How to get him to take medicine

So, the GI wants me to try Prilosec on DS. He refuses to believe that my son will not take medicine.

We've tried Zantac, Prevacid (in suspension) and Prevacid solutabs. Tylenol, Motrin. Nurses have had to try to give him Tylenol, Tylenol with Codeine, the rotavirus vaccine, and a couple other random things. They fail as miserably as I do, so I know it's not just me.

He's 10 months old, btw.

We've tried droppers, syringes, nipples. Mixing it with formula. Grape, cherry, bubblegum, plain.

If he sees a syringe or dropper, he cries and won't open his mouth. If we force it in, he screams, gags, and ultimately chokes on it, and throws it up. At *best* I can get half a dropper of Tylenol to stay in him. If it's through a nipple, he'll not suck after the first taste, and commence wincing, gagging, heaving.

I told the GI all this. He insists that since my son has reflux, and "trouble with volumes" we need to treat it. I insist that while he does have reflux, it doesn't interfere with his volume intake - he's just a small baby so he eats small amounts! (We're hovering around 12 lbs and he's eating 5ish oz a feed. And doesn't eat solids, though I offer him some every day.) But I agreed to TRY, and he agreed that diluting it into 5-6 oz of formula, while not ideal, is better than him not getting anything at all.

Well. I tried that this morning. 2 ml of medicine, 6 oz formula. He got 1 oz in, and started wincing, and then gagging, and then heaving. I calmed him down, tried again, no go. Not willing to ruin the eating experience, I quit and remade his bottle with no medicine.

Any other ideas before I report back to the GI that Prilosec isn't going to happen either? I worry that he'll eventually need antibiotics and we'll wind up in the hospital with an IV because he will not swallow it.

 

Oh gosh, that does not sound fun. I have one daughter with reflux, who also tried Zantac, Prevacid and then Prilosec. Mine refused anything in a medicine dropper or syringe and if I forced it, she'd immediately throw up like your son. To this day she can't take anything from a syringe or it makes her puke (she's 17 months old). I mixed the Prilosec in with her breastmilk or formula and she actually took it just fine. You might want to try for a few days to see if your son can get used to it. You'll waste some formula in the meantime, but maybe mix up two bottles, one with meds and one without. Prilosec when compounded is incredibly bitter and will definately flavor the formula. You could also try adding some fish oil to the formula/ Prilosec mix to mask the taste. We use a great natural brand that has a strawberry flavor.

Reflux can damage the esophagas if untreated. If you're sure your son has it, you probably want to keep trying with the medicine if you can... good luck!

 

If he is 10 months old, what about mixing it with juice? Will he drink out of a sippy cup? I don't have any ideas besides that.

 

What about sticking it in his bottle?

I just sneak attack my girls, before they know what's going on they've already swallowed it.

 

Can you mix it into his cereal? (Or some other strong-tasting food that he loves?)

 

I am sorry...trust me I know how frustrating it can be to have expensive medicine spit all over you and them and the floor...ugh! No advice from me except maybe call the pedi and see if they have any suggestions. Good luck!

 

I just saw a wonderful product at onestepehead.com It is a syringe that fits into a bottle, so you can give the right amount of medicine with a yummy drink. You could also see if he is able to chew a tablet yet. My DD would absolutely not take liquid medicine, but did just fine with chewables. I guess I started that at about 11 mo with her, but she probably could have chewed sooner. Most meds do have chewable option, just ask your pharmacist.

 

I've got one of those! We went back to the Prevacid solutabs (they are sweet), and I dissolve them in water. Then I take the tiny syringe and slide it into the side of my daughters mouth while she is taking her bottle. It takes forever to "slip her a mickey", but I get it done. The Reglan is harder - I end up wearing a lot of that one, it tastes like gasoline smells...

Sounds like your son's gag reflex is pretty strong. Good luck to you!

 

I know how hard it is when you've tried everything! My DD loves to drink out of a cup, especially if she saw me having a sip. Can you try to mix it with some juice (maybe prue to mask the taste?) and offer sips from a cup or even from a spoon?

Just wanted to add that my twins were tiny, like your son. They weighed almost 14 lbs. when they were a year old. They're were on meds until age 2. They'll be 5 in January and they both weigh about 30 lbs. They're small but healthy, wild and TOTALLY NORMAL!! just tiny! Good luck!