Getting My 5 Year Old to Take Her Medicine!

Definitely call the doc and request another prescription for the liquid. My daughter still hates pills at 23yrs!!!

Hi B.:

I would call the pediatrician's office and let them know that your daughter is having a hard time with the chewables. Maybe the best thing would be a liquid form of antibiotics. And if liquid is better for her, than have the pediatrician note this in her file and be ready to remind them. Moms always know better. And remember, learn to listen to gut instinct.

Did you know that for a small fee, the pharmacy can flavor liquid medicines to just any flavor that your little one could desire? I'd give it a try.

D.

When my son was 4 he was the same way with miedicine only he would not take it, we had to hold him down which was just to heart breaking and he would spit it up anyway when, we did everything even hid it in his juice, it did not work. We eventually had to go back to the Dr. because he was not getting better and was running a constant high fever. Eventually the Dr. gave him a shot of Penicillian which worked. The Dr. asked him straight out do you want to take this medicine or should I put it in a shot, he opted for the shot! But that was years ago, now days they have antibiotics in fun flavors and even lollipops, check it out. Target has a pharmacy where you can pick out of 30 flavors I believe, crazy but obviously we are not alone. Go get her something yummy.
Good luck.

That is very strange that your doctor prescribed her the pills. Maybe you could call your doctor and explain the problems you have had trying to get her to take them and he can prescribe the liquid form. Otherwise if that doesn't work I would try crushing them up when she doesn't know and put in her drink, if she drinks chocolate milk she probably won't even notice. Good luck.

How about a little bribery? My daughters won't take medicine without a little treat after to "wash it down" I usually give them a few M&M's or a mini reeses. as they say " a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!"

I have done it with M&M's. They are pill sized and my little one chews the pill with teh candy. Even in teh am. It is a extra special treat since she is being so brave for taking the medicine.

M.

Call the doc and/or the pharmacist to switch the prescription to a flavored liquid preparation. If she'll be on it for 10 days, may be worth it not to have to fight the ear infection AND your little munchkin! :-) (Most antibiotics are available as liquid preps so don't know why they tried the pills on a 5 year old anyway...)

Have you called your pedi back? I would call and ask to have them call in liguid medicine. I've never heard of a five yr old taking big pills like that. Maybe there was an error between the pharmacy & dr? Just ask, i'm sure they'll change it! Good luck & hope she feels better soon!

Can you call the Dr and just ask him to perscribe the liquid instead? Might be easier and less tearful! Just a thought.

I tried those horse pills for my son last year and had the same issue. Have you considered calling your doctor and asking for the liquid medicine instead - have them call in a new prescription. This past time we had antibiotics I had them add grape flavor to it - my son loved it. (our doctor had a coupon so we didn't have to pay extra for the flavor).

I used to have nasty pills to take as a child and my Mom would let me choose a treat and I got to take a bite of it after each bite of the medicine... it helped, especially if I saved some for the very end when the after taste was the worst. Of course there were a few of the medicines that were so awful that I couldn't get them down no matter what I tried. When that happened my Mom usually called the Dr and explained the situation and asked for a liquid version which could be flavored. Now there are so many flavors available at the pharmacy that kids can choose from, and most of them usually help. Another option is to call your pharmacist and explain your daughter's difficulty in taking them. They often have really good suggestions or they might be able to flavor the chewable tablets for her.

Hope she is feeling better soon!!!

~ A.

I would suggest giving her pediatrician's office a call and explaining the situation. Most doctor's are getting into the habit of prescribing chewables specifically because most kids don't like to take the liquids. If you explain to them that your child is having a difficult time in taking the meds and that you'd prefer an alternative form (suggest which one she would take), they should call in that new form. Unfortunately, this does usually include a new co-pay if your insurance requires it.

Call the doctor and tell them it is not working with the pills and they should give you an alternative....liquid probably. Most doctors will do this for you.

Call the doctor and have him call in a liquid prescription. My 10 and twelve year olds still take liquids.

