6 Year Old Taking Medication

A friend of mine also dealing with ADHD tried the Daytrana patch for her son's ADHD. He also had a lot of issues taking pills and this proved to be the ideal solution. Something you might want to investigate with her doctor.

I've also heard of good results having kids practice taking pills by starting with M&Ms. Easy to come up with a rewards system for this strategy and M&Ms aren't very threatening. :)

Good luck!

6 moms found this helpful

Keep working with her, I hope it gets better soon!

There are many choices in ADHD meds, you might be able to find one in a patch form that works for her. I know, it is hard when you find one that helps, you dont want to let it go.

Stay strong, the whirl wind is about to come swooshing in to question her diagnosis at such a young age, and why you would "want" to use drugs...just ignore it.

I wish you well.

M.

5 moms found this helpful

Mix it with applesauce and some cinnamon. That's how were were able to get our son to take his medicine before he learned to take pills. Also, at our pharmacy, they have these spray bottles of bubble gum flavored pill glide liquid that you can purchase. Just spray her tongue twice with the liquid and that should help the pills go down a lot easier without sticking to her tongue.

Hope this helps.

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As a former pharmacy tech, I'd suggest that you make sure with the pharmacist first that it is okay to break open the capsule. Some meds are designed to have the capsule be a protective coating so that the meds are absorbed by the body when they should be (a delayed-release, either to extend the absorption time over the course of several hours, or so that it gets through the stomach without being dissolved by the stomach acid).

Several of the people gave great suggestions below, but I want to make sure you're not messing up the effectiveness of the drugs by taking them out of the capsule, first and foremost.

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Ummm? Ice cream? Ya know they sell those little ity-bity size ice cream containers..they are like 4 bites max? OR you could try a spoonful of sherbert or something?

Can you break them open and dump the granules in her mouth then follow it with a quick drink of apple juice or better yet, chocolate or strawberry milk?

I like the idea of getting her used to swallowing them by practicing on m&m's...

Good Luck to you! if the prospect of getting to eat Ice cream for breakfast doesn't work for her, I just don't know how to help:)

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Hi J.,

I had the same issue with my daughter. The way I taught her to swallow the pill is to first put the liquid in her mouth. Then have her hold the liquid in her mouth and look up (a little) and drop the pill in. Once the pill is in all she has to do is swallow like normal. She does not taste or feel the medicine go down. It took my daughter just a couple of times to master this. I really hope this will help because I know the frustration you are feeling. Best of Luck!!!

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Can you break the pill in half and have her swallow it that way? Maybe try putting it into orange juice.

Sometimes smaller doses come in smaller pills. Could you ask her doctor to write the prescription for more pills but at a lower dose, so she would take two each morning instead of one? But they would be smaller?

Ask her doctor for other recs, since it is important that she takes it each day.

3 moms found this helpful

You can try : Putting the pill in her mouth and using a straw to drink with. If she keeps her head down, the capsule will float to the back of her throat, makes it easier to swallow. If that doesn't work, some of these meds come it patch form.

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Hi J.,
I don't know how bad the pills taste so this might not hide it, but how about a mashed up banana or some yogurt? Good luck! I know how difficult it is to get medicine down!!
Cyndi

2 moms found this helpful

My son takes 2 meds for ADHD every morning too. Our doc suggested using a pill swallowing cup and it has worked very well for us! You can get them online at www.oralflo.com for $15. They look like a regular cup but there is a little compartment for the pill. When you drink from the cup the pill goes down too without any trouble. Also I give my son m&m's after he takes his meds to help get the taste out.

Good luck, I know it is a difficult journey all the way around.

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I would fix two glasses with juice - one with a small amount with the pill mixed in. Have her hold her nose and swallow the small amount. Then follow it immediately with the regular juice. Holding her nose will keep her from tasting it and the regular juice will wash away the bad taste in her mouth. I have to do this with my daughter every time she takes medicing because the bitter tastes make her gag.

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Hi J., I know I'm gonna get hammered for this suggestion, and please check with your pharmacist/doc, but does she like popsicles? Can you get one of those little homemade pop kits and dissolve a pill in her favorite drink and freeze it. They'd have to be really little I guess to be sure she gets the full dose.

Also, I've heard some other moms saying caffeine helps with their ADHD little one. I've seen those cute little cans of Coke. Could she have a pill dissolved in a little Coke every morning?

Good Luck and applause to you for getting your girl the help she needs!

1 mom found this helpful

All of the years as a kid, I was a horrible pill taker. I can finally swallow a handfill with a big gulp of drink. My mother had to crush pills between 2 spoons and then mix it with jelly. Then as soon as I swallowed it, I drank something I liked. Good luck.

We've had to find creative ways to disguise medicines & herbs over the years to help my son go tto the bathroom, and I've found peanut butter is great. Also, we have been known to sprinkle capsule contents into ice cream, milkshakes, and even syrup on french toast. If she likes ranch dip, maybe that would cover it well enough? I know some of those aren't normal breakfast fare, but in the interest of getting the meds down without a fight, sometimes it's better to pick your battles. Good luck!