Bitter Ringworm Medicine - Intake Suggestions or Alternate Treament

This site offers simple and easy treatments for ringworm, and many other conditions.

http://www.earthclinic.com/

EarthClinic is a great site. I refer to it at least monthly for myself or for friends.

I am 64, grew up in Miami, Fla. The kids had lots of ringworm. There wasn't any oral meds. They treated it topically. If she is only 2, maybe you can shave her head, and apply meds. What else can you do if the poor baby keeps throwing up the meds. Have you called any alternative docs? Maybe there is other treatment.
How do you think she got it? We got it from playing in the dirt.
After reading the good responses you got, I will also offer that, when I was a kid, there were only pills, they had to be crushed which my mom did between 2 spoons. Then, she would put a heaping spoon of jam over it, and I would eat it off the spoon. It was pretty palatable.

Hi A., I do know of some more natural remedies using products from a health and wellness company that I have shopped with for 5 years. You can e-mail me at ____@____.com and I can give you the details if you like.

These are topical remedies - nothing to ingest. Also, I know that direct sunlight can help.

Hi A.,

Try some tea tree oil topically (do not give by mouth, just on the skin). I've had great results with this topically for all kinds of skin issues from acne to ring worm in humans and pets. You can get it just about anywhere (I buy it at Target or Walmart for about $6 a bottle). Just use a cotton ball or swabs to apply directly to each spot. If your daughter acts like it is burning or it looks like it's causing redness or irritation, you can dilute it a little first with water. But obviously the more concentrated, the better it works.

It should dry out the ring worm spots and clear them up in a matter of days. You'll need to be diligent about cleaning linens and clothing to keep them from returning. Ring worm can be a systemic problem, meaning you need to address it internally as well as externally, but if you daughter eats a balanced diet (I know that's hard with a 2 yr old; I have one!) and gets some time to play in the sun, that should help with the internal balance part while treating the skin externally. You might also try getting her a good general immune system support supplement to take by mouth (echinacea or even just vit C would be good and are usually flavored for kids to like them -- I use Herbs for Kids brand from Whole Foods -- sweet echinacea immune support).

Hope this helps! Good luck!

J.

Any antifungal essential oil will work and you can either blend it into her shampoo or just apply it with some other oil such as Grapeseed, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, to carry it and partially dilute it since she is so young, her skin may be sensitive to it but ours never had any problems with it straight out of the bottle or as they say, "neat". Some you may try would be Peppermint, Tea Tree and Myrrh. Peppermint can be pretty "hot" to the skin and the Tea Tree smells to high heaven but Myrrh is nice and mild but can be expensive if you get a really good quality oil. Sounds like the other ladies had good suggestions too. I think I'd look for another Pediatrician if mine said what yours did. ;-) There's almost ALWAYS an alternative treatment to anything...what does he/she think they did before Big Pharma joined the Stock Market?

A.,

Gentian Violet is a tried and true method for us. I have used it on ringworm and thrush...both for myself and my children. I don't understand why present day docs do not offer this alternative. I guess the drug companies have such deep pockets these days the medical docs aren't in tune with less harmful/distasteful alternatives. It's very sad. While medicine has made great strides in many areas...this is not one of them. Blessings to you and your little girl. A. V.

Griseofulvin comes in liquid (125 mg/5 ml), capsules (125 mg) or tablets (250 mg). So for someone that young, if the dose is less than 5mg,the liquid is probably the only way to get the right dose in (assuming she swallows it). Talk with your pharmasist about the problem, sometimes they have special pediatric forms, (same medicine, but different, more enticing flavors) or perhaps you could get the capsule form, open and sprinkle the contents into some ice cream.
Ringworm is not a "worm" at all, but a type of fungus. Several anti fungal creams are available OTC at your local pharmacy. There are some herbal remedies too, if you're not familiar with them, you should be able to find a good herbal book at your local library.
I wouldn't trust these measures alone, I would continue to get as much griseofulvin in her as possible, but use these other tx's as adjuncts to what the doc prescribed since you're having so much trouble getting the right dose in her.

