Does anyone know how to give a very, very stubborn five-year-old medicine? My daughter and I were up at 4am and at the ER with a suspected appendicitis. They kept us there for hours to get fluids in her and to observe her. We were sent home “on alert” for appendicitis, but with a suspected UTI as well. She is supposed to take antibiotics, one teaspoon two times a day. She will never, ever take medicine. Luckily, she almost never has to. One time she had a fever, we had to give her a suppository (no, they don’t make antibiotics into a suppository). Anyway, we struggled and struggled for 45 min tonight just to get her to take it. She gets herself soooo worked up over it. I get afraid she will throw up because she gets so upset. We refuse to hold her down to get her to take it. We want her to do it herself. It is so stressful negotiating with her. It doesn’t matter what it tastes like. If you tell her it is medicine, she doesn’t want it. Any suggestions?
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My Child Won’t Take Medicine
July 13, 2007 — moodymommy127 Responses to “My Child Won’t Take Medicine”
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July 15, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Can you mix it with juice or soda–something she loves to drink–without telling her?
July 16, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Thanks for the advice. That won’t work for this one. She pretty much only drinks water. Once in a while she will drink hot chocolate, but I don’t think I could add it to that. When I telephoned the doc to tell her my daughter threw up when we “forced” her to take it, she informed me that her urine culture revealed she didn’t have a UTI after all and we could stop the meds. Phew! The doc told me that next time, she can get the antibiotics as a shot.
November 19, 2007 at 5:02 am
Did you ever figure out anything that worked? i have the SAME exact thing w/ my 6 yr old daughter. She is 80 lbs and hard to hold down – and gets worked up enough to throw it up. My 240 lb husband swore after he said “oh – i’ll give her the cough medicine – i’ll be back in a minute!!!” .. famous last words. He said he will NEVER give her medicine again… lucky me!
May 29, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I just had the same problem with my 6 year old daughter and she is also autistic. We tried everything, she would usually drink liquid meds with juice. (BUT Not know) only she knows why. So we had to give her shots in both legs (VERY PAINFUL) she would have to get three more like this, until I asked the doctors for a pill form and crushed it up and put in Ice Cream. She will only eat a hoodies ice cream and It has to have half Chocolate and Vanilla. If I mixed it up she will not eat it. SO I cut the ice cream in half put the meds on on half and put the top back on. THIS WORKED!!!!
November 24, 2007 at 3:24 am
No. If we have to give our daughter antibiotics again, we are planning to beg the doctor to give it to her in a shot (as stated earlier). I’d love some advice from others.
December 10, 2007 at 2:11 pm
OH MY! I thought I was the only one with this problem! I’ve tried rewards, taking things away, hiding it in any food product! The doctor’s office kept telling me “it’s not an option, she has to take it”. I feel like a terrible mother! Everyone keeps telling me “You’d better get control over her now or wait til she is a teenager”. I’m sick of it. I have internal angst over this let alone other people’s opinions! The doctor finally (after crying) agreed to give her Rocephin–that is the injectible antibiotic the last time she was sick. The shot is VERY painful (I’ve heard this from adults). The shot usually is given is each thigh. She is sick again, and this time, my daughter received the shots AND was supposed to take liquid medication for 10 days following. I quick hold her down and forcing it after 4 days and now she is sick again! I am at the end of my rope! She’s going to the doctor again today and I’ll let you know if we find a solution. I would not wish this on any mom ever!
December 11, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I had no idea the shot was any more painful than a typical vaccination. This is something to consider. Since my daughter is five, she may remember the pain and opt to take the medicine the next time she needs it. Luckily, my girl is hardly ever sick. I wish someone would invent a patch to give kids medicine. Just put it on their back and forget about it? How wonderful! Hey, I may blog about this at http://www.chicagomomsblog.com where I reach a larger audience. Thanks for commenting, my thoughts are with you and your daughter.
December 14, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I sympathize with all of you and have the same problem with my daughter. She is almost 10 and she too prefers to get a shot. (and yes the Rocephin in very painful but they will usually add lidocaine with it to numb the area). My daughter is so stubborn about this that she even had her tonsils and adenoids removed without even taking one dose of pain medicine. I am an ICU nurse and trust me I have tried several ways to try to get her to take her medicine, but it is always a battle. Today we found out she has a horrible ear infection and Rocephin is out of the question this time…I’m leaving it up to Dad this time. It’s a small dose 4cc only once a day.
December 14, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Christina, I’m so sorry to hear that. At 10, one would think she could be reasoned with. At least I thought we had that going for us for the future. Your daughter would rather be sick? Yikes!
