Help, toddler refusing antibiotics...

[Gooders79]

Our 18mo is on oral antibiotics for 5 days for a skin condition, yesterday took it reasonably well, this evenings dose he has just been spitting out and we can't get him to swallow it... He's normally really good with taking meds but this must taste vile, it smells awful... Any top tips??

[KatDew]

At risk of sounding awful.... Bribe him with a chocolate button for after? (seriously the medicine is likely to have sugar in it anyway). Mix it in with some yogurt?

[KatsuQueen]

We had the same problem a few months ago when my son's chicken pox got infected and he needed antibiotics. He took the first dose OK but then refused after that. We (me and MrKatsu) tasted it and it was vilest thing we had ever tasted.We only managed to get him to take it by mixing it with golden syrup, about 50/50 mix. It's only short term and it is more important for him to have the medicine...(that's what we thought) Even then it was still disgusting and he would still spit out some of it. Good luck!

[shaunag]

We have been through a lot of antibiotics and lo pretty damn impressive at swallowing terrible stuff now. She is a good bit older now at 26 months but have always explained in a sympathetic voice that i know it is gross and wish she didn't need to take it, but that she needed to as it was the only way to make x better. I have always had a drink of juice or other drink of her choosing to wash it down with after to help take the taste away-and let her choose the drink before and hand it to her immediately after. At times when compliance was bad I would pick her up, cradling her, take one arm under my arm so she couldn't push me away and keep the other arm T bay with my elbow. Then try to distract with claiming there was a cat or something out the window, then go for it pretty sharpish with the syringe and hold her mouth closed until she swallowed. Horrific, but we dealt with recurrent pneumonia so better than ending up in hospital. If she still spat it out I would explain we would have to start all over again and the process would repeat. She soon learnt mummy means business and spitting it out just means more. I am really proud of her medicine taking now-she just gets on with it, but I sympathise- it's horrible. Can't wait till she's big enough for tablets! Good luck!

[Convex]

You can also request a nicer tasting antibiotic mix, maybe call the doctor

[mysticmark]

Yes, as said above, knowledge that sthg nice is coming after has always workes for us, call it bribery / blackmail if looking for parental guilt,, whatever, it works well

[Claire29]

If it's the medicine my youngest has recently for infected excezma, begining with a F and it's pink, it's awful tasting and having tried nothing could disguise the taste. It sounds cruel but it's a 2 person job for us him taking it, I normally have him on my lap cuddeling him, then my husband gets the syringe ready, and then I place my arms over his arms so that he can't move them and husband gives the medicine. It is traumatic and not the nicest thing in the world to do, but i think it's more important if they need the medicine for them to take it than not, and as he's only 2 1/2 he doesn't do reasoning so can't even explain to him why he needs it....... it get's easier as they get older and the bribery of chocolate works! Good luck!

[Gooders79]

Had a better day with assistance from more experienced uncle demonstrating a new restraint type technique, not pleasant for anyone involved but does appear to get it down in one go.... Thanks for tips. Claire it sounds like exactly the same as you had to give, flucloxacillin, horrid stuff.

[susyp]

we've had that, my daughter is older so more easily bribed but I basically hold out a sweet and she takes the medicine and then puts the sweet in her mouth immediately afterwards! Has had to have it a school though and they just give her water. As Claire29 says, it does get easier as they get older and understand the concept of bribery!

susypx

[etta166]

Like Convex said, you can often get a much better tasting version if you have to. The brand-name versions of a lot of suspension medicines (antibiotics, paracetamol, ibuprofen etc) often taste better than the generics. E.g. my kids tell me Calpol is much nicer than the Sainsbury's own brand.

I still have an aversion to bananas and strawberries after having to take a lot of antibiotics as a child. Both flavours just remind me of being ill and make me want to heave.

[gebbjane]

My baby boy was too prescribed the vile pink stuff beginning with F for infected eczema but even though only 20 weeks was having none of it and dribbled it all back out. Went back to the docs and was prescribed erythromycin which is far more pleasant,banana flavour and he is better at taking that.