4 year old needs to take meds but refuses.

toniq

My daughter has a severe bout of tonsilitius and has been prescribed penicillin, which she point blank wont take.

She will take calpol and calpol only, nurofen she was sick on a few times so refuses that even with/after food.

We have tried to disguise it, but no joy, it's spotted,tasted,looked at suspiciously.

She does have high functioning aspergers so we are now at the situation where all morning she has told me no doctor medicine approx 100 times.

Her appetite is reduced with the illness so she is only eating light food like crackers,toast,yoghurt tubes, so no way to hide it in her food.

I have to give this for 10 days so finding way to hide it every 6 hours for the next 10 dys, thats 40 times has me totally bewildered.

It's important she has this as her temp got very high and she ended up with febrile convulsions and at the walk in centre.

Not asking for medical advice, I just don't want my daughter admitted into hospital over this.

Any tips appreciated.

heuchera

Is it liquid penicillin or tablets?


No food/tv/treats until she takes her meds. You're in charge, not the 4 year old

Nicki

What worked with my DD who has autism and severe learning difficulties and point blank refused to take her epilepsy medication when she started having fits was to tell her that she could have a chocolate button as a treat if she took it, get the medicine ready in an oral syringe first, then lay the chocolate button out in front of her. She would then grab the chocolate button to try and trick us, and when she put it on her mouth we'd slip the syringe in at the side and squirt the medicine in. As she didn't want to spit out the chocolate she'd take the medication. And then we followed up with another button for being a good girl. After only 3 or 4 times of doing this she was happy to take her medication normally. And before we hit upon this tip we'd had over 100 wasted attempts spat over the floor.

There are other techniques out there and if you look on the Great Ormond Street website some of these used to be on there but none of them worked for us. (Involving pinching noses and blowing in their faces etc). And disguising in food don't work for us either and you can't be confident how much of the dose has been taken that way if food isn't finished.

The other option may be to see if she will take them as tablets rather than liquid if your GP will play ball and let you try in different format. Much to our surprise, our DD will take tablets and capsules even though liquid medicine was always hard with her.

Hope she (and you!) feel better soon.

toniq

Liquid penicillin.

She isn't eating and just sleeping or on my lap so no treats to take away.

I realise I am the one in charge,she is a really good little girl who gets fixated over things and this is one of the things a new taste, which with her aspergers makes it into a major issue for her.

Thanks

toniq

Nicki wrote: »

What worked with my DD who has autism and severe learning difficulties and point blank refused to take her epilepsy medication when she started having fits was to tell her that she could have a chocolate button as a treat if she took it, get the medicine ready in an oral syringe first, then lay the chocolate button out in front of her. She would then grab the chocolate button to try and trick us, and when she put it on her mouth we'd slip the syringe in at the side and squirt the medicine in. As she didn't want to spit out the chocolate she'd take the medication. And then we followed up with another button for being a good girl. After only 3 or 4 times of doing this she was happy to take her medication normally. And before we hit upon this tip we'd had over 100 wasted attempts spat over the floor.

There are other techniques out there and if you look on the Great Ormond Street website some of these used to be on there but none of them worked for us. (Involving pinching noses and blowing in their faces etc). And disguising in food don't work for us either and you can't be confident how much of the dose has been taken that way if food isn't finished.

The other option may be to see if she will take them as tablets rather than liquid if your GP will play ball and let you try in different format. Much to our surprise, our DD will take tablets and capsules even though liquid medicine was always hard with her.

Hope she (and you!) feel better soon.

That sounds something that might be feasible, Thanks Nicki, I'll have a look at GOSH while she is asleep.

Nicki

heuchera wrote: »

No food/tv/treats until she takes her meds. You're in charge, not the 4 year old

How is that in any way helpful to say to a mum of a sick child who is worried and stressed at the moment about getting much needed medicine into said child?

Lack of food isn't going to do the child's recovery much good either!

tea_lover

Is there just the one flavour available? This is going back 30+ years but I used to get tonsillitis a huge amount and point-blank refused the yellow version of the medicine, but would happily take the pink one. Maybe worth asking your pharmacy if there's any other option?

Hope you find something that works soon x.

heuchera

toniq wrote: »

Liquid penicillin.

She isn't eating and just sleeping or on my lap so no treats to take away.

I realise I am the one in charge,she is a really good little girl who gets fixated over things and this is one of the things a new taste, which with her aspergers makes it into a major issue for her.

Thanks

I see what you mean. I tried googling to see if there was a penicillin that's taste-neutral. Apparently not, but if it's any consolation you're not alone!

http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/baby-794/drop-clinic-652/736258-4yr-old-wont-take-penicillin-any-suggestions-all.html

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childrens_health/1346508-Help-Cant-get-toddler-to-take-penicillin-medicine

heuchera

Nicki wrote: »

How is that in any way helpful to say to a mum of a sick child who is worried and stressed at the moment about getting much needed medicine into said child?

Lack of food isn't going to do the child's recovery much good either!

Yes, I now see the child has some kind of autism which would make her freak out at anything new, including new tastes.

But normally you should be strict with a child when it comes to medicines.

Ignore my previous post!

Tigsteroonie

Even autistic 4yo children need to be taken in hand, we are still parents and they are still children

Our son will generally take medicine via syringe into the side of his mouth, but sometimes it does take one of us holding him to stop the waving arms/hands which another squirts and holds his chin to prevent spitting out.

pigpen

Most of them do taste disgusting.. I wouldnt want to take them either.. My daughter had a white version of one of them and she wouldnt take any medicine for months after it was absolutely vile.. and had a long lasting very bitter aftertaste.. different manufacturers can use the same AB and it tastes completely different!

Go back and ask for one you only have to give every 12 hours.. it halves the number of doses obviously! We did this with Squeak.. then one held and one squirted.. but it was pretty traumatic.. she wouldnt even take calpol or ibuprofen either. Different brands have different flavours. we tried them all until we found one that was palatable!

Don't mix it in anything.. that makes it worse!

Bribery with something she does like may work .. ice cream (only needs to be a tablespoon full really not a huge portion), ice pops, ice lollies maybe.. otherwise pinning and forcing is the only way if you are prepared to traumatise you both!.. it does feel utterly horrible doing it.