January 10, 2008 at 5:24 am
My husband and I have struggled with giving our son medicine. We have had to hold him down, ask his preschool teachers (which that doesn’t work any more since he started school), and doctors to give to him. He won’t tell us when he’s in pain unless it is to the extreme. When we hold him down and give him meds he throughs it up. He just starting seeing a theropist due to his social anxiety (with adults, no longer a problem with kids that I can see) and she said not to hold him down but now says you have to do what you have to do. He can still taste the meds in his drinks. He’s too smart. I’ve tasted his drinks and could taste the meds a little myself. We are going to try and get him to take pills instead. Most meds say the child has to be a little older like 2nd grade but since it’s a prescription and we have so many problems the doc does not have a problem giving us pills to replace liquid. We’ve even paid extra to have the med flavored (even if it already had flavor). We sat in the waiting room for over a half hour with him crying. One of the receptionist tried to convince him and it didn’t work. A nurse didn’t believe us that we tried everything. He eventually felt bad they finally asked the 6 people left a head of us if he could pass them up. I think they were worried he was going to scare the other kids. We had to have the nurse give him a shot. After the shot it was like ok everything fine. He would rather be in pain then get a shot or take meds. I know I didn’t like my meds as a child and tried to get out of taking them but I was never this bad. We also tried bribing him but he doesn’t stick to his end of the deal. I have asked the Pharmacist if there is a patch and they say not that they know of. I have searched the internet as well. My next step is to call Rosalind Franklin Medical University to see if they know of a patch that is at least in the works of coming to the market. I think a patch would be so good for my son and the other children. It breaks my heart to see him not able to take his meds; that he rather be in pain then take his meds and drink something afterwards to get rid of the after taste. Good Luck to all you parents. I hope you find something that works. If you do please post it for the rest of us.
January 11, 2008 at 12:59 am
Oh Sarah! I feel for you! Please let me know what Rosalind U says about a patch.
January 14, 2008 at 11:52 pm
We’re having the same problem. Our five-year-old son isn’t defiant about it, but he instantly gags and vomits as soon as the medicine gets in his mouth. We may have to do a shot, but I’d sure like to come up with another way to get him to take the liquid.
January 18, 2008 at 10:09 am
We finally had some luck! If our son closes his eyes and holds his nose, he’s able to keep the meds down. It may have helped that his grandfather administered the first dose this way…and that the prospect of a series of shots was becoming more and more real.
January 18, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Desperate Daddy, I am soooo happy for you. You must be so relieved. Just the idea of having to give my daughter medicine gives me butterflies in my stomach!
January 20, 2008 at 3:52 am
As stated earlier, it sure is great to know that we are not alone. My husband and I have been struggling with our 5 yr old son who refuses to put Amoxicillin even to his lips. Every child loves amoxicillin! (I run a preschool). He says not everybody likes evrything! He got the shots – too potent to do it in one injection it was done in bioth arms at the same time…and he didn’t flinch! The nurss were amazed! he then cried out a bit after they left and the soreness wore off for him by the next day. Our pedi says that sometimes that Rocephin doesn’t take so if he doesn’t start to take the Amox he will have to get a stonger penicillin given at the ER. He’s refusing and would rather have another shot…even after geting one little taste in his mouth. We even tried the chewables and told him they were vitamins to keep his body strong while he won’t takr the medicine…no go!! Maybe having to learn to swallow a pill would be easier…less taste? A patch would definitely be the solution!
Thank you for all of the input!
January 23, 2008 at 1:43 am
My son is almost 5 and has a double ear infection.
I have tried to give him his medication (antibiotics) and he threw up and then spit it on me. He then begged and cried and screamed for me not to give it to him, oh god help!
It is so frustrating! I don’t want him to get worse.
He went to bed tonight with no dose!
I feel so guilty and horrible, I should not have let him, I just felt so bad for him, he was really traumatized by it!
I prey for a patch!!!
Cindy
January 23, 2008 at 3:24 am
Oh Cindy, I am soooo sorry! I have been there. It sounds like you need to call the doctor and insist on a shot? I bet you are more traumatized than he is. What makes our children so stubborn?!? If he fell asleep, maybe his ears are not bothering him that much. I once read that ear infections will go away on their own w/in a few days. If your son prefers to suffer the pain, maybe that is his choice. Talk to your doctor about the consequences of skipping the meds. You may discover he won’t get worse. Keep me posted!
