Howt to get her to take her antibiotics

Dani has an ear infection. She woke up this morning complaining so I took her to the pedi . Sure enough she has an ear infection in her left ear. Let the doctor look in her ear without a problem. and has fluid in her right ear but not infected.
Dani didn't wan't to take the medicine. Any tricks? She needs to take it for 10 days. I think I might just have DH give her the medicine before she goes to bed tonight.

 

We get our meds at Target, and they give you a dosing surringe--which helps alot! With Marcus, I take him to the store to pick out a small item. Once he takes his meds the first time, he gets the item. We also give it in small squirts, so as time goes on, we give bigger and bigger squits each time, so by the end, he gives it himself in one or two squirts.

 

:hug99: I am in the process of giving all mine Augmentin for ear infections. My 3 YO doesnt put up much of a fight with it. Have you tried asking the pharmacy if they can give you a flavor for it and have her pick what she wants?

 

Like Sharon we get ours at Target as well, and mine love using the syringe take their meds. They will also flavor them if you want them too. Good luck.

 

At 3 I would try the bribe first. If that doesn't work, maybe put it into drinkable yogurt. We've had to resort to trickery sometimes as well. It depends how much they protest. Antibiotics are a necessity so you do what you have to.

 

Can you mix it with ice cream? That sometimes works for us (at least with Amy -- Sarah doesn't like ice cream).

The only thing that's risky about that is if you put it all into ice cream or yogurt, and then they won't take it, you've wasted the whole dose. :unsure:

 

Mine enjoy taking medicine, go figure. But try those dosing syringes, I would think you could get it to the back of their cheek with them.

 

Ugh, I hate these moments. Yes, you can stick the syringe in the back of their mouths and squirt while they cry and choke and cough. It works. Mine go through stages. Right now I have a resistant one (who usually loves meds) and I have been sticking it in a little bit of juice that I made a little strong so it's extra flavorful and then using a straw. It's a bit of trickery, but this time it's working with no resistance.

I have in the past done much different methods. I have had to "wash it down" with a teaspoon of peanut butter, or mix it with a lot of sugar, or use yogurt. It's all a matter of what your child really likes. I hope you figure something out soon, and that you don't have to hold and force (although I've definitely done my share of that as well).

 

I'm curious as to why she's taking antibiotics if there's no infection. :search:

I agree with pps about tactics. We've done the squeeze the cheeks, squirt in the back and hold on til they swallow; giving a chaser of soda (which they never get so they usually go for that one); mixing it in a spoonful of jelly, pudding, frosting, anything they like that has a strong flavor. I like the idea of really strong juice to mix it with. I hate having to force meds but you do what you gotta do.

 

I want to clarify, I have never had to sqirt in the back of the mouth. We just do it in little bits by putting the syringe right past the teeth. Now, finally, Marcus will do it for himself We have done flavorings--WARNING the chocolate flavoring is NASTY! Stick with the berry flavors, much better

 

Have you tried to let her do it herself? I know I used to fight my kids and then I just decided to let them do it themselves and that solved all the problems. We have those medicine spoons they give you at the pharacy and they just drink it themselves! Works like a charm!

 

:blush: Duh, it was early. I just reread the OP and realized it's the OTHER ear with fluid and no infection. Sneaking away now.....

 

QUOTE(ktfan @ Apr 29 2008, 12:21 PM) [snapback]745913[/snapback]
:blush: Duh, it was early. I just reread the OP and realized it's the OTHER ear with fluid and no infection. Sneaking away now.....

I want you to know I went back to check that I typed that she had an infections. So just a summary, left ear is infected. Right ear is not infected but has fluid in it. With me also having a cold, I could have easily screwed up my post yesterday. I know I have a typo in the title.

I did get the medicine at Target. I think it is flavored. It is kind of funnyy. Dani likes the taste of the medicine, but not the taking it with the little syringe. This morning I used the syringe to measure it, and put it in a bigger spoon. She had no problem taking it. Of course she tried to say my ear does not hurt so I don't need it last night when DH was here helping. It was so funny listening to him try and explain to her why she needs to take it for the full 10 days.

 

Often our girls will just give themselves the syringe - they love to push it in all by themselves. But some things they're really not keen on. And although coercing them works for one or two doses, it seems to get harder and harder and doesn't ever seem practical for the whole course.

What I've begun doing is a bit of trickery. I have two syringes. The first is openly next to me, standing in a cup of water or milk. The other one is hidden next to me and has the medicine in it already, the outside of the syringe has been washed with water and wiped down (so no hint of what's inside). I give the girls a 2 or 3 goes with the syringe filled with what they like (milk, water or juice), one after another. Then I swap syringes and dip the pre-filled one in the water/milk so that the outside tastes the same. Quickly I give this syringe and then immediately go back to water/milk. Usually they swallow before they realise it's something else, but before they can protest they get the tasty thing again.

Sorry, it sounds far more complex than it is and it's too late at night for me to write articulately. Anyway, it usually works a treat because the girls LOVE the syringes. Maybe you could do something similar with a spoon if your child doesn't like the syringe?
lisa

 

honestly, and it may sound cruel but we just shove the syringe in thier mouth and squirt away. the pink stuff is actually pretty tasty. but even with some of the nastier medicines, we have found that if we just do it quickly, they are used to it after the 2nd or 3rd time. with the most recent medicine that my one dd is on (zantac), it is pretty nasty and strong tasting so I would just quickly shoot it into her mouth and then quickly give her juice to follow it down and kill some of the taste. now, we don't even need to give her juice. she is already used to the taste. i don't know if we have just been really lucky but our girls have always been really good with ALL medicines. it's never really been an issue and i think it's because we just do it quick and get it over with. GL

 

Thankfully mine will usually take meds with the syringe without a fuss, but there are a few times that I have to use a little force. When that is the case I try to get the syringe between the cheek and the teeth. That way they can't really spit it out too easily and end up choking it down. FWIW I do the same thing anytime I have to give the cat meds, that's where I got the idea from.

Good luck with the ear infections, I hope your little one is feeling better soon!

 

My kids also hated antibiotics. The only thing that worked is that I mixed with frozen yogurt or ice cream. That worked pretty well
good luck
m