How to get a reluctant child to take their medicine (literally)?

[AimeeM]

My husband is on his way home with medicine for both the older children. Both were earlier diagnosed with pneumonia (great - right after Flying Baby's fall and hospitalization, right?). Before leaving the office, the doctor wanted to make sure my younger would take the nebulizer treatment and that it did, indeed, help the breathing issues (he has a pre-existing lung defect). He did (take it well) and it did (help tons).

On that note, both are also required to take an oral antibiotic. No big for my eldest (11), but BIG deal for my 3 year old. He is adamantly opposed to any and all oral meds except benedryl (which he loves the taste of).

If we force it, he throws it back up.

Bribery doesn't work AT ALL.

Threatening with timeout doesn't work. He will (and has) sit in the hallway nicely, in quiet and calm protest... for a very, very, very long time.

 

Please don't suggest we threaten with the hospital - it will only make things worse. He's been through a LOT medically and is already terrified of doctors and hospitals to a relative extreme.

[MomtoCandJ]

Ask the pharmacist if you can mix it with something like apple sauce or juice

[Orthodox6]

If it will be a liquid, perhaps the pharmacist can recommend a liquids combination. Problem is that every last drop will have to go down. In fact, many pharmacies will flavor a liquid (several flavor choices among which to choose) for a small fee.

 

If it will be a pill, many parents succeed with placing the pill or capsule in a spoonful of yogurt, pudding, ice cream, or applesauce.

[AK_Mom4]

Been there on this one. DD11 took lots of meds when she was little and one of them tasted ghastly. Really Really Bad.

 

What worked was to mix the liquid in chocolate pudding. Not being sneaky about it - she watched me mix it in, but she really liked chocolate pudding and would down one "bad" tasting spoonful as long as she had lots of "good" spoonfuls to follow it up with.

 

Jelly works, too. Some folks use applesauce, but I found the taste wasn't strong enough to hide the medicine flavor. Chocolate ice cream is another good one. And even mixing it into rootbeer.

[itsheresomewhere]

Mix it in with a spoonful of chocolate syrup or even maple syrup if that is their favorite. Or for really bad yucky medicine, I mix it in with a ounce of rootbeer. It is a treat in our house and the good rootbeer like IBC masks the flavor very nicely. Careful on some of the flavors they can add as some are nasty.

[Caroline]

Can the pharmacist mix it with whatever makes benedryl taste good? When my four year old had to take valium, they mixed it with whatever syrup he chose.

[MooCow]

=

And even mixing it into rootbeer.

 

 

:iagree: always works for us. good luck!

[Loowit]

Most oral antibiotics are already flavored in my experience, but you can add a flavor that he likes better. I know my pharmacy will do this, but some are pretty gross. Maybe if he picked the flavor that would help?

 

I am hesitant to mix it with food because if they don't take it all it can be a big problem, however, I have at times had to do that. When my DS was 4 he needed crushed up pills. I mixed them with homemade fudge. He loved it. Another option is having the doctor do injection antibiotic. Probably not the route you want to go if he is already leery of doctors, but pneumonia is pretty serious if not treated. I am really glad that bribery works for my kids. There is only one antibiotic that my youngest can take and he hates it, but if I offer him a few sips of Pepsi afterward or some other treat he will do it.

[prairiewindmomma]

Crushed pills in chocolate pudding

Stickers to earn a toy of choice after x # of doses

Immediate fun activity after med (Thomas trains, whatever)

 

 

[Happy]

We would present the medicine to the child and a choice. 'The medicine is going in. We can either sit on you and force it down or you can take it.'

 

Nine times out of ten, the child gulped the meds down. There is something about a choice (and the weary, yet steely look in mom's eyes) that did the trick. Even the son who would throw it back up if forced, would keep it down when it was his choice.

 

Hugs and treats all around afterwards.

 

Hugs to you. Parenting is hard work.

[ktgrok]

My husband is on his way home with medicine for both the older children. Both were earlier diagnosed with pneumonia (great - right after Flying Baby's fall and hospitalization, right?). Before leaving the office, the doctor wanted to make sure my younger would take the nebulizer treatment and that it did, indeed, help the breathing issues (he has a pre-existing lung defect). He did (take it well) and it did (help tons).

On that note, both are also required to take an oral antibiotic. No big for my eldest (11), but BIG deal for my 3 year old. He is adamantly opposed to any and all oral meds except benedryl (which he loves the taste of).

If we force it, he throws it back up.

Bribery doesn't work AT ALL.

Threatening with timeout doesn't work. He will (and has) sit in the hallway nicely, in quiet and calm protest... for a very, very, very long time.