January 25, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Its bit relieving that we are not alone struggling with this problem. We have two kids, a boy who is 8 yrs old and a girl who is 2 yrs old. Our boy is a fantastic kid, whenever he gets sick he never complaints about taking medicine, he even reminds us to give medicine. But our girl is a night mare whenever she gets sick. For her age she is too smart to differentiate taste of juice and medicine mixed juice, she never likes to take to any medicine in any form. Whenever we force feed any syrup she spits it out, cries a lot and eventually throws up emptying all her stomach. A year back when she got sick she had to be hospitalized and fed through a tube put through her nose to stomach. Leave alone giving medicine, she is so scared of strangers that she doesn’t like any one to say hi or touch her. It makes very difficult for us to take her to even doctors.
It is so frustrating and worrying whenever she gets sick and we had to give her medicine. The problem is whenever our son gets infected with any virus from school we get restless because eventually our daughter gets it and the show begins. We are just remaining positive that soon things will change for better
January 25, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Luckychak, That’s awful! Maybe you will get lucky and your 2 year old will grow out of all of this. Does she look up to her brother? Maybe he can give her her meds?
January 25, 2008 at 7:11 pm
My goodness, you would have though that someone would be there to help us all through this by inventing a better way for children to take their antibiotics. My daughter today was diagnosed with bronchopneumonia, what will i ever do. I have just come back upstairs from an hours labour in trying to get her to take her antibiotics. Well the result was pretty predicatable…….i convinced her to take it and then yes we all know this bit…..she threw it back up along with the only two mouthfuls of dinner she had today. I have another ten days to of this so should someone come up with a solution please post within ten days! HELP!
January 27, 2008 at 3:28 am
We’ve had that problem with our oldest daughter in the past. Well 2 days ago she got a fever…about 103, and wouldn’t take medicine (like usual). She really hasn’t been feeling good since then and tonight was in pain because her ear hurt (her first ear infection). Took her to a med clinic and she preferred a (pinch) shot over medicine. Rocephin it is. I’m waiting on gummy bears that have anacetominiphine “sp” in it. They do for vitamins, why not medicine…just a thought. UGH!
January 28, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hi Frustrated Parents and Mikka, I’m sorry for what you are going through. Gummy bear medicine would be a great idea. They do make chewable Benedryl, Tylenol, and other stuff, but my daughter won’t touch it. (They do taste a bit yucky).
January 30, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Wow! I am crying reading this…My three year old son was diagnosed with pneumonia on Monday. They gave him the two shots in the legs and sent us home with a perscription for amoxicillen for ten days. We have tried hiding it in food, bribing him, taking things away, forcing him, tried to let him do it himself (he squirted it all over his room). I went and got the chewable and tried crushing it and hiding it, tried giving it to him straight too, he just won’t do it! I hate his. I feel so guilty because I yelled at him. Now he won’t eat or drink anything at all. He does not even want me near him, he asked for daddy instead. I am so sad. He is so sick and now we are all miserable. He has to go in this afternoon to get another set of shots. The doctor said he can’t keep giving him the shot, he has to take the med. I am not sure what I am going to do now.
January 30, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Going Crazy, I’m so sorry! I’m also curious, why can’t the doctor give him any more shots? I hope you don’t wind up in the hospital, but it may be what you have to do as a last resort. Maybe the doctor has some good ideas. Don’t be so hard on yourself. This is a stressful time for everyone. Keep me posted.
January 31, 2008 at 2:37 am
I thought I was the only one with this problem. I have a 5 year old boy who gags and will throw up if he tastes meds. I have tried liquid which is too strong of a taste, tablets grounded up in foods seem to have a strong taste(he’s a smart boy and can taste the medicine in the foods except buckleys stripes( works if crumbled and mixed with jam or oatmeal) but not sure if it relieves much. I feel I’ve done something wrong and it breaks my heart. I try to ask him why he dislike’s it so much and he says it’s the taste. I try to explain it will help him and he won’t give in. He can take needles and depositories no problem. He’s not usually sick so I’m fortunate for that but when he is, he’s so stubborn. I think a patch for kids is a great idea. Please let me know if they come out. I also think they should make a flavourless medicine cause it would be easier to hide in foods. I feel for you all.
February 1, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Well, day 5 and he still won’t take the meds. We went in on Wednesday and got the shots again, one in each leg. Yesterday the doctor said he will probably want to see him Friday to evaluate how he is doing (much better I think!!) I am not sure if he will have to have more shots. I am conserned that because he has had to have the shot which is a stronger antibiotic that if he gets another infection we are really limiting the antibiotics that will work. We have been so lucky, this is only the 2nd time he has been on antibiotics (the first time he was only a year and we just gave him the meds). I am going to ask the doctor about this today. If he gets an ear infection next week (God forbid!) what would be the course of treatment??? Those shots are so painful he is still limping this morning!