No great ideas for this round of meds, but in the future you can ask for whatever form you will need. My 3 year old was hospitalized and underwent lung surgery. He was on LOTS of meds, and he took them like a trooper until the very last week. Liquids worked well. We drew them up in a dosing syringe and shot them into the straw hole in his juice boxes. Worked like a charm. (if it helps, I am a nurse and this dosing method is both safe and effective)

Poor thing... Have you called the doctor to see if they can change the perscription to liquid base?? My daughter absolutely hates taking medicine (she is 8)... I too try everything, but in the end i always wind up just making her sit at the table until she finishes it... good luck! (and let me know if you find something that works!!)

it's hard for a 5 year old to swallow pills. What my doctor had suggested was to practice with m&m's (not peanut) & eventually they got it

That's definitely a tough one! We've been there. Now, when my girls get ear infections, I take them to Dr. Eva Shay. She is a D.O. who does osteopathic manipulations (different than chiropractor -- no snapping, cracking or popping). She also has shown me one manipulation to do at home which helps keep the eustacian tubes draining. We haven't used antibiotics for ear infections since going to her. I also use garlic oil drops. And, stay away from dairy products as they make any mucous secretions thicker. Sugar should be avoided as well since it lowers the immune system. I know I sound like a naturalist, health nut but it really does work!

Hi. I can relate. i'm a mother of 6, soon to be 7, and every one of them is so different. We've struggled with this same issue. If your daughter will take liquid medicine, I would recommend calling the Dr. and having him/her prescribe the med. in liquid form. Or, sometimes a different antibiotic will taste a lot better. Augmentin is one of the worst, even in liquid form, but there are usually a couple different meds they could give you that will take care of an ear infection. Also, you might ask the pharmacist for a recommendation of the least offensive smelling/tasting antibiotic that's prescribed for ear infections. The pharmacist may have a better idea of this than the doctor. good luck.

B.,
If I were you I would call the Pharmacy and or the doctor and tell them that the chew ables are not working for your daughter. I see no reason why they wouldn't be able to switch her prescription for you. Neither you or your daughter should have to go through such a battle each day.

I would call the M.D. and ask for the liquid if you think that would help. I have always given my kids the responsibility of taking their meds, whether liquid or pills. I hand them the meds and they administer it themselves. Giving them a little control sometimes helps. Good luck. R. mom to 4

I would go back to the pharmacist to see if the antibiotics are available in liquid form, perhaps with flavoring added. Many pharmacies have over 20 flavors that can be added to a whole variety of medicines - orange, cherry, bubblegum, chocolate, you name it. Otherwise, go back to the doctor and insist on an alternative. Not only is your daughter not getting the medication she needs, the situation is setting you up for a battle every time she is sick in the future. I think 5 is kind of young to master the pill-swallowing technique - my son couldn't do it until he was 12. You were wise to try it, but also wise to stop it. There are things you can do to prevent the ear infections by using nutritional supplements. Feel free to email me at ____@____.com for more information on a product that has worked for thousands of children. Good luck!

Get liquid instead, and teach her to hold her nose while swallowing and "chase it" with a beverage of her choosing. She is old enough to be a participant, and will feel like she has some control. When she is well you can show her with water and different juices. So much of taste is in smell. Good luck!

Have you spoken to her doctor about using a different antibiotic? If they can change it to liquid that would be your best bet. If not keep breaking them up and let her drink water or juice in between pieces. Thats what we did with our son. It's not an easy thing. But just keep telling yourself it's only for a few more days.....

hi B.:

my suggestion is to take her to a chiropractor....no need for meds then!! the ear infections will clear up with some persistence and he/she can show you how to "adjust" her ears at home which will keep the fluid draining where its supposed to....thats what i do if my daughter has an ear infection...make certain that you choose a chiropractor who treats children with a well care practice...it is awesome!!

S.

Honestly, I would just call the physician and ask to get her switched to the liquid, will save you both some frustration! Usually they are willing to change prescriptions easily enough, and hopefully isn't too expensive!