 

Please don't suggest we threaten with the hospital - it will only make things worse. He's been through a LOT medically and is already terrified of doctors and hospitals to a relative extreme.

have the pharmacist flavor it. Let him pick the flavor. DH can call from the pharmacy with the flavor options.

[Ali in OR]

The liquid antibiotic put in orange juice worked for my kids when they were that age. Though the fudge alternative above sounds pretty good to me!

[Alice]

I use chocolate syrup. I’ve also heard that strawberry milk hides the taste of almost everything. As long as you know that they get it all it’s usually fine to mix it with something.

[gardenmom5]

will he swallow a pill? that's the only thing that worked with dudeling, and he swallowed his first one at four. before that, nothing worked. (if he got wind medicine was mixed in food - he'd refuse to eat. since he didn't recognize hunger, he could go a long time without eating.)

[LifeLovePassion]

Can you take him in for a shot? With my dd1 after a horrible experience fighting with meds 3 times a day for 10 days I vowed to just get her a shot and be done with it next time she needed antibiotics. She hasn't been sick since(yet)

[AimeeM]

I didn't know shots were an option!

[LifeLovePassion]

definatly call and ask.

 

Even now my dd knows if I try to put anything in juice like probiotics or vitamins. She's hard to sneak stuff into. Smoothies are really the only thing I can do, but even those can be hit or miss if she's not in the mood to drink it, since the med was in the smoothie then she had to drink it all.

[Catherine]

You might do better with a crushed pill mixed into a soft food that he likes than liquid that he hates the taste of. Just make sure the pharmacy knows you plan this and can give a pill that it's OK to crush. Some capsules can be emptied into soft food-just make sure with pharmacy that this medicine is one of them.

[LifeLovePassion]

How'd it go?

[Splash]

Doctor told do he had choice of taking his medicine or a shot. Not taking medicine wasn't an option. as he had strep. That is o nay thing that worked. We tried everything else and he always managed to throw its up.

[AimeeM]

I had to force it this morning. No amount of bribery (and I even suggested he could have the stinkin' $40 angry bird set he's been eye balling at TRU), or making a game out of it worked. I used a syringe holder and had to hold him down. He spent an hour huddled in bed with his hand over his mouth saying "don't want to see you any more" every time I tried to check on him :(

 

I think I'll call and ask about pills. My dd has the same medication, but in a stronger dose and it is a pill that looks like it can be crushed. If I can get that for him, in his dose, I think it would be easier.

[AimeeM]

Doctor told do he had choice of taking his medicine or a shot. Not taking medicine wasn't an option. as he had strep. That is o nay thing that worked. We tried everything else and he always managed to throw its up.

 

He actually wouldn't mind the shot as much I think. He just hates oral meds. I would really rather not make any sort of threat; he's already too fearful of anything "medical" related. KWIM?

[plansrme]

My then 2 yo had to take 9 months' worth of antibiotics for a positive TB test, and I tried the liquid with horrendous results. I researched (the ped didn't/wouldn't) to find the correct dosage in pill form and called the ped's office to request it. I am sure (not) that they confirmed my math, but they prescribed what I requested. We had to split the pills, so I bought a pill splitter at the drugstore. No big deal. The pill was far easier to crush and give with a spoonful of chocolate syrup. With the liquid, half of it ended up on her, and I had no idea how much ended up in her, where it was supposed to be. She's 12 now and has never taken another liquid.

 

Terri

[gingersmom]

My son never took medicine until he was 6 years old. If I managed to force it in he would just spit it back out.

 

He was so sick one time the doctor told me the choices were he took his medicine (not an option), a shot or he was admitting him to the hospital.

 

It took me and another person to hold him down for the shot but after that he was fine. Fine from the shot and it wiped out his virus in record time.

 

He is 13 and I still talk about that shot.

[OH_Homeschooler]

Definitely pursue getting the shots done. Two kids had strep last year at the same time. One was happy to take medicine, the other refused to swallow anything (poor thing, his "neck" hurt way too much). So the doctor gave the boy his shot and prescribed the girl medicine. Although he screamed during the shot, he was feeling better sooner than she was, and we didn't have to worry about medicine for the next 10 days.

[LifeLovePassion]

He actually wouldn't mind the shot as much I think. He just hates oral meds. I would really rather not make any sort of threat; he's already too fearful of anything "medical" related. KWIM?

 

 

 

I wouldn't threaten, I'd just say we're going to the Dr. to help you get well. (if you go the shot route)

[AimeeM]

 

 

I wouldn't threaten, I'd just say we're going to the Dr. to help you get well. (if you go the shot route)

 

Can he have the shot if he's already had a dose of oral?

[LifeLovePassion]

I'm not entirely sure, might want to give them a call. Hang in there!

