Hi -
My son recently had a surgical procedure and needs to take an antibiotic twice a day to lesson the risk of infection. However He has a HUGE fit when I try to give him the medicine. I give it to him in a syringe. Any tips on how to get him to take it. So far he has only taken it once a day, when I am lucky! It a huge ordeal! He cries, screams, chokes, gags, it's awful. Any tips or ticks to make the medicine go down!
Thanks everyone! Allowing him to "do it himself" has worked, last night anyway. I tired that approach the other day but he was already upset so it was not effective, but last night I tried that approach first and it went well. We also have lots of fanfare about what a good job he did. I also had the DR switch the antibiotic. He woke up with a fever this morning, so now I am concerned that he is getting an infection, hope the new antibiotic and letting him do it himself will last through 5 more days (one dose a day)!
If it's not flavored, take it back to the pharmacy and get it flavored. One thing that works with my son is having him give HIMSELF the medicine. He puts the syringe in the hole, I fill it up and pull it out, he puts it in his mouth and pushes the plunger. Big fanfare! It's pretty cool. Good luck!
The syringe is the way to go. Is it flavored? Also, you can bribe him. Have a cookie or something he likes right there and tell him he can have it after his medicine... maybe that will help? Also, get the syringe as far back as you can in the side of his mouth - less spitting that way.
you can have it flavored at cvs or walgreens. or just put it in his fave food drink or food
My daughter was an absolute horror when it came to taking her medicine.
She did a little better with the bubble gum flavored stuff, but what actually worked best was letting her use the syringe herself so it wasn't like I was shoving something in her mouth. It took a little longer because she would take a little bit then have a sip of 7-up and take some more. But, it all got down her that way.
She actually started taking medicine in pill form at a very early age because she didn't mind pills, but anything liquid, ugh.
I tried hiding it in juice, offering her a treat after....
One day, I just offered to let her do it herself and it worked a lot better.
Maybe try that with your son.
They also have little spoons for medicine that have hollow handles and measure the amount of medicine on the side.
Your son might take to one of those better. If he had a surgical procedure, anything that remotely resembles a syringe might be upsetting for him. You can find those little spoons at any drug store.
I wish you the best because I know what you're going through.
My son would take any medicine with no fussing, it would just be over and done, but my daughter was a whole different story. She ended up with more of it on her than in her and she cried and fought.
Taste the medicine. If it's really bad, see if you can get something that tastes better for kids.
Try one of those spoons and/or letting him do it himself.
Things might go more smoothely.
Ohhhh....I feel your pain! I had to give my son some medicine that he REFUSED to take after he got his tonsils and adnoids removed. A friend of mine is a P.A. and she told me to try putting it in his ice cream. I was very skeptical, but I tried it and it WORKED! I couldn't believe it! Good luck!
I agree--if a bribe (a fave treat RIGHT after the med) doesn't work, then you've gotta force him to take it. Sounds mean but he NEEDS to take ALL of the doses. Non negotiable. Try the bribe first. Also, he might liketo do the syringe himself...let him try it with water a few times.
My daughter was on antibiotics from 6 months to 4 years old for urinary reflux. Some days she'd be fine and would take it from the syringe, other days we had to get creative and add it to ice cream, yogurt, apple sauce, fruit smoothie, etc. A little at a time and it masked the taste. Good luck!
My son did this too. We used to either have it flavored at the pharmacy, or mix it with chocolate sauce in the syringe. Good luck!
My daughter is 2 1/2 and has been on antibiotics several times due to having Cystic Fibrosis. Sometimes she is fine with taking them and other times she refuses.
When she refuses, I add them to her sippy cup. I put a small amount of juice or gatorade in her cup and then add the antibiotic to it.
Put it in a drink or in milk , works a treat with mine.
We tried the syringe too, but he wouldn't take it that way. We ended up putting it in a shot glass and calling it his special big boy glass. After he drank the meds, he got to refill the glass with a juice or flavored milk he usually never gets. If he drank the medication without any whining or complaining, he got a few refills of the good stuff when he was done!
Ask your doctor if it's ok to mix the antibiotic with food or drinks. Also, if it's the taste that's bothering him maybe the doctor could change the prescription to a different antibiotic with a different flavor. A final thought, is there some treat (candy or something) you could tell your son he can have each time he cooperates and takes his medicine?
I agree...try letting him get involved and let him fill the syringe and give it to himself. We also use a treat when he fights and it always works...a little M&M goes a long way!
