Icky Medicines.....how Do I Get Her to Take Them??

First off, they make two tsp. droppers. Just ask at the pharmacy and they will give it to you. So, here's what I do. I get a spoon of ice cream let my son have a taste first, then the medicine chased with the rest of the ice cream. He will even hold the syringe and administer himslef and gets sooo excited for his treat! Works great, breakfast, lunch or dinner...And if Ice cream doesn't grab her than think of another bribery she loves...
Good Luck

Hello,

First of all, you need to request that the doctor do a culture and sensitivity test on her urine, not just a quick dipstick test on the urine there in the office. Then, once the specific bacteria is known, he can prescribe a more specific medication than just Septra, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic. Many UTI's are sensitive to Cephelasporins, but whatever the sensitivity of the bacteria, the more effective the medication will be. Septra is like shooting at is with a shotgun, while meds prescribed after a culture and sensitivity test is like shooting it with a rifle. It's much more accurate and effective. Once the most appropriate med is give, then you can worry about how it tastes.

Good Luck!!!

Hi, I know this is no fun at all and I think I prob trie everything. The easiest thing I found to do was to put it in a sippy cup with a LITTLE bit of a drink. This way you are sure she is going to drink it all. If it is a milky perscription use milk if not use juice of some sort. Mine is a little older than yours and they beg for soda because at our house soda is a treat. So I sometimes even trick her and give it to her with a little bit of sprite in a sippy cup. Sometimes she can still taste it but it gets drownded out and if you use just a little liquid to mix it, it usually works. Good luck. Oh yeah, when it does not work, your right you will have to hold them down and force it. That sucks!!!

Sometimes my 2 year old does the same sort of thing. I give him a cup of water to hold and let him take a sip after a little sip of medicine until it's gone. I also use one of those medicine syringes, even my older kids like using it just because they think it's funny.

Ask your pharmacy for a large syringe (no needle of course). This will let you give an exact dosage at one time and you can "shotgun" it down the side of the throat quickly. One trick I learned about doing things while dh is away (which is often as he his military) is to use a pillowcase to put their arms in behind their back (learned from a childrens hospital er visit). Put the opening of the case facing the ceiling and insert both arms in and pull up to the kids armpits. Lay them down on the pillowcase (their arms will squirm to their sides but they won't be able to pull them out). Straddle the kid and administer the medicine. Blow on their face to get them to swallow (learned from a nurse).

I'm curious about the UTI (only b/c my daughter was mistakenly diagnosed several times with UTI, yeast infection, etc.. and it was none of that-- common constipation was causing impacted feces to press against her bladder causing painful spasms).

As far as the medicine... does she normally protest about taking medicine? My children have always been great medicine takers, even when it tastes yucky, which most of it does. Usually the dosage is administered not with a dropper, but with a plunger/syringe thingee. They are always given a cup of something to drink to hold in one hand while I "shoot" the medicine in their mouth, so they can IMMEDIATELY follow it with the drink to help wash the taste away. Be sure that you are not "asking" her if she is ready for her medicine or any of those common "traps" that we can unwittingly fall into. Tell her it is time, then explain (matter-of-factly, not apologetically) how it will happen. My suggestion is to tell her (also matter-of-factly) that once she's taken it, she will receive ___ (whatever you want to reward her obedience in taking this offending medication - 3 M&Ms, a lifesaver, a book being read to her, whatever). You have to be really careful about making it sound like she has any option about taking the medicine (she doesn't), but reward, reward, reward her for doing it without an argument. That is how I have always approached dispensing medication with my kids.. even when it is drops in the eye for pink eye, or drops in the ear for ear infection/perforated ear drum, or saline spray up the nose with sinus infections.
Hope she is well soon.

Try using a bigger dropper so you only "torture" her once. When my kids got an awful tasting med, we would insert the dropper between their cheek and molars (all the way in the back- like they do doggies) where they just have to swallow. There is less med on the tongue so not so much protest. Offer lots of water to wash down whatever taste is left. Good luck, hope she's out of it soon.

Call the pharmacy and ask if they can flavor the medicine. They do it with most children's meds now. I had the same problem with my daughter's allergy medicine. She has never complained about a medicine before, always been very good about taking it. But this stuff was really bad. I called and they said to bring it back and they will flavor it.

Hi Heather I am not sure where you live but my Publix will add any flavor grape, cherry, bubble gum, to my childs medications you might what to try that!!
Good luck!

Hi Heather,

I know Walgreens and I am sure other pharmacies have flavors they can put into bad tasting medicines for children. The cost is $2.99 extra. I know some people this is difficult to add due to the economy but I have no other ideas. I hope this helps.

My 3 year old son is the same way. I have found that the V8 banana strawberry juice is thick enough that it will mask any nasty tasting meds. I make sure to only put 1/4 cup of juice to meds ratio to make sure he will drink it all. If he is still refusing to drink the juice I come at him with the sippy in one hand and the meds dropper in the other and give him the choice. He takes the spiked juice every time. Good luck!

The last time my daughter had a UTI she took some form of amoxicillin.

As far as taste goes, you may want to give your pharmacy a call about having them add in a flavor. I know Wal-Mart pharmacy has several flavors available (grape, strawberry, bubblegum). It doesn't change the effectivness of the medicine. If they won't let you bring in what you have and add a flavor to it, as the song from Mary Poppins goes......"Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down......" I have to admit that before finding out about the flavor additives my daughter did have to take a medicine that was horrible and it took putting just a little sugar into the dropper with the medicine to get her to take it.

Good luck!

Heather, hold her down with you "sitting" over her so your legs "hold her arms down and have her take the medicine." Basically, force it. I've had to do it MANY times. I have 3 children so I feel your pain. Hiding it in foods and drinks doesn't work, at least it's never ever worked for me. They can detect that foreign taste. If she was in the hospital and was refusing her meds, they would get nurses, not just one, but as many as needed to get her to take it. My sister is an R.N. and I consulted her many times for advice. If your doctor can prescribe something else, that is great but it's also a waste of medicine for you if you go that route. With one free hand, pinch her cheeks so her mouth opens and quickly dispense the medicine. I would also suggest that you measure out her total dose in a little plastic medicine cup so that you can give it to her all at once. You could also ask your pharmacist for a larger dropper if you do not have a medicine cup but then again a pharmacy should have one on hand too.

there are hundreds of antibiotics call the doc and ask for achang in meds

ask the doctor if there is a better tasting alternative!!!

Not all UTI's are the same! What works for one infection may not work for another....it depends on the type of bacteria causing the UTI. Pediatricians are well aware that kids won't take a medicine they don't like, so I'm sure your doctor has dealt with this problem before and would know exactly what to do.