none in her. She was also very upset and I had to go into the other room and cry in frustration. I really wish I could crack this as it seems so cruel, and the older she gets the less successful it is. At this point I have no idea how we will get any of the antibiotics in her. She is not really old enough yet for bribery either.
Please, any tips will be tried and tested - I'm desperate!

OP posts:
Doobydoo · 08/04/2008 20:30

Hi There.I am afraid I have no advice.Our ds1[now 8]was the same and we didn't give antibiotics at all as he would never take them.He improved as he got older but had to
hold his nose and have a sweet after.Hopefully someone will be along that can give you some advice.
Poor you.It is a nightmare!

littlerach · 08/04/2008 20:31

Squirt in by her cheek, like you do with animlas?

That's how we sue dot do dd2. She was terrible.

She will now take Nurofen, but nothing else. Calpol makes ehr vomit.
A/bs we bribe her with.
She is 3.

ScaryHairy · 08/04/2008 20:32

My daughter was on some very foul antibiotics and the only thing that worked was to wrap her in a towel and sit on her (I am on my own a lot, so there weren't 2 of us to hold her!), hold her nose, put the syringe to the back corner of her mouth, and afterwards to rub just under her chin to make her swallow. Then I gave her a chocolate button to take the taste away. It did get better, but not within the first few weeks!!

A friend who is a paediatric nurse suggests getting teddy to give the medicine to her, although mine never fell for this.

My sister swears by mixing it with full fat Ribena.

I know it seems awful but you are being a good mother in giving the medicine. You would be cruel if you didn't.

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hairtwiddler · 08/04/2008 20:34

This is so hard! I usually syringe a small amount into the cheek at a time. This means she's less likely to gag on it and spit out.
Chocolate pudding as another suggestion???

morningpaper · 08/04/2008 20:34

If you have to resort to the pinning-down, I do this:

  • tell them they have to have the medicine, and do they want it on a spoon or will mummy have to use the syringe?
  • then move in swiftly with the headlock - one parent over body holding down arms and squeezing nose shut, one doing syringe and closing jaw immediately afterwards - it takes a LOT of practice to get the timing right but they have no choice but to swallow if they can't breathe through their nose
  • once done, BIG cuddle and chocolate button and apologies

As they get older they get the idea and at the first stage move on to accepting a spoon - but this might take years!!!!

Bubble99 · 08/04/2008 20:35

If the respectful and gentle way hasn't worked then you'll need to try this.

Tilt her back in your arms. Have the syringe ready filled in your hand. Put some of the medicine in and close her mouth, she will swallow at this point and then you repeat until it's gone.

Sounds brutal but it works. I was taught by a vet.

theangelshavethephonebox · 08/04/2008 20:35

We had this last month with our ds and I started a thread on it. The consensus was that if you've tried everything (and it sounds like you have!) then the holding down and syringing in is the only thing you can do, followed up with a treat and cuddle.

The advice with syringes seems to be to aim towards the inside of the cheek and it's harder to spit out then. Ds spat so much out/refused so much of the first lot of abs that we had to get another lot. After two weeks he was a bit better about taking them.

Botbot · 08/04/2008 20:35

We have the same problem (dd now 21 months but it started at 12 months). Have you considered suppositories? DD won't let medicine anywhere near her mouth but, weirdly, doesn't mind suppositories at all. And they're a lot easier and less unpleasant to administer than you'd think.

Also, I started a thread about this on MN when this first started happening, and someone suggested wrapping her in a towel to hold her down - it didn't work for me, but it might for you!

theangelshavethephonebox · 08/04/2008 20:36

there was only one posts when I started typing - god I must be so slow

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 08/04/2008 20:36

Get the sugar option if available (no artificial sweetners, so it tastes better)

If you know a nurse ask them to aquire a slimmer smaller ml syringe. This enables you to slip it into the corner of their mouth and into their cheek.

Don't just launch on them with the syringe, tell them you are going to do it. They still won't like it, but it takes away some of the 'wtf' factor which leads to some of the kicking and screaming - iyswim.

Original poster
123ken · 08/04/2008 20:40

Wow! I really am not alone! Thanks so much for all your words of wisdom - I now have lots of tips to perfect my technique and more confidence that I'm doing the right thing - thanks!

OP posts:
madamy · 08/04/2008 20:40

I use the syringe into cheek with all of mine - can be a battle but works best with them tipped backwards in my arms. If you also blow gently into her face after you've squirted, she should swallow. Sounds weird, but it does work!

nellyraggbagg · 08/04/2008 20:44

This is a horrible problem. The last time DS had antibiotics, I had to go to all sorts of lengths to hide them - freshly squeezed orange juice, chocolate mousse, Coke... you name it, I tried to disguise antibiotics in it. In the end, he just became suspicious of all his food - but by then, he'd finished the course.

If the dcs need them again, I'm going to ask for the sugary version (if there is such a thing). Good luck!!

Shoegazer · 08/04/2008 21:04

This is an awful problem, my DD will only take medicine in a syringe from Pingu if the medicine is pink and he says "mnah mnah" as she takes it and then gives her a kiss. It took us 10 months to work that one out and lot of buggering about with pink food dye if it wasn't calpol.

Smaller syringe is also good plan for whipping into the side of the cheek and if you don't know a nurse and would like to try this then drop me an email and I'll "borrow" you a couple from work.

poodlepusher · 08/04/2008 21:28

we do the side of the cheek a little at a time method. but the doc said if that didn't work, to mix it in with some milk - but you have to ensure all the milk gets consumed, and there's no guaranteeing it.

squeaver · 08/04/2008 21:31

Yes mix with milk or another drink (fruit shoot??)

lilymolly · 08/04/2008 21:31

full sugar preparation.
towel and head lock and as a last resort hold her nose so she swallows

milliec · 08/04/2008 21:33

Message withdrawn

snickersnack · 08/04/2008 22:16

Smaller syringes are good (there is a 2.5ml slim line one that can be inveigled into the mouth more easily). Also, mixing a couple of drops with a fruit puree - a spoon at a time. Takes ages though.

ScaryHairy · 08/04/2008 22:46

LOL at Pingu giving the meds.
I am going to try that one day, DD is in love with him.

Shoegazer · 09/04/2008 12:20

Don't forget ScaryHairy, he has to say "mnah mnah" too

WestCountryLass · 09/04/2008 20:54

My GP prescribed paracetamol suppositories. You can't get antibiotic suppositories and so I strap mine into the pushchair and hold arms head and squirt into cheek and hold nose, horrid but needs must.

Ash80 · 09/04/2008 21:00

I had a terrible time with my ds , as i had to give him 17ml every 6 hours for two weeks!!!! Poor baby, i used to let him pretend to give me medicine through the syringe and i would cry and that would make him feel better

nametaken · 10/04/2008 00:03

Am I the only one who mixes the antibiotic with jam and spoon feeds them the mixture?

amytheearwaxbanisher · 10/04/2008 00:14

ds could always taste when his bottle/food was (spiked] its always a case of forcing it in unfortunatly