February 1, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Dear Going Crazy, I’m happy to hear he is getting better. You can avoid more antibiotics by choosing organic dairy (and poultry and beef, I think, I don’t pay attention to stuff in meat b/c we don’t eat it). Cows who are not treated with hormones do not have to have antibiotics to prevent the infections caused by the artificial hormones. As far as an ear infection goes, what makes you think he might get one? Talk to your pediatrician, but I have read that ear infections clear up in a matter of days with or without antibiotics. The only thing that is good about the antibiotics is that it clears up faster and the child feels better. If your son is not suffering from the ear infections too much, you can let him ride it out or give him pain reliever suppositories. Keep us posted. My thoughts are with you. You are not alone!
February 1, 2008 at 5:50 pm
[...] 1, 2008 — moodymommy I have been getting a lot of comments on an archived article, “My Child Won’t Take Medicine” from frustrated and desperate parents because, like my daughter, their children won’t take [...]
February 4, 2008 at 12:20 am
I don’t think he will get an ear infection, I just think it would be horriable if he did need to be on antibiotics for something in the near futrure. He has never even had an ear infection. I never buy antibiotics in meat either, I think it is scary how messed with our food is.
The great news is that he is taking his antibiotic! I am hiding the chewable in Yokids strawberry yogurt!!! He is doing so much better he is going to preschool tomarrow! The only time he really has problems is if he runs around, then he coughs really bad.
Some suggestions I got for getting the meds in him were hiding it in frosting (Pillsbury chocolate) or mealting starburst in the microwave for a few seconds (not too long) and then coating chewables in the mealted starburst, let it cool and harden and give it to them. I am personally glad that I was able to make it work without candy or frosting, but maybe these will help someone else. Good luck!
February 11, 2008 at 2:12 am
my 3 1/2 yr old son has autism. he usually takes prescribed medicine pretty well, sometimes pulling it out of the fridge and asking us to administer it to him (this is huge, considering he doesn’t talk much). EVERYTHING CHANGES though when it’s simple cough syrup. lately, my wife and i have had to hold him down like a convict, with my wife gently swirling her finger around in his mouth, to trick him to breath/bite and in turn swallow the medicine. it’s not fun, and it’s really messy. when we’re 1-on-1 with him, it’s near impossible. i tried the mary poppins with a spoonful of sugar, but that was a granulated mess. we’ve tricked him before with mixing it in his juice, but that rarely works anymore. i’m usually a super patient, easy-going fella. this is driving me nuts. i don’t like having to be stern with him, telling him to simply swallow it. (he gets it in his mouth, then swooshes it around, but eventually spits it out.) PLEASE, IS THERE SOME MAGIC TRICK OUT THERE?! I JUST WANT TO GIVE MY SON SOME COUGH/COLD SYRUP! IF HIS NOSE IS RUNNING ALL DAY, THEY WON’T LET HIM GO TO SCHOOL, WHERE HE RECEIVES A GREAT AUTISM-ORIENTED EDUCATION! HELP!!
February 15, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I talked to my doctor about how stubborn my son is with medicine’s and he said when he just has a flu or cold there is no need for medicine. There are other ways to bring down fever’s. If antibiotics are need you can get capsuls that open up an put the pwdr in jam or oatmeal or soup and they can’t taste it. Mention that to your doctor’s for the future.
February 27, 2008 at 2:19 am
My Daughter has the flu and infected ears. She is taking Tamiflu and Amoxicillin. Giving the medicines have been rough. This morning we held her down and forced it in her. Well she spit it out all over her us the cat etc. We where upset she was upset. I thought this is something she will never forget. I did some research this evening which is how I came to this site. I had success. First I told her in advance what was going to happen but assured her she was going to do it herself. I had her suck on a popsicle to get her tongue numb and put the meds in the freezer to get them cold as well. She took her meds in sips between bits of popsicle. Reward is 7 skeetles. I was amazed she did it. I made sure that she new I meant business and we would make her have it if she didn’t do it herself. We’ll see how she is tomorrow. She wants to try licking a sucker between sips tomorrow. I think the popsicle is key though for dulling the taste buds.
February 27, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Maysmom, what a clever idea to use the popsicle! We had quite an incident last night. I am curious, how old is your daughter? We had quite an incident last night. Eva’s ears were hurting her and I begged her to take some Tylenol. Just the idea of it made her throw up! I think she either has the flu (stomach and cold symptoms) or terrible anxiety over meds, or both! She was in such pain and I felt so bad, yet angry at the same time b/c I felt like she could have helped herself but she was too stubborn to try some meds. Even if she has an ear infection, there is no point in bringing her to the doc b/c she won’t take antibiotics anyway. I’m glad you had some luck!
