Is there a foolproof gentle way to give a toddler medicine?

Mary Jo · Sep 29th, 2010, 07:44 AM

I have to give Adam antibiotic medicine 4x a day for 5 days (we're 6 doses down). It's less than fun, worse for him, I think. And there is only one dose so far that the whole thing went in with no spitting (this morning when my husband did it while I held him down).

I HATE doing it, it feels so forced and rough. And I am worried that he's not actually going to have completed the course if he keeps spitting half of it out.

I've tried a regular medicine spoon, a small spoon with a hollow handle that you measure it into, and a syringe. Same result each time.

I've rarely given him Calpol, not at all in the last few months, and I don't remember it being as awful as this.

SwissMiss · Sep 29th, 2010, 07:47 AM

Aww hon

I hate it too, I had to give Linds TONS of crap from 6 months to about a year, she caught ev on the planet and I never found one... sorry... the best I could do was a syringe that I hadda SHOVE to the back of her mouth in thru the corner of her lips near her cheek, and squirt 2 or 3 times (so she didn't choke but still got the whole dose)...

3 times a day for 7 days was HORRIBLE every time but just tell yourself better this way than those awful bugs hanging around!

P.s. I'm watching this thread too!

missjess · Sep 29th, 2010, 07:48 AM

We used a medecine dummy, worked wonders!! Now though he has been weaning off the dummy and he couldn't care less about it so we have to force it down him... I was thinking of getting the chewable medicine as it will be easier. xxx

HannahsMummy · Sep 29th, 2010, 07:52 AM

What antibiotic is it? There are some horrible ones... flocluxocillin is the worst I think. Hannah was on this but she had to have it changed to Erythromycin which actually tastes quite nice. Reason they had to change it was because it was penicillin based and she kept spitting it out and I was getting it on my hands. I am very allergic to penicillin and kept going into anaphalactic(sp) shock!

I have found for the horrible medicines a syring down the back of the mouth is the only way. Its not forever... and its better than your LO being ill.

Mary Jo · Sep 29th, 2010, 08:16 AM

It is flucloxacillin

- and yep, it tastes horrible, really bitter. Think I'm going to have to lie him down to do it. No idea how, I need a couple of extra pairs of hands

Mum2b_Claire · Sep 29th, 2010, 09:05 AM

I don't think there is. I was having terrible trouble with teething granules last night but Ruby was screaming in pain so I felt that OH holding her down while I put them in her mouth was the lesser of two evils, horrible though

winipeg1 · Sep 29th, 2010, 10:18 AM

Im having the same problems with calpol. dont know if you can do it with antibiotics but i was told to add the dose of calpol to a bottle of milk. so thats what i have been doing for the last 2 days

HannahsMummy · Sep 29th, 2010, 10:31 AM

Try asking your doctor if you can change it to erythromycin which is the same medicine but not penicillin based. It may not be as effective as flocluxocillin, but it tastes nice so you get 5ml down them instead of them spitting it out over the floor. Therefore it kind of balances out

It is a horrible horrible medicine, I tried a bit (before I realised it was penicillin based... duh) and even I had to spit it out, it really is horrid.

HannahsMummy · Sep 29th, 2010, 10:34 AM

When I had to use flocluxocillin (when Hannah had a serious eye infection) we ended up strapping her into a highchair and wrapping a towel around her to make a kind of improvised straight jacket, then sticking a spoon in her mouth to hold her tongue back and stop her from closing her mouth... only then could we squirt it in using a syringe. and had to hold her head back until she swallowed... it was horrible

We had to get them in her though as she was so poorly.

Mary Jo · Sep 29th, 2010, 11:15 AM

thanks ladies. I just gave him another dose, and ended up in tears myself. it's awful. bless him, though, he's either got a very short memory or he doesn't hold a grudge because 30 seconds later he was as loving to me as ever.

winipeg1, this medicine is supposed to be given on an empty stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after meals), which complicates it all... the instructions do say it can be mixed with a little water or milk, but tbh I don't think it would help because it's really bitter and I doubt he'd drink it however it was dressed up!

HannahsMummy, thank you.

If he has to go back to the doc (she said to come back in a week if his ear is not fully better - he has an infected cyst on the outside rim) I will ask for something less disgusting! It is easier with someone else to help because he needs to be held down, arms held and a finger holding his mouth open before we can go in with the syringe, and I just can't do it! I end up having to poke the syringe in with him wriggling everywhere and then he spits it anyway. Grrrrrrr!

