Dd hates antibiotics - how on earth can I get her to take them?? Please help - getting desparate!!!

[kdlicious1]

DD has a chest infection and the doc gave me antibiotics to give her. The only problem is she HATES the medicine and will wrestle/push/spit/anything possible to not swollow it. It's getting me really stressed out and isn't helping her get any better!!! PLEASE HELP ME with any ideas on how to get her to take it ??????????

How old is she?

put it in something or reward her with something e.g choc button if she takes it

I'm having this with 8yo DD at the minute and we've had to threaten to take her favourite toy away. Might not work if your dd is younger.

Mine too did like this white med so what I did was - sounds awful - but put a 5ml spoonful in a cup then 2 x 5ml spoons of pure juice and he drank it as it was so sweet!!! Had a cup of water in the other hand for him to drink straight after and rewarded him with a penny for each time he took it!

Thank you so much for the fast responses! Ah yes I totally forgot to say that part of the problem is she is only 18months old so communicating with her is difficult, thus getting her to understand it's for her own good/I'll take away her toy if she doesn't take it/there'll be a reward etc is impossible. I've tried disguising it in something else but she is a canny thing and just knows - I think it's the pungent smell. I've tried sweets as a reward but she isn't interested. I've tried putting it in a medi-syringe (SP?) thingy so I can get it in her little mouth easier - this worked but she spat it all over the two of us instead of swollowing it. Any more ideas?

does she have naps because you can very very carefully syringe tiny amounts at a time into her mouth while she's asleep if you're really desperate.

might also be worth trying another type of the same medicine - I'm not sure why but some chemists seem to sell nicer brands of antibiotic than others - or maybe gp can prescribe similar medicine that tastes nicer?

we usually use brute force and medisyringe though

I give it to my DS in chocolate milk - similar consistancy and disguises the taste - becomes a treat ;)
So much better than having to physically restrain him

Try putting your finger in the side of her mouth just enough to keep it open then squirt the syringe in and keep your finger there until she swallows. Don't put your finger in very far though. Get the rest of the family to jump and and down, clap and cheer.

This may sound awful, but I ended up putting one of mine lying on the kitchen floor, with older DCs holding her legs and arms, then I held her nose and squeezed the dropperful far into her mouth. Followed by big hugs and ice cream all round. This was the second prescription bottle I bought -- all the first bottle got spat out despite all the disguises I tried. Also got medicine all over everyone and everything. She got much more reasonable when she began to feel better.

Try chocolate pudding/yoghurt/ice cream. The strong taste of chocolate is a good disguise.

For older kids 'Dinosaur milk' ie. food colourings mixed with horrid stuff and milk. They are soooo excited by drinks that are blue or green that they don't care what they taste like.

For the little ones.... we also used brute force (for own good) and tactic was flat on back, syringe to back of throat and dummy inserted asap. If no dummy, perhaps final resort to hold nose which will ensure swallowing.

Do 2 x half dose syringes to ensure maximum going in and not coming out as less in mouth for them to hold and spit back....

good luck!