February 27, 2008 at 1:03 pm
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February 28, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I am having the SAME Problem. My 4 year old son has always been good about taking medicine. He had a double ear infection diagnosis about 2 weeks ago, finished his ten days of antibiotics (struggle every time but he did it) and now he was back at the dr. yesterday with double ear infection STILL and he is refusing this round of anti biotics. I think its become a power struggle because he knows how strongly I feel about it. He takes 30-45 minutes to finally even take it and then he is spitting it out. Its ending in both of us crying. I HATE this! I’m making my husband try it tonight. We plan on mixing it in some ice cream but I have a feelign he’ll find that suspicious.
February 29, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Dear Alie, Good luck. Keep us posted. Did you see Maysmom’s comment about using the popsicle? Worth a try!
March 3, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Thanks! I did and we tried the popsicle but it has become such a power struggle that the popsicle didn’t work either. BUT we have hidden it in Ben & Jerry’s Karamel Sutra ice cream and he is eating it right up with out even knowing!
April 26, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I always thought I was alone in this! This Blog is a HUGE relief! I keep thinnking I’m just a terrible parent, that I must have done something wrong because when i go to the doctor and they tell me my daughter HAS to take her medicine, they look at me like i have am some kind of nut with no parenting skills when i tell them i cannot make her take medicine of any kind. my daughter just got strep today and i am already having an anxiety attack and diarrhea because of the dread of knowing i have to fight my child twice a day for the next 10 days to take an antibiotic. she is a picky eater and drinker and also won’t use toothpaste! i swear she has something wronmg with her tastebuds or maybe her gag reflex!
May 14, 2008 at 1:54 am
Wow! I’m not alone at all. I know this is an old post, but this emotion is still very fresh in my brain: I just finished a one and a half hour negotiation with a 4-year-old about taking her antibiotics for her UTI. It’s her 3rd dose out of a potential 20 and it seems to be getting harder rather than easier. As with OliviasMommy, I swear my daughter has extremely sensitive taste buds and gag mechanism, and the gag reflex is worse when she’s upset, so there’s no choice but to talk it out. She can be pretty creative too when it comes to changing the subject. I asked her for a suggestion of how else to get the medicine in her to make her better and she said “put it up my butt”. Unfortunately I don’t think they make antibiotic suppositories. I eventually put her in control of the syringe and gave her a spoonful of icecream for each little bit that she squirted in, but it was NOT easy. Now I know about the shot, it may just be easier…. and if it’s really painful we may hold a trump card come the next illness.
June 7, 2008 at 6:16 pm
My 4-year old daughter has always been skiddish about taking medicine, but this time I’m at my wits end! She had her tonsils and adenoids removed 3 days ago and she refuses to take her pain medication — spits it all over the place when we give it to her. She was fine with the amoxicillin and Children’s Tylenol for a few days, but now refuses to take those on her own. We have to pin her down and force the antibiotic on her because she HAS to have that. If she wants to live in pain, so be it, but we can’t let her develop an infection. Anyway, we feel just awful and we’ve had lots of tears in our house this week. She gets to screaming and crying and shaking (which I’m sure isn’t good for her throat!) and therefore spits out half the medicine and chokes on the other half. This is ridiculous! I thought she’d outgrow it, but from the posts I’ve read I’m afraid we’ll have to pin her down when she’s 10!
June 11, 2008 at 1:38 am
Hey Frustrated and Fed Up, Hang in there! Try suppositories for the Tylenol. Ask the pharmacist if you have trouble finding them on the drugstore shelf. They are yucky to use, but they work. At least when you hold her down, she doesn’t throw up like my daughter, now six!
June 16, 2008 at 8:40 pm
hi i recently read your post have you ever tried getting your daughter to dress up as a nurse and give her a plastic spoon to give pretend medicine to her dolly and tell her she has to have some at the same time it worked for my nieces they loved it
June 16, 2008 at 8:43 pm
frustrated and fed up your child is stubborn by the sounds of things explain she will be very unwell i had my tounsils and adnoids out at the same age doctors used to cram the medicine in and make me eat toast
June 24, 2008 at 3:47 pm
It makes me sad how unhelpful some of your doctors are…shame on them! My 5 year old is very picky…throws up applesauce, let alone medication. Often, I will take her to our doctor just to have him talk to her, and he is always happy to do it. He will always listen to her concerns, help her come up with ideas on how to take her medicine (honey, popsicles, soda), and she will agree to try. He also helps her understand the consequences of not taking her medicine…he will explain what strep is and what happens to your body when you don’t take medicine, and he can do it without threatening and scaring her, but she is motivated to make it work herself. In the end, her knowledge about the medicine and the holding nose and closing eyes followed by a sip of juice is what is working for us. In short, if your doctor won’t help you, try a different doctor! This is why they went into pediatrics, they are supposed to be good with children! Keep trying, and get more good people to support you.
