2 yr old stressing whilst given antibiotics?

Question

My 2 year has just been released after 4 days in hospital with pneumonia. We have to continue his course of antibiotics orally through a syringe and he freaks out each time. The medicine is yucky and gritty and each time we give him it he coughs so much he vomits it all up again. He is not eating well so I can't mix it in his food and the only thing he is feeding on is milk. Don't really want to mix it in that as it might put him off drinking the milk. The hospital don't seem to have any decent ideas for me so any ideas from the wise world of the YahooAnswers community would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Can you get one of the pharmacy flavors added to it? That might help with the taste although not the grittiness.

If you slide it between his cheek and teeth and administer slowly while he is napping he may take it without realizing (just give it *really* slowly so you don't gag him). It won't help with every dose but may help with a couple of them.

Some kids are more OK with things they don't like if you explain what you are going to do (and why) before you do it (that depends on the personality of your child, though).

Hope this helps, and I hope your son gets feeling better soon!

Answer 2

How did the hospital give him this medication?
Maybe you could ask the doctor to change the medicine to something similar but in a flavored liquid form...
Try giving him the medicine a little bit at a time..not all at once.
He should be drinking more juices, I would think, rather than a lot of milk...milk and medicine sometimes don't mix too well together.
Could you try putting the medicine in some juice, a little bit at a time? Maybe he would take it then..
Or how about making him some freeze pops of some kind with the medicine in it? Maybe that would work.

Answer 3

Time for bribery. Chocolate, sweeties, horrible fizzy drink...doesn't matter. Get it in him somehow.

The only other thing is, look at the side-effects on the medicine bottle. Is it one of the antibiotics which causes nausea? If so, you could ask whether he can take a different one. My son has always been a "sicky" child and there's one antibiotic which always makes him throw up, they just give him a different one. One time when he was having real problems with throwing it up they gave him a tiny dose of a much stronger one, because what was making him sick was the big syringeful of slimy texture. 1 ml of something disgusting-tasting but runny went down much better and stayed down.

Hope your little boy feels much better soon!

Answer 4

He might not like the flavoe of the medicine. The Pharmacy can change it any flavor to make it taste different. It would cost 2 or three dollars and if he still doesn't take it tell him if he doesn't take his medicine and keep it down that he would have to go back to the hospital. After he takes his medicine give him a glass of water to get the taste out. Or tell him if he takes his medicine and keep it down tell him he would get a special treat afterwards.

Answer 5

maybe you can get a different antibiotic that isnt gritty call your doctors office and see if they cant change it for you . be sure to tell them that he vomits after each dose and is not getting the medication

Answer 6

aww sorry your little one is ill. heres what we have found that works

have dad hold him down arms and legs tip his head way way back. use one hand to pry his mouth open the other to stick the syringe as far back as you can get it and shoot it in rub his neck to get him to swallow. all medicine is nasty but he has to take it or go back in the hospital

Answer 7

talk to your pharmacist about flavoring the meds. most places offer that now. the only other thing i can think of is putting it in applesauceor jello. i know you said he isn't eating well but maybe he'll eat that. i hope he's well soon.