Disguising the taste of antibiotic

tyllwyd

Hi ! Apologies if this is not in the right place but I couldn't see anywhere better.

My 4 year old DD has got an ear infection, so she's got some antibiotics to take in liquid form. Only thing is, she absolutely hates it, and bribing her with chocolate is only working after at least ten minutes hysteria.

Does anyone have any bright ideas on any other way I can give it to her apart from on a spoon? I can't see a syringe being any better.

Penny-Pincher!!

Is it the banana one? I would probably hide in a milk shake or glass of milk.

PP
xx

lindseykim13

i have total sympathy for you both my boys hate the stuff and my then 4yr ended up in hospital beacuse he kept spitting it out (nasty and complicated tosilistus) he had to have it through a drip!
The tricks i have tried is to buy a fruit shoot and tip most of it out into another container leave a small amount in the bottle and add the dose to that for her to drink (orange flavour one works best) i have mixed it in with a spoon full of yoghurt, milk as youngest always drinks the lot so doesnt notice the small orange colour to it. (if you have the horrid orange stuff) i have had to forse them so many times to take it through suringe its just awfull, hope you find a way x

Nile

tyllwyd wrote: »

Hi ! Apologies if this is not in the right place but I couldn't see anywhere better.

My 4 year old DD has got an ear infection, so she's got some antibiotics to take in liquid form. Only thing is, she absolutely hates it, and bribing her with chocolate is only working after at least ten minutes hysteria.

Does anyone have any bright ideas on any other way I can give it to her apart from on a spoon? I can't see a syringe being any better.

Hello tyllwyd

Have you thought about giving her an ice lolly to suck? Then while her tongue is still cold and numb............give her the medicine and she won't be able to taste it so well.;)

Poor thing, I remember having an ear infection when I was little...............and I would've swallowed any nasty concoction to take the horrific pain away.:eek:

Regards

Nile

THIRZAH

The ice lolly idea would help. I have a heart murmur and have to drink a small glass full of antibiotic-the pale yellow one- before going to the dentist .I suck an ice cube before drinking ,hold my breath so I can't smell it and gulp the revolting stuff down.

Skint_Catt

Holding your nose means you can't taste it until you let go, so before she lets go put a sweetie in her mouth to take the taste away.

C xx

pigpen

If you think she would take it in tablet form ring th eGP and ask for an alternative prescription. I have to have tablets forms for my 3 year old.. have done since she was very small as she just refuses to take medicine... even calpol!!

The only one she will take is syrup of figs which we gave her when she was 'bunged'!!!!

Gingham_Ribbon

You might get some more inspiration in the health board so I'll move this over for you.

kunekune

I know this has been moved but ...

My 8 year old has Down Syndrome and is fairly susceptible to infections. Mostly, we have resorted to hiding the drug in something else, eg, apple puree. But this time round (double ear infection, yawn, not again, oh yeah) we tried bribery. If he does a big mouth and drinks the medicine, he can have some choccy milk. It WORKS.

We didn't think it would. He is not normally rational. So I would suggest trying simple bribery as your first line of attack ...

tyllwyd

Thanks everyone!

I was in total despair when I posted, at lunchtime we'd had hysterics (from both me and her), hiding her mouth, taking the chocolate bribe then totally refusing the medicine - in the end she'd took it and had a drink straight away after.

But in the evening, when her dad came home she told him how good she'd been with her medicine, and when I fetched it she swallowed it down without a murmur! So I guess lots of bribery and lots of praise (and a child who will do anything as long as its her own idea) won the day.

alison6692

Hello x

Glad you have sorted it.

My advice is do not hide it in anything as eventually children work it out anyway - then they become very mistrusting about drinks and foods you give them.

On my ward we use sticker charts - maybe try that if it happens again! Then when its full they get a prize! Yay - bribery works brilliantly x

Alison x