August 5, 2008 at 1:46 am
Hi I am so glad that i discovered this Blog because i was starting to think that i was really doing something wrong. My 5 year old has just been diagnosed with a serious chest infection and tonsilitis and she refuses to take antibiotics. I have tried everything from disguising it in food and drink, taking away all her toys, bribing her with new toys and a trip to her favorite places and even ignoring her( we are very close and i thought this would upset her enough to take it, worse on me than it was on her). This whole thing is really distressing me because the doctor has told me that if she does not take it then she could end up in hospital. My daughter keeps telling me that i am nasty and as a mother who prides herself on having a great relationship with her kids, her words are tearing my heart out. I have tried explaining to her that i am doing this because i love her more than anything and that i am trying to make her better and keep her out of hospital but nothing works. Unfortunately the antibiotic is not available in a shot so i am absolutely stuck. I think i will have to make an appointment with the doctor again today and discuss our options. Thanks to all the above comments and i will definitely try the dressing up as a nurse idea, in fact i am going to try it right now.
August 5, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Dear Lilly, I’m so sorry for what you are going through! I hope you can work it out and I hope your daughter feels better soon. Keep us posted!
August 18, 2008 at 4:49 pm
After trying lots of things I never thought I would try and going through all the emotions you all have gone through, I have found that a lovely pot of natural strawberry yoghurt with medicine mixed in works wonderfully well. Ice cream didn’t work (thankfully, as he rarely gets that), neither did chocolate bribes, new toys, etc etc. He has yoghurt most meals, fruit flavours are a fav so it has been an easy ride since.
September 13, 2008 at 4:39 am
Well, I am glad I read the last post about the yogurt. I am going to try that tomorrow after just having a drag out brawl with my 4 year old. Just found out today he has a double ear infection and was put on amox., I had it flavored with strawberry per his request (who was I kidding thinking even with that he would take it). After we got home he informed me he wanted grape flavor. Ugh!!! The second dose tonight was horrendous..I finally had to threaten taking him to the hospital for a shot if he did not take his medicine (I hate threatening him like that, I don’t want him to be afraid of hospitals!). Anyway, with much gagging in between sips of water and candy corn and him telling me it was not working, he managed to keep it down. I dread tomorrow, why don’t they make something like a z pack for children..you know 3 doses in 3 days…not 2 doeses a day for 10 days! Well, hopefully the yogurt idea works…thanks!!
September 14, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Kelann, I know it is terribly stressful. I am considering asking for NO flavoring (I don’t know if it can be done) so I can mix it w/a strong flavored something my children like. For my children, these strong artificial flavors are not what they are used to at all. I wish you luck. Have you considered ear drops? Our doc gave us some to numb the pain. With my daughter’s past ear infection, I told her she had to either get the medicine down or have ear drops. Just another idea to throw out there.
September 23, 2008 at 4:03 pm
My son is 2 and half and he is allergic to many food items and also has RTA(Renal Tubular Acidosis) Kidney desease. To cure RTA we will have to give him liquid medicine 3 TSP twice a day with the meal or after the meal until it’s completely cured(which could be years). The test of this medicine is very citrus and doesn’t test well. So far me and my wife have tried tons of way for getting the medicine in but my son is very stubborn and he is very choosy/picky on food he eats. He has learned how to throw up whenever we give him medicine which he doesn’t like. It is really difficult for us as this is not a weekly matter or couple of days matter. It has been a year and probably few more years to go. So far our experience/tips are below.
1. He doesn’t get medicine on time
2. We had to skip medicine sometime wheever he was sick or cries a lot
3. In a week he throws up atleast 3 times. And the problem is we have to give the medicine after the meal or with the meal.
4. He throws up whenever we hold his legs and hands and try to give the medicine.
5. So far best option for giving medicine is to mix it in a COKE or PEPSI or anyother soda he likes. We keep changing the flavor often. Since last few days we’ve been trying the caffine free grape soda.