[redheadmom]

I am not sure what flavor the medicine is, but root beer or Dr Pepper are usually strong enough to mask a lot of flavors. Crushed pills are easier to hide and flavor.

[MommaOfalotta]

When dd was younger we had a similar problem. She wouldn't throw it up but she would refuse to take it. After a ton of different methods, we discovered what works for her is praising what a "big girl you are!" for taking your "big girl medicine!" kwim?

 

The first time was the trick. It was getting her to take it that first time that was hard and then after that we praised her non stop at what a big girl she was. Then the next time she would need to take it.. "Okay, lets show Daddy how you can be a big girl!" (Or a grandma, grandpa etc.) This is what worked for her.

 

Also I can talk her into things easier if I do the whole "I bet you can't swallow this whole cup of medicine. Theres no way!" routine.

 

I guess it depends on the child. Dd has been pretty easy... good luck and I hope your kiddos feel better soon!

[Mommyof4ks]

My son took many, many pills over the course of 3 years (from age 2-5), and the thing that worked best was letting him chew up pills rather than giving him liquids. Yes, it sounds gross, but he even chewed up steroid pills which I hear are about the worst tasting stuff out there. We also gave him complete control of taking his meds. He had to take them, but he could take them in his hand and put them in his mouth, or he could have us do it, either way he wanted was fine, but taking them was non-negotiable. The one time he fought us hard we had the doc tell him that he would have to go to the hospital and gets meds via IV. He would have flipped if we had said that, but when the doc said it he realized he could not win that one.

 

If you want to try to get him to swallow them, baby m&ms provide great practice. ;)

 

It stinks when little have been through so much especially if previous meds have made them feel worse rather than better. :(

[Alice]

FYI, about the “shot†option. Most infections can’t be treated with just one shot. Pneumonia can’t. Strep and ear infections can, so we have that option for those infections. But for pneumonia you would probably be looking at multiple shots.

[AimeeM]

FYI, about the “shot†option. Most infections can’t be treated with just one shot. Pneumonia can’t. Strep and ear infections can, so we have that option for those infections. But for pneumonia you would probably be looking at multiple shots.

Ah. That throws a monkey wrench into that plan, lol.

Is there a reason why the antibiotic prescribed is the same that dd has had previously for strep (Zithromax for both kids)? Is it the dosing that will differ with the illness?

[Giraffe]

I bribed with M&Ms. DD understood that she could have this whole (little) bowl of M&Ms if she took her medicine. I let her hold the bowl while I gave her the awful tasting meds, then she could gobble the candies to get the taste out of her mouth. Now she just gets 2-3, but same effect.

 

I also explained that the medicine was going in, one way or another, and M&Ms were a lot more pleasant than being held down. Surprisingly, she got it.

 

For us, the trick was to let her HOLD the M&Ms while administering the meds. It made the reward immediate, concrete, and irrevocable.

[TexasRachel]

 

He actually wouldn't mind the shot as much I think. He just hates oral meds. I would really rather not make any sort of threat; he's already too fearful of anything "medical" related. KWIM?

Then make sure he understands that it's the meds or the hospital. Maybe the scare of future medical stuff will force him to take it.

 

As a kid my mom would put crushed pills in jelly.

 

I hope you can figure something out.

[Giraffe]

Is there a reason why the antibiotic prescribed is the same that dd has had previously for strep (Zithromax for both kids)? Is it the dosing that will differ with the illness?

 

My understanding is that Zithromax specifically works on respiratory infections better than other antibiotics. YMMV though: DH doesn't respond to it and DD only partially.

[Whereneverever]

Would he prefer to dose himself? My dd is on meds 2+ times a day, every day, and has been since 1. I draw it up in a syringe and she doses herself. Having control over how fast it goes it has really empowered her.

 

Also, if he has a lot of trauma about medical things, see if you can hook up with a child life specialist or nurse with similar training. Our children's hospital has then and they are great at helping kids work through the issues of lots of medical procedures.

[In the Rain]

When my oldest dd was a toddler, the pharmacist told me some chemical in chocolate could cover the bitter taste of pills. That dd has never taken liquid medicine. We would grind a pill, or open a capsule, into a spoon of chocolate syrup. It works for antibiotics and fever reducers.

 

Good luck with your little one! You've got a lot on your plate with sick and injured kiddos. :grouphug:

 

ETA: My younger dd recently received a liquid medicine so terrible it made her cry. Because it was available in generic, I was able to have the doctor call in a 2nd prescription for pills. I paid the cash price.

[Nart]

The only way I can get my 4 year old to take medicine is to either put it in a bit of his favorite yogurt and mix it in or put it in 3 ounces of juice to mask the medicine taste. I don't use a full cup of juice in case he doesn't want the full cup. Then I also give him salty foods like pretzels to make him thirsty.