[adreamcometrue]

My daughter has had a ongoing ear infection since Dec.27. We have had her on two rounds of amoxicillin (SP). It was pretty much cleared up but then it came back. I went to see a different doctor in that same office and he told me that he wanted to try something different since the amoxicillin is not working like it should. So he gave her Bactrim (SP). She hates to take medicine. She fights, screams, kicks, runs away and hides, hits, throw things at me and list goes on. I have tried bribing her with everything, tried putting it in juice, milk, ice cream, pop nothing is working. Well this last set of meds I was unable to get about 3 days worth of meds into her because of her spiting it out or trying to throw it up whatever it takes to get it back out. We did not have anymore meds so we went back to the doctors and he told me that he wants her to take another round of anti (10 days) so she can get in the 3 days that she did not get plus 7 days to make sure that the infection stays away. Her ear is getting better but not fully gone. I was so mad when I heard that I need to give her more. PLEASE help me with some ideas of what you have found to work. I love her to death but she is SO VERY STUBORN. I hate doing it but the only way I have found to do it is I have to sit on her holding her tight so she can't get away. Then I have to try and pry her teeth apart to get the syringe in there. I basically have to gag her so I can shot the meds right down her throat. Even then she gags and coughs to get some of it back up. I feel so bad that she has to take more. When it is time to take it she works herself up so much and it is awful.

[cantwait2bmommy]

Thanks for posting this...I am going through the exact same thing. It is so, so frustrating and I feel awful, like I am torturing her. Whah!!!! Someone tell us a good trick!

[luv2teach2]

I use a syringe and ask the pharmacist to flavor her medicine. I also allow her to have juice or a snack while she is taking it to take the taste away. My dd is on Augmentin now for brinchitis and ear ache. It is flavored with watermelon and she love it. She is also 3.

[SmileLaughLearn]

My older ds has been on meds a lot for ear infections, too. When he was young and hated to take them, I sat on the floor and wrapped my legs around him, used one hand to hold his hands and the other to put the syringe in his mouth. Not fun at all! Luckily, he grew into taking meds willingly, and had always done fine, until penicillin. It must have tasted horrendous, because he started fighting me again. My solution was to call the dr and ask for a pill, which I crushed up and put in food. Since then, he's gone back to taking meds by syringe willingly again. So maybe try a different medicine by syringe for taste, or ask for a pill instead?

[adopt2guat_jp]

I don't have a good answer. I have a DD 21 months old, that I use a syringe and usually have to end up tipping her back and sticking my finger in her mouth (ouch!!!) She hates it!!

My DS (21 months) on the other hand, promptly opens his mouth when he sees medicine and gets upset when his sister gets medicine and he doesn't. I usually act like I'm giving him some too - LOL

Good Luck

[shanpine]

THere are some things are you can negotiate with your child on....there are others you cannot. Medicine is one of them. You have to be the boss....and you CAN do it!!! As a nurse....and as a mother, I learned that if you hold them in your lap, legs extended, and cross your legs over theirs so they can't kick....then put your arms over their arms, lean back and put a fourth of the syringe in at a time. Look her in the eye. Tell her in a firm voice that this medicine is to make her better, and it is very important that she take it. Tell her you know she doesn't like it, but you're glad she wants to be better too. THen...and here's the tough love part, give her cheeks a GENTLE squeeze, and make sure she swallows. Hold her nose if you must. SHE IS NOT GONNA BE TRAUMATIZED....but she will get the medicine she needs to get better. Eacbh time it will get easier. SOon she will sit for you and take it like a big girl. Hang in there....you can do it!

[susy...patience]

I agree it has to be done but definitely try flavored medicine.....some pharmacies have a variety of flavors, so try something they like (ie, not cherry but grape or bubblegum)

[DPline]

Originally Posted by susy...patience

(ie, not cherry but grape or bubblegum)

That is funny because at my house it is cherry and NOT grape or bubble gum. And I have the stain in the carpet to prove that grape is NOT acceptable!

I have found that if I could get the syringe between the child's teeth and cheek they were much less likely/able to spit it back out. Though you do still have to get the syringe in there! We are luckly past that age, but I usually sat with DD on my lap (both of us facing the same way) and tilted her head back a little, then the syringe in between the teeth and cheek.