6. We also try to keep him busy with something he likes and parallaly give him mixed medicine.
7. I’ve recently started a new trick which is I ask him to pose for a picture and ask him to close his eyes and open his mouth and when he opens his mouth I put the medicine using syringe.
8. Play pick-a-boo game with him and when he does the pick-a-boo usually he is laughing and that’s when I throw some medicine using syringe.
I will keep posting more tips as I discover them.
September 23, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Dear NS, My heart goes out to you. Have you checked w/your doc to see if this is the only form the meds come in? Maybe they can make a chewable? Somewhere down the line, maybe he can learn how to swallow pills. This is something I have yet to work on my 6 year-old but I keep thinking about it. Good luck!
September 25, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I have the same problem. My child is 4 years old and needs to take meds since she had her tonsils taken out. She needds the antibiotics to help her heel and she throws it up. The doctor’s say the same thing, she has to take it. Well easy for them to say. I don’t know what I am going to do.
September 30, 2008 at 6:11 pm
My son is 20 months…Almost 2 years old. He has a double ear infection. The doctor gave me liquid antibiotics. Well everytime i give it to him he pukes it up along with the food he had eaten before. I am so frustrated and don’t know what to do. I really want him to get better, but i don’t think he will if he dosent take his antibiotics!!!
October 2, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I’m so happy I found this message board! I wish I had some advice to give. I’m in the same boat with my almost 3 year old. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 7 months ago and has had to be spoon fed two things (babyfood, applesauce, soy yogurt) twice a day in order to get her med and supplement.
Last week she had to do a prep for colonoscopy and upper endoscopy. 20 oz of liquid with Miralax were supposed to be consumed! It took us ALL DAY and half gagging/vomiting. Anyway, test went WELL. No sign of disease. After coming home and resuming normal diet, she won’t tolerate yogurt, applesauce or babyfoods.
Here it is a little over 1 week later and 1 week off her colon med and she’s having bloody diarrhea like a flare-up. We still have to get stool cultures.
But I’m scared. She won’t eat. I tried giving her Pedialyte by syringe (she won’t drink it) and she almost puked. She hates all juices, gatorade, flavors…everything. She will only drink water and sometimes soy milk. I can’t hide anything in her water or soy milk, she KNOWS.
I’m so frustrated and worry and don’t want her to wind up in the hospital but it looks very much like that is what will happen. It may be a “bug” the stool sample will show it. Then we will be giving her oral antibiotics. Yeah, right!
I’m in the same boat. Holding her down doens’t work, she throws up or spits it out. There HAS to be a better way! I hate seeing her look so weak and unhappy. And I HATE being a mean mom and forcing things in her mouth!
~M
October 3, 2008 at 12:23 am
Dear MJ, Kristen and Desperate, Hang in there and work with your pediatrician. Eva FINALLY took medicine twice a day for ten days! We got the chewable antibiotics for her Strep Throat. This was what we came up with (as a family). Eva put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Then, she held her nose and I shoved the chewable into her mouth. After chewing for a while, she put a Jelly Belly into her own mouth to cover up the taste. Then she ate the rest of her tiny scoop of ice cream. Ok, so she had ice cream two times a day for ten days. I didn’t care! She took her medicine!!! Yeah!!!
October 5, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Wow this is a wonderful site! I am having the same issue as you all, getting my 4 yr old daughter to take antibiotics, but for a bladder infection. So her doc prescribes amoxicillan for 7 days in liquid form. I know right away that she will puke it up, been there done that, and you can not hide that bubble gum flavor in anything for her. So I’m explaining to her that I know she will puke it up because I know she has a weak stomach for any meds, and she quickly intterupts me and says ‘you don’t have to explain to me.’ I thought that was SOOOO rude! But I didn’t tell her that. Anyway she came back with a new prescription for chewables. I had never tried these before so I thought she would maybe take them because she does take a chewable probiotic. NOT A CHANCE. I’m not sure which is worse. Well I called the pharmacy and asked him if we could get the liquid intsead and he informed me that its harder to disguise in food, drink, etc. He told me to try chocolate, he seemed to think that hid the taste better. So I go to the grocery store to get chocolate syrup, and see the kind that hardens when you put in on ice-cream so I got that and some lactaid ice-cream, cause she’s also lactose intolerant. HA. It worked for her this time. So she’s eating ice-cream dessert after breakfast and dinner now. I’m going to try some hot cocoa with marshmallows and see if that works too. I’ll just try using a little extra cocoa maybe. It’s all so frustrating though, thanks for the vent!
October 5, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I was just reading some more on this medicine taking and found this link. This is quite blunt and to the point.
http://www.hawaii.edu/medicine/pediatrics/parenting/c12.html
Kinda harsh, or no?