Have you considered having it "FLAVORED" at the Pharmacy?
They USUALLY can only do it when you first go to pick it up. Usually once it has been taken from the pharmacy they don't let you bring it back and flavor it. ALTHOUGH, I would call and speak to the pharmacist and just maybe they will permit it and work with the rest of the RX and flavor it. It usually runs about $3... Some RX's can't be flavored but consider if it is VERY BITTER using a SOUR to counteract the bitterness. Something like Grape Aid or Lemon Aid, if it is available for that particular RX.

I have been looking online for info although this is what I have found thus far:

An orange colored, orange-vanilla flavored liquid, contains 125mg griseofulvin in a palatable suspension.

If this is what she is taking you MAY be able to add some other flavor to it. I am not sure as I am not at work and I am a Pharmacy Tech. Please consider talking to your Pharmacist about this so that the child will be compliant and take the meds so that the diagnosis can be cured.

Oh, I just noticed too that your little girl is only 2 that too can be a factor in the RX and why there is no alternative. If you look at the side effects of some of the other possibilities if she was older or an adult... they want the best course of action for her to get rid of it.

You may have to see when talking to the Pharmacist if you can break down the dosage over a certain time period maybe that too will help her keep it down. Have you tried to give it to her with food? (Is that a possibility?) Maybe she is vomiting due to the empty stomach? Have you looked inside your patient leaflet and see what it says?

Remember to do what is best for you and your family. I know you have other responses but I sure hope I helped in some small way.

I've never had experience with ringworm but the following are some recommendations that I found after a google search & reading treatments for ringworm in Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

* Tea Tree Oil - A natural antifungal. Soak a pad and apply topically.
* Genetian Violet - Apply topically but turns the skin purple.
* Kolorex - An herbal product from Nature's Sources effective for ringworm. Available in capsule or cream form.
* Colloidal Silver - A natural antibiotic that destroys some 650 microorganisms. Use a sterile pad and apply colloidal silver to the affected areas.
* Crushed, Raw Garlic - Use a sterile gauze pad or cotton ball to cover the affected area. Do not use tape or a plastic bandage because this promotes dampness.

Supplement recommendations while dealing with a fungal infection:
* Acidophilus - supplies the friendly bacteria to the digestive tract that are essential for people with fungal infections.
* Garlic - neutralizes most fungi.
* Vitamin C - needed for proper immune function.
* Zinc - needed for proper immune function.
* Essential Fatty Acids - For relief of pain and inflammation.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

Peace,
J.

can't they give a medicine you put on the skin.. All it is is a fungus like Athlete's Foot.. btw the anti-fungal creme they sell over the counter for that does work with ringworm. I've used it on my kids. Works faster

Chill the medication as well. The coldness dulls the flavor. Kroger/Rite Aid and some other pharmacies offer the strong flavoring, I would ask which is the strongest flavor to cover it. If I remember right cherry is one of the strongest, which is why so many meds have that flavor.

Ohhhh...poor baby! I would think you could still try the cream directly on the ringworm, unless it's a large area...my only other offers would be have you tried pudding??? We use that sometimes with older patients. Applesauce might be a try too, but don't chose something that she really likes....that can turn her off of that afterward. Maybe mix it with a pudding that she will eat all of it...or just a few spoonfuls mixed with the med. Best of luck and hope she can manage it. I've had to physically hold my child down and give him meds that were nasty, so may just have to be "mean."

Just remember, if she does throw up, do not give her another dose....you can actually overdose someone by doing this. Just consider it done and move to the next day.

I have never had that medication, but my 3 yo daughter had to take a medication that was a pill (I had to crush). I would mix it in a cup with honey and some lemon juice and she swallowed it no problem (I think the honey coats it. You could try that.

I recently had a prescription filled at Rite Aid and noticed they have a variety of flavorings that can be added to medicines for about $3. Might be worth trying.

this ALWAYS worked for me no matter how bad the med was....get some Hershey kisses... give her the med and give her about 4 kisses. something about the chocolate takes the terrible after taste away. good luck!

Is it possible that you can put the dose in a medicine dropper and squirt it way back in the back of her throat so that her swallow reflex takes over and she gets it down? Perhaps do it in two or three different doses until it gets down? (If her dose is 1 tsp. a day, you could do 1/2 tsp. at a time.) Also, there is a tablet which you could probably break in two, but I don't know if you could get a child to swallow it.

