2 Year Old Won't Take Medicine - What Do You Do?

I remember when I was little, my mom would take the crushed tablet and mix it in a spoon full of sugar...a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Anyway, it worked for my brother and I. The other option is to see if they have some flavored antibiotics. I was allergic to pennicilin and amoxocillen and arithromicin, but I remember having some grape flavored stuff in kindergarten that I actually liked. I think that might have been the amoxocillen, because I remember having to switch and I was mad because I liked that kind. Good luck!

I have had similar experinces when my son was younger-he refused any type of medicince and we tried all the tricks that have been mentioned. He was very strong willed and it sounds like your child may be also. The Dr knew my stiuation and showed me what I had to do-I did not like it but it was the only way to get the medicine in him when he was sick-this sounds harsh, but if your child is very sick use it as a last resort. I would lay him down on the floor, I would sit behind his head with my legs out. I would put the medicince in his mouth, pinch his nose (not long!) so that he would be forced to swallow and use my legs to put over his arms that were thrashing and grabbibg at me. Again, it sounds harsh but if your child was anything like mine I did have to do this when he way very sick as nothing else worked and believe me I tried everything with him! If you do have to use this method, if you do unpinch the nose before they swallow-watch out as they will spit it back up at you! Good luck-as they get older they understand and it gets easier. I switched him over to swallowing tablets at an earlier age than most kids b/c of this!

Honey is a natural cough remedy and he is at the age he can safely take it. I give my daughter one spoonful before bed time and it does wonders.

I had a son that was the same way. I ended up having to go in to the doctor 3 days in a row to give him the antibotic via a shot. I was hard on me getting him there and him crying but it was either that or fighting with him for 10 days hoping he gets enough of the medicine. I so I choose the shots.

Good Luck

My daughter was the same way with medicine. If we did get her to swallow it, she would throw up within a few minutes. After three years of not taking medicine, we learned that the body is amazing and can heal itself without medicine most of the time. We did have to use the antibiotic shot once. We have also used the tylenol suppository a few times. The good news is, she did start taking medicine when she was about 3 1/2. Now we don't have any problems with it. Hang in there and good luck!

Don't force the issue. Your son will get better anyway. Antibiotics are so not good for the body, but there are some healing herbs they will tackle the problem easier. I would suggest trying some probiotics also. I think if you have a health store around, they will have experts that will help you get what you need. I am on your son's side! Give him lots of water.

My two year old daughter also won't take medicine. She ever goes as far as to vomit it. In the case of a fever we give her suppositories. For medicine that is taken orally, I take one of her toddler spoons and hold open her teeth , her father has to help hold her of course, and then while her teeth are open I put the medicine in the back and side of her mouth. I don't remove the spoon from her teeth until all the medicine is swallowed and she has to swallow it eventually. Unfortunately sometimes she still vomits it or even coughs so hard she spits up blood, the best way I have found is to have a treat or something ready to distract her immediately after taking the medicine , that way she won't think about trying to induce vomit. It's an ordeal but we gotta do it. I hope this method of propping open his teeth works for you , good luck!

My kids love amoxicyln so with that I never had that problem. But with some other meds I have, what I had to do was the night before when my kids were in bed, I would mix it in some yogurt. My kids love yogurt, I would find a flavor of yogurt as close to the flavor of med as I could, they never knew, becuase they were in bed when I did. I still do that with my 3 yearold and have plans of doing it with my baby when he is old enough to fight taking a med. I wish you alot of luck.

My little guy has resisted even Tylenol from time to time. My husband and I just always tell him that the medicine will make him feel better. It may take three or four times saying it, but he will eventually take it. This may not be much help.

Good luck!

I've been there, no fun! Hope he doesn't need the medicine, but if he does, you could ask for another type of antibiotic. Some taste better than others. They can also flavor the Amoxicyln differently... grape, cherry, buble gum etc. It does taste nasty. Ultimately, if he has to take it, shoot it in the back of the corner of his mouth and then kid of massage his neck a bit to encourage swallowing. Good luck.

K.: I know it's hard but "this too shall pass". My little guy didn't like taking medicine either. The only way I could get him to take it is to use the syringe the pharmacy gives you with antibiotics. I had to hold his arms and just "shoot" it in his mouth.

Eventually though, he liked it so much he would "shoot" the medicine in his own mouth. and.... definitely as some of the other moms said.... a flavored medicine helps. Good luck!

If the only symptom your son has is a cough that has lasted a week, he probably got a virus that can't be treated with medication.
That being said, if you need an antibiotic in the future, find a pharmacy that will flavor it. Does he see you put it into his food? If so, avoid that. Amoxicillin doesn't taste great--it's bitter, so discuss alternatives with the Dr.

It sounds like you are almost there since you got the medicine in his mouth. I hope this will work for you. When my kids were younger and the medicine is in their mouth I would blow in their face . Blowing in their face would produce a gasping reflex and would make them swallow.

If his cough does need antibiotics (it hasn't lasted too long so probably will not need them) and you know he will not take the medicine they can give him the antibiotic in a shot. One of my kids hated taking most medicines and threw them right back up so we had to resort to the antibiotic shot a couple of times.

The way I have handled this in the past is to mix it with chocolate milk. I get the really good thick chocolate milk from Whole Foods and mix about an ounce for every half teaspoon of the medicine. I think have her drink it out of a syringe. I don't mix it with a full cup of milk as you are screwed if they don't drink it all. I tell her it is time to do her chocolate and try not to let in that it is in there. However, the smell is so distinct that they figure it out. I then bribe her with chocolate chips or candy after she takes it. It is still a struggle but we get it done. She usually throws up the first dose and then reluctantly takes it after.

You may ask if there is a shot alternative.

Good Luck!