Need Suggestions for Administering Liquid Antibiotics to 17 Month

Is it a liquid medication? I fill my prescriptions at CVS and they have different flavorings that they can add to kids medicines. I think it cost one dollar extra.

Hi Z.-
You should try putting the antibiotic into a dispenser, like an eye-dropper. They sell these dispensers in Duane Reade, Rite-Aid, etc. It's easier to handle, and you don't have to worry about it spilling all over the place. It's also easier to place in the back of the mouth.
Hope this helps
K.

I agree to shoot the meds a little at a time into the cheeks...but then blow in her face....it causes them to breathe in/swallow the meds...my ped taught me that...and always ask for extra liquid meds(if your ped doesn't automattically give you some) it helps not to have to pay extra and then you have a little backup room if it comes flying back at you :) Hope your lil one is feeling better soon!! Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hi Z.,

Did your pharmacy put a flavoring into the medication? If not, that might help. Good luck!

S.

Liquid antibiotics are pretty nasty tasting. My dtr had been on a nasty tasting liquid medicine and hated it. Two things worked for us. I would make sicky sweet Kool Aide, measure out her medicine in a little medicine cup and then top it off with some of the sicky sweet Kool Aide, she would drink it all no problem and since it was such a little amount I knew she got it all (not like if I had put it in a cup). The second thing that worked was giving her marshmallows right after, she got the sweet taste and could not spit it out. Good luck!

We went through this and it breaks your heart! The only thing that worked for us was to have me cuddle him and gently pinch his mouth open so my husband could squeeze the dropper into the back of him mouth.

Good luck and speedy recovery-

Hi Z.,

I learned by my second child wait until they are sleepy almost going for a nap. This way I am holding them and Target has these medication syringes. I just press a little at a time on the inside side of his mouth so he dosen't spit it out. It is harder for them to when you put in on the sides. I learn this the hard way when you try and just give it to them straigt. ;/ Well anyway this is how I give the meds now.

Hi Z. -

Oh, I remember this problem!
What worked for me was a water bottle with a straw. Add a very small amount of a favorite drink. The straw helps bypass the taste buds and with one good suck it's all over!
Your daughter may be a bit young, but it might work. Don't make it a big deal - "After this is, we'll cuddle with your favorite blanket." - or something that works for her. Switch approaches around or have someone else give it to her.
Have you talked to her doctor (or pharmacist) about it? I had to push for chewables when my kids were little because they only come in a certain dosage. The reality is that if the med is getting spilled all over (or spit out) that's not the right dose either. If the tablet needs to be cut in half, it's still closer to the correct amount.
I really feel for you about this. It's hard enough that your child is sick without having to MAKE them do something they don't want to do. 'Yea to you!' for being persistant. She'll know you're taking care of her. Good luck!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !!! (:

Hi Z.,

My toddler has had long periods of medicine refusal and a few things have worked for us. Forcing was never one of them because he could always gag it out or knock the cup away from us. In the worst cases he could make himself so upset he would throw up the medicine. Letting him feel in control by telling him what it is and that it will make him feel better helped a lot. We started letting him hold the medicine cup and drink the medicine himself. When he was that young I think we mixed the medicine in a small amount of Gatorade or something sweeter than water or milk to drink. If you dillute medicine do not dillute it too much or your child will not drink it all and might start to distrust normal drinks.

Try a "shooter". It looks like a syringe, but without the needle! I got mine at CVS, and it works pretty well, although it can also be traumatic. I sometimes have had to put it almost all the way into her mouth, and at the end of her tongue/down her throat, and quickly push the plunger, to get the medicine in. Then offer a bottle right after. Good luck.

Hello, and good luck with this.
My first daughter was a very tough kid and at 10 months old (now 17) I gave her antibiotics. She fought me with all she had, and she had alot!! In the end, I had to sit on the floor, with her head between my legs, her arms under my thighs, and her legs under my calves, just to hold her down to take some medicine. With her head between my legs, she couln't move her head easily, so I didn't waste much medicine. She got over it eventually, and it wasn't so hard. It was traumatic, but it was the only way we could do it. And she was soon old enough to understand that she could have almost whatever she wanted to drink to wash it down.
Now with my 4th, now 2 1/2, she likes the syringes. I fill it to the proper dosage, and she sucks it out of the syringe herself. She also likes the medicine cups now that she can drink it up herself.

Ask for chewable tablets (which you may have to split because of your child's weight). My twins were awful when it came to taking liquid antibiotics but they would take the chewable tablets just fine. I remember having to explain this several times to my dr but it worked out sooooo much easier. Plus knowing they were getting 100% of their medication relieved the stress.

Hi Z.,
You can try an oral syringe, which shoots the medicine to the back of her mouth, beyond where the taste buds are. Also, many pharmacies are able to add flavoring to children's medicines for a small charge.
Good luck!

Get a medication syringe from the pharmacy. Squirt the medication in small amounts along the cheek near where the molars will be. This will force her to swallow the medication. She won't be at risk of aspirating(inhaling) the medication.(this could happen if you squirt it at the back of her tongue and she is crying.) Crying will likely be involved but it is short lived. This worked well for my children who refused medication at that age.

We use a syringe kind of thing to squeeze it into our kids' mouths. Also, the antibiotics we get are flavored.... for instance, recently all 3 of my kids had strep throat and the antibiotics were orange flavored....

most pharmacies will flavor children's medicine. If it doesn't already have flavor, you could try that- they can do almost any flavor you could want - even bubble gum :)
good luck :)

You could try to do it the way nurses administer vaccines - tip the baby back, and drop a few drops at a time into her mouth. She'll probably scream...which will keep her mouth open.

You could also try mixing it into something, like apple juice? Try to mask the flavor. If she still takes a bottle, I've also seen itty bitty bottles specifically sold to administer medicine.

Good luck!!

When my 18mos old needed to take them recently, she rejected the dropper. Instead, I would put tiny drops in her spoon and feed it to her. Sometimes I'd even let her put it in her mouth so she could feel in control. It took a bit longer but she thought it was fun and I was able to get her to take it. After the fear/stress was gone, she started taking it via dropper again. Good luck.

Ask the pharmacy for the syringe. I had more than one. Give one to your daughter and let her play with it-in the sink, tub, etc. so she can see that it's harmless. Use the syringe for the medicine and "shoot" it into the side of her mouth-towards the cheek. She will automatically swallow it, and it bypasses the tongue. This worked for all three of my children at that age. Good Luck!!

If its liquid, did you try a spoon or small cup. This works for my daughter 18 months old. She wont do it in the medicine cup, no idea why. Good luck, hope he/she bettter. Mine has a cold now and is very cranky.

You can try mixing it in her milk bottle.