So sorry to hear this. I had to take some horrible medication as a child w/ pnuemonia and it would make me vomit too. Try having her suck on ice right before the med and then let her suck it up w/ a straw or use th esyringe idea someone mentioned.I looked in my drug book and it only comes in a suspension form or pill.

I remember when I was little, I had to take an oral penicillin. ICK! My mom always gave me a hard candy/peppermint after to chase the flavor. I didn't get candy that much as a child so it was a treat. Actually, this week I had to get antibiotic drops put in my eyes and it drained into the back of my throat. The eye doctor told me to "chase it with a mint". So that is the best I can come up with! Sometimes you can't put certain creams on the head which may be why the oral suspension. Bless her heart for having to go through this.

have you tried using the bottles with the syringe in the middle so you can dispense a little at a time when they are drinking their favorite drink? They have them on the one step ahead website. They were a God send for me when my son had to take medicine for one year twice a day. Hope this helps:)

All of the pharmacies (kroger, walmart, kmart, cvs, walgreens, etc) around here offer flavor for syrup for $3 per. Theres like 300 flavors.....my kids like the bubble gum the best. I'd suggest starting there if possible.

Have you tried applesauce? Maybe the mango applesauce since its so sweet?

Another suggestion is to get a syringe type applicator from your pharmacist and just bypass the bitter tastebuds completely by squirting it down her throat....

Good luck!

Hi, my name is R.. My 8 year old had ringworm on her upper arm and her ped. Told me to put lotrimin af cream on it 2 time a day for 2 weeks. All gone. It is at walmart or any drugstore in the isle with the athlete's foot treatmeant.look on the back of the box under uses and it does say ringworm. Good luck. Well i just looked and the directions say use for 4 weeks. Maybe that is what i had to do. Hope all goes well. R.

The pharmacy can flavor medicine for like $2(kroger). They can tell you which flavors mix best with which medicines. Good luck!

Hi A.,

The pharmarcy can add a flavor to her prescription. Don't know if it is strong enough to cover the taste but maybe worth a try.

Otherwise, maybe making a small smoothie and putting the medication in it?

Good Luck!

I had to give my daughter a stool softner for a while and it was so bitter it made me gag! The only thing that would mask the taste was chocolate milk made with a good bit of chocolate syrup. Hope it helps!

I'm so sorry you, and especially your daughter, have to go through this! My suggestion to you is to buy a plastic medicine syringe to dispense that nasty medicine. You'll be able to point the syringe to the back corner of her mouth and shoot it in so it bypasses the taste buds. I hope this helps. It worked for my kids back in the day!

I have taken a pharmacy class so if you can tell me if the med is a pill or liquid, i may have some suggestions, i have dealt with people taking meds and we often mix it with jello or applesauce, ther are lots of fun ways to get her to not know she is getting meds.if you want get back with me and we will put our heads together on her likes and dislikes and see what we can come up with. Your friend B.

Hi A.,

There are alternative treatments. This is a response I wrote to another mom:

"Ringworm isn't really worms, it's a fungus. High grade tea tree oil will usually get rid of it as it is antifungal. A tea tree oil shampoo will help as well. Ringworm is stubborn and you may have to go the medical route if it's gotten to far. You don't want it to spread. The oil will keep it in check, if not get rid of it completely. She can also drink Melaleuca tea which actually tastes good and can be flavored with many things. I usually choose Elderberry extract as it makes it tastes good and it also helps build the immune system to fight bacteria and fungus.

Let me know if you'd like more information.

P.S. This is not a "home" remedy. Many medical doctors in other cultures use it for many purposes. The US military also used it in their dop kits in WWI before the onset of synthetic pharmaceuticals took over. If you do go to the doctor please make sure that whatever you use is safe to be absorbed into the skin and ultimately the brain. God bless!"

Hope I helped A.. If you need more information, feel free to ask.

M.

Give her a teaspoon of the Hershey's chocolate syrup by itself. Immediately after giving this to her give her the medicine. My son had to take a very horrible tasting medicine when he was about 2 years old. We couldn't get it in him and if we did it came back up. The pharmacist told me to do this. He said the chocolate has such a strong taste that it would lessen the horriblness of the other medicine. We did this and it worked. He even looked forward to taking his medicine because he got to have a teaspoon of chocolate syrup.