Sep 29th, 2010, 07:44 AM	#1
Mary Jo Pregnant (Expecting) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: UK Posts: 3,592	Is there a foolproof gentle way to give a toddler medicine? I have to give Adam antibiotic medicine 4x a day for 5 days (we're 6 doses down). It's less than fun, worse for him, I think. And there is only one dose so far that the whole thing went in with no spitting (this morning when my husband did it while I held him down). I HATE doing it, it feels so forced and rough. And I am worried that he's not actually going to have completed the course if he keeps spitting half of it out. I've tried a regular medicine spoon, a small spoon with a hollow handle that you measure it into, and a syringe. Same result each time. I've rarely given him Calpol, not at all in the last few months, and I don't remember it being as awful as this.

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Sep 29th, 2010, 07:47 AM	#2
SwissMiss Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bern, Switzerland Posts: 4,385	Aww hon I hate it too, I had to give Linds TONS of crap from 6 months to about a year, she caught ev on the planet and I never found one... sorry... the best I could do was a syringe that I hadda SHOVE to the back of her mouth in thru the corner of her lips near her cheek, and squirt 2 or 3 times (so she didn't choke but still got the whole dose)... 3 times a day for 7 days was HORRIBLE every time but just tell yourself better this way than those awful bugs hanging around! P.s. I'm watching this thread too!

Status: Offline

Sep 29th, 2010, 07:48 AM	#3
missjess Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,828	We used a medecine dummy, worked wonders!! Now though he has been weaning off the dummy and he couldn't care less about it so we have to force it down him... I was thinking of getting the chewable medicine as it will be easier. xxx

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Sep 29th, 2010, 07:52 AM	#4
HannahsMummy Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Fleet, Hampshire Posts: 902	What antibiotic is it? There are some horrible ones... flocluxocillin is the worst I think. Hannah was on this but she had to have it changed to Erythromycin which actually tastes quite nice. Reason they had to change it was because it was penicillin based and she kept spitting it out and I was getting it on my hands. I am very allergic to penicillin and kept going into anaphalactic(sp) shock! I have found for the horrible medicines a syring down the back of the mouth is the only way. Its not forever... and its better than your LO being ill.

Status: Offline

Sep 29th, 2010, 08:16 AM	#5
Mary Jo Pregnant (Expecting) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: UK Posts: 3,592	It is flucloxacillin - and yep, it tastes horrible, really bitter. Think I'm going to have to lie him down to do it. No idea how, I need a couple of extra pairs of hands

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Sep 29th, 2010, 09:05 AM	#6
Mum2b_Claire Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Kent Posts: 16,857	I don't think there is. I was having terrible trouble with teething granules last night but Ruby was screaming in pain so I felt that OH holding her down while I put them in her mouth was the lesser of two evils, horrible though

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Sep 29th, 2010, 10:18 AM	#7
winipeg1 Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cannock, Staffs Posts: 416	Im having the same problems with calpol. dont know if you can do it with antibiotics but i was told to add the dose of calpol to a bottle of milk. so thats what i have been doing for the last 2 days

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Sep 29th, 2010, 10:31 AM	#8
HannahsMummy Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Fleet, Hampshire Posts: 902	Try asking your doctor if you can change it to erythromycin which is the same medicine but not penicillin based. It may not be as effective as flocluxocillin, but it tastes nice so you get 5ml down them instead of them spitting it out over the floor. Therefore it kind of balances out It is a horrible horrible medicine, I tried a bit (before I realised it was penicillin based... duh) and even I had to spit it out, it really is horrid.

Status: Offline

Sep 29th, 2010, 10:34 AM	#9
HannahsMummy Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Fleet, Hampshire Posts: 902	When I had to use flocluxocillin (when Hannah had a serious eye infection) we ended up strapping her into a highchair and wrapping a towel around her to make a kind of improvised straight jacket, then sticking a spoon in her mouth to hold her tongue back and stop her from closing her mouth... only then could we squirt it in using a syringe. and had to hold her head back until she swallowed... it was horrible We had to get them in her though as she was so poorly.

Status: Offline

Sep 29th, 2010, 11:15 AM	#10
Mary Jo Pregnant (Expecting) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: UK Posts: 3,592	thanks ladies. I just gave him another dose, and ended up in tears myself. it's awful. bless him, though, he's either got a very short memory or he doesn't hold a grudge because 30 seconds later he was as loving to me as ever. winipeg1, this medicine is supposed to be given on an empty stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after meals), which complicates it all... the instructions do say it can be mixed with a little water or milk, but tbh I don't think it would help because it's really bitter and I doubt he'd drink it however it was dressed up! HannahsMummy, thank you. If he has to go back to the doc (she said to come back in a week if his ear is not fully better - he has an infected cyst on the outside rim) I will ask for something less disgusting! It is easier with someone else to help because he needs to be held down, arms held and a finger holding his mouth open before we can go in with the syringe, and I just can't do it! I end up having to poke the syringe in with him wriggling everywhere and then he spits it anyway. Grrrrrrr!

Status: Offline

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