Call your pediatrician and tell them she has to have the liquid. The most important thing is that she takes the medicine. if she won't take them whole and halfed, if she won't eat them crushed, you really have to get another precription which is liquid. Usually the doctor will ask you if she can swallow or chew the pills before they prescribe the pills.

Simple solution is to call the pediatrician and request a new script for liquid antibiotics. kids her age shouldn't have to be forced into taking pills, chewable or not. my kids are 10 & 12 and I still get liquid for them. its so much easier.

The first thing I would do is call your daughters pediatrician and ask for a new prescription for the liquid form. That had happened to me once with my daughter Emily. I had attempted with peanut butter, jelly, honey. Not worth the agony to me or my daughter.
Good luck!!
S.

She might be able to swallow them tucked in sorbet or yoghurt so they slide down. If she needs to chew them, I don't know how you feel about sweets, but I wouldn't hesitate to bribe with chocolate or whatever reward is acceptable to you.

Hi! sounds like the doctor's office or pharmacy dropped the ball on the prescription! Usually the doctor will ask your preference but,with a 5 year old, liquid is mostly prescribed. I'd call the doctor back and explain what's happened. They should then call the pharmacy and have them fill what's left on the prescription in a liquid.
It's not worth the battle to try and hide the meds from your daughter when you can just get a liquid :) Especially when she already doesn't feel well! Good luck!!

Why not go back to the pharmacy and tell them she can't take the pills? Have them refill it as liquid.

Of course, another thought is to put them in pudding or something. And, I would always arm my daughter with her favorite juice to chase her meds - cough syrup, etc.

Good luck!

I have tried putting the chewables in pieces of banana. The strong taste and smell of the banana helps get rid of the taste and after taste. The other thing you can do is use Coke or Ginger Ale as a "chaser". My older 2 were on antibiotics for strep and had a hard time taking the liquid medicine due to the taste. So I would pour them about an inch of Coke in a cup for them to drink right after they downed their medicine.

I'm surprised they gave you the chewables without asking you first because my doctor's office always asks which we would prefer. If she continues to have issues, call the pediatrician's office, make sure they understand the issue and ask if she can have the remaining medicine in liquid.

I would call the doctor and ask for a different prescription. My son hated the amoxicillin for ear infections and had a hard time taking it, so I asked for something different and they gave him soemthing else.

You should call the Dr and get the liquid, that is ridiculous that they expecy a 5 yr old to chew them! And even worse, they expect you to deal with it too..... i would call... good luck, hope she feels better soon!

CHEWABLES----The Horror! I know exactly what you are going through, my youngest can gag up anything! Two options, call your Dr. explain, and get a new smaller prescription written for liquid only (Wallgreens even flavors it, upon request, to make it more palatable). If that's out of the question try my PLAN B: Our Auntie C.(who is a nurse practitioner) crushes up the pills, or cuts them with a super sharp knife on the cutting board. Take an adult cereal spoon and squirt a dab of Redi-Whip, add chopped medicine, then a bit more Redi-Whip. After all the medicine is down one more bit of Redi-Whip. We let my son participate in the process, he still hates taking medicine but the Redi-Whip is the "spoonfull-of-sugar-that makes-the-medicine-go-down", not delightful but effective! Best of luck!

I have 3 year old twins and they refuse to take any kind of medicine...we have reverted to putting liquid antiobiotics in yogurt, icecream or gingerale....not the best solution, but works for us when they really need the medicine.

call your doc and tell them they prescribed you the wrong thing, ask him to call in the liquid!

Hi,
My 5 year old son had the same problem just a few weeks ago. Is the antibiotic Amoxycillin? Eventually, I just called the doctor and asked for a new prescription for the liquid version.

To get my 5 year old to take antibiotics I have to mix it (crushed) with a bit of vanilla frosting. Not the healthiest (lol) but he takes it, and I don't think a little bit is going to hurt. You know the saying "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!"

call your dr and get the liquid prescribed.. don't put your daughter thru anymore ... poor kid...