Good luck!

[adreamcometrue]

I have been getting the medicine flavored but it is not helping. I tried bubblegum and cherry they were no goes. I got grape this time and still not happening. I'm hoping that it will get better though. I asked her if the medicine tastes bad and she said no, so I'm hoping that she won't put up a stink about this round of meds as bad. She did tell me that the last meds taste yucky. I'll let you know how she takes it tomorrow morning.

[Suzeb1]

I have the exact same situation in my house, and of course did exactly what all the posters said, which is you just have to give it to them, and don't take the syringe out until it's all swallowed...AND, what worked for us is to establish a little routine. Ours goes like this: I set out a wet cloth, a glass of water (but it could be juice or milk, depending on what your child likes) and a donut hole (my dd's treat of choice). At that point I explain that we have to take medicine to get well, and we'll wipe her mouth, she can have a drink to wash the taste out and then a fun treat. The first 4 times, she fought and hated it, but by about the 5th, she started saying "you don't have to lay me back" and I didn't. She took it and then we did our ritual. It made me feel a lot better to do something tangible to comfort her afterwards, and it really seemed to help her have something to focus on.

And while no one asked, the absolute best thing my pediatrician told me for eye drops...is that the child's eye doesn't have to be open!! Yippee...for dd, using eye drops was tons worse than yucky medicine; and wouldn't you know it...we had to do both!!

Best of luck. They are STRONG when they don't want to swallow something yucky!

Susan

[lisaf1]

Try fllavoring it and then putting it into a small amount of strong flavored juice. I had to give my DD liquid Iron 2times a day for 3 Months last year. the Iron tasted terrible. The pharmacy had me flavored it Grape and I put it into Cranberry-Grape Juice. I used just enought to hide the taste but not so much that she wouldn't drink it all. This seemed to work pretty well.

Good Luck,

Lisa

[angieandstever]

OKay this is going to sound really weird but my daughter will NOT take amox from a certain pharmacy but loves it from another one. At first I thought she was just being a stinker but EVERY time we tried to get it at the one place she wouldn't take it but LOVES it from the other pharmacy. It probably won't work for you but I thought I would mention it.

Other suggestions. We used to put the medicine on a regular spoon with a m&m in it and she would take it then. Does your daughter eat yogurt? How about trying a little each time in it and make sure she doesn't see you put it in there. Maybe if you got grape or strawberry flavoring and put it in the same flavor juice or yogurt she wouldn't notice it as much?

I hope you find some sort of a solution soon!!!! My daughter has been sick off and on since she came home so I know about medicine struggles. Good luck!!!

[jgriese1]

If it is a power struggle and you know the medicine doesn't take bad (flavored with something from the pharmacist) you might try having her do it her self or help. My son gets very stubborn when I try to force a syringe in his mouth and fights me every step of the way but when I asked him if he could help me he thinks it is his decision. I let him drink from the small cup or hold the syringe or push the plunger of the syringe. I sometimes get his dr. kit out and let him practice on his stuffed animals first.

May also be able to hide a little bit in those grape and cherry kids yogurts if the medicine is flavored the same.

[blminter]

sometimes it's just brute force when it can't be negotiated.

hold the child in your lap facing right (if you are right handed).
put their right arm under your left arm.
hold their left arm with your left arm.

proceed to squirt the medicine in their mouth with the syringe. if they are screaming squirt just a little in the far back corner of their mouth. if they refuse to swallow, blow air in their face.

do it slowly, because if you put too much in they may spit it back or vomit. have a little juice or milk chaser.

i'm a pediatric nurse and must use combat measures when coersion doesn't work. go to your pediatrician and ask for demo if you need one.

[LMblue]

If you are near an old fashion soda fountain, ask for small cups of different flavors. I think Sonic uses these flavors and so do some coffee shops. Then try mixing a little medicine with a flavor. These are very strong and may be able to mask the medicine flavor. I did this for my daughter when I mistakenly got her medicine flavored with bubble gum. She hated the flavor and it took a lot of the soda fountain flavoring to mask the bubble gum flavor. Good luck!