HELP! how do i get dd to take her medicine?

[olivo]

dd has been given antibiotics this morning and is refusing to take them. i am now covered in sticky yellow medicine and it is everywhere in the kitchen - i didn't know 5mls could spread so far. I've tried from a medicine spoon ( she took the first dose from that), a syringe, a 'big girl's spoon' and it has been spat out at every turn. i 've even tried bribery with some chocolate buttons.
please, any ideas? she's too strong for me to pin down,and spat out what I managed to get in. she's 22 mo btw.

Syringe, and squirt it right into the back of the mouth at an angle, so it doesn't go down the wrong way. Shock of it going in should make her swallow it. Don't be feeble and drip it in!

ok, have just tried but have ended up wearing it AGAIN! still, thanks to your advice i maybe got half the dose down. do you think it will help if she's not getting the full dose? only another 19 doses to go

Hi, i had exactly the same problem with my 26 month old a month ago. After having to force it down him the first 2 times using a syringe, he started to take it himself. I used to hand him the syringe and say "show mummy that you can do it yourself" and he loved that. He put the syringe in his mouth and i'd squeeze it. Job done. Its worth a try.

If you have to force it down, try squirting it little by little at the side of the mouth near the back and try and rub her throat to encourage her to swallow it.

Goodluck

Yes, my daughter liked doing the syringe herself, gave her some control.

No help to you but I have the oposite problem . My 2 are always asking for medicene

Oh I am so going to get a rocket, but hey it's done.... they lick their finger, take their meds, then dip the wet finger in the sugar bowl, I used to get the sugar bowl out with the meds, worked everytime

Will she eat it mixed with anything (a bit of yoghurt or another failsafe food). Its a bit of a trial because unless she eats it all, you're never entirely sure how much she's had

If all the other tips fail, you could try mixing it with a bit of orange juice, and freezing it in a small yog/fromage frais pot to make an 'ice lolly'. (you can use a medicine spoon as the 'stick'). This worked for me when DD decided to throw a complete hissy fit about her antibiotics. It's a ruddy hassle though.

some great ideas here, thanks!
lol at yours dcs soupkitchen - my dd asks for medicine usually - vitamin syrup - but won't budge this time
am going to try and let her do the bedtime dose herself, if that doesnt work will try the yoghurt mixture at breakfast time.
thanks again.

jumping beans, great idea - and probably less sugar than a chocolate reward of some sort

Oh - just a quick note: I was told that you shouldn't mix it with yoghurt or dairy foods. Juice is OK though. Not sure if it depends on the type of antibiotic (DD was on amoxycillin).

oh, it is amoxycillin. i suppose fruit puree pots would be ok then as she doesn't have juice. thanks MA.
jumping beans, i would have loved that when i was young! might try it with peanut butter for dd

As a children's nurse I find that if you can get the syringe into her mouth then squirt it into the inside of her cheek, it's much harder to spit it out, squirt it too far into the back of her mouth and you may stimulate her gag reflex and she'll throw the whole lot back.