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Any1 help me wit this one? Pleeeeease!!!

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proudestmummyever · 04/08/2009 19:47

Hi every1, well...Jack is struggling to take meds, he is now on Nitrazepam(liquid) 7 ml's twice a day and Topamax 25mg twice a day(sprinkle capsules) and also Melatonin 7ml's at night(liquid). He gets his drinks thickened with Thick N Easy and manages solids, although mushed dwn quite easily but last week or so he keeps the liquids in his mouth for ages and won't swallow without loadsa coaxing....I knw it sounds nothing but it is v.distressing for me and Jack, an1 any tips?? Jack can't suck a bottle or cup btwxx

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r3dh3d · 04/08/2009 22:04

Hang on, thinking....

I find, tbh, that DD1 holds stuff in her mouth till I follow it with something else. The longer she holds it, the worse it tastes (the sugar coating will come off the topiramate, for instance). The holding in the mouth thing is definitely a habit here (sensory?) and the solution I find is to break it by reducing the size of the mouthful till there's no particular sensation to it - either pleasant to hold or a struggle to swallow, there just isn't enough to make a proper mouthful. Which here means feeding her yoghurt (which holds most of her meds) in 1/4 teaspoons, and each time she hesitates over swallowing, follow it straight up with another one. In extremis I'd break the meds down into 1ml syringes and give only 0.25ml at a time, down the side of the mouth so there's no opportunity to hold it.

My other thought - explore alternative ways of getting every med in. Look up BNF children and see what your alternatives are. DD1 hates the tase of Keppra liquid with a passion. But we found that the tablets are coated (ie don't taste of anything) so now we give her 2x the smallest tablets, twice daily, plus a teeny tiny amount of the liquid, which she will tolerate. I think some of the meds can be given rectally - OK that's not ideal but if he's really struggling, you DO have to get them in somehow so don't rule anything out.

Don't know if any of that helps. We're really lucky with DD1 as she's been on something-or-other all her life and is mostly pretty good.