October 5, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Now I see why my doc didn’t want me to explain, she has no tolerance for why we’re sensitive to medicine, and I still think it’s rude, there are really sensitive people in this world and my daughter and I are some of them. But the article was informative but I don’t think it will work for everyone.
October 5, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Nicky, Thank you for citing that article. It was very informative and perhaps enough of a push to keep us parents plugging away!
October 26, 2008 at 12:14 am
I did a google search to try and find some answers. My 4 (almost 5) year old is very headstrong and stubborn about this as well. SHe has a staff infection from a bad scarpe she acquired falling down. It wasn’t getting better and had a smell to it so we to her to UC and tehy gave her dextrim, OI think it was, anyway, she had an allergic reaction to it and there was only one other thing they could give her which was worse tasting. So bad that she spit it back up and refused to take it even in chocolate, brownie mix and finally we were able to get her to take it in a vanilla milkshake. But it takes about 45 minutes to get it down. And she has to take 2 teaspoons 3 times a day!! That’s 30 milkshakes! SO I asked the doctor to give it in a pill form. ANd that is worse. It’s a capsule and if she would only learn how to swallow it it would only take a second to take and there would be no taste. But she won’t she put it in her mouth and spit it out 3 times and the 3rd time it broke open and it tasted horrible. So now we are at square one. I am going to have to get the liquid form again and do the shakes. Staff is a serious disease that could cause oen to lose a limb.
I too feel like a terrible Mom as though I have done something wrong in parenting that has caused her to be so stubborn.
November 29, 2008 at 5:43 am
we have a stuborn 3 year old refusing to take his antibiotic for an infection on his toe, cause by a bad door jam mishap….we even tried mixing in choc pudding! he lives for chocolate!!!it is frustrating and I feel mean and horrible.He also has a history with being forced as he sufferes from excema)and had to take anti-histimines just to not be itchy and so we could all sleep.we tried every trick in the book, it went on for a year….and I gave up and he scratches his skin off and we sleep less as I have to wake up and try to sooth his itch with lotion every few hours….so his toe looks awful and I fear he will lose it….we don’t have a Doctor as we live in canada and have a terrible sortage and have to reley on clinics…or next the hospital emergency…..this really bites!
November 29, 2008 at 5:48 am
I meant to say”shortage” of doctors…..no doctors taking on new paitients……a problem only getting worse.I would pay to have a Doctor for my children if I could.
December 1, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I too am a frustrated mom to a beautiful but incredibly stubborn, picky, strong willed child. I think I’ve covered everything. She is the light of my life but taking medicine is something we both dred. I tried taking things away, telling her she can’t go to Girlscouts, not watching TV or going on the computer. Nothing has worked. Yelling was the first thing I tried and all that did was just make her cry but still her stubborness prevailed. I am going to try the ice pops. She’s on Penecillian, 2 tsp 2x day. I am trying to keep it together. This morning I really went overboard. I took all of her barbies and put them in a pile. Everytime she didn’t take her medicine she lost a barbie and would have to earn it back. Which means if she takers her medicine without us siting there and watching her then she get’s the doll put back. Well, that didn’t work either. PLease, Please, is there any other adivce. I feel like such a bad Mom. It was good to know that I’m not the only parent out there going through the same thing.
December 12, 2008 at 10:17 pm
When I told the doctor that my five year old son will not take medicine, she just looked at me and said, “you’re the Mom, make him take it.” She is not his regular pediatrician. On a previous visit she said, “look at his size, he obviously doesn’t mind putting food in his mouth, why won’t he take medicine?” We will not be seeing this doctor again. She made me feel like I’m the only Mom in the world who has this issue. Fortunately my son rarely needs medicine.
December 30, 2008 at 1:08 am
My 2year old just started refusing her amoxicillin..she has always been good about taking meds. It’s my 3 yr old that doesn’t take anything unless we hide it in sorbet. it’s the only thing that disguises the taste. she was always too smart ..refusing juice because something was in it. I didn’t know what I could do with the amoxicillin but it looks like we will have to try sorbet with her..or the chocolate ……so if you haven’t tried mixing it in sorbet ….it’s worth a try I think it has more flavor and hides tylenol or motrin very well. hopefully, the amoxicillin too
January 20, 2009 at 5:10 am
Thank you all for sharing my pain! My four year old throws up whatever she hasnt’ spit up and screams, cries, hides under the bed etc. I’m hoping for a shot tomorrow. We tried the chocolate pudding, soda pop, etc. as well. Why don’t nurses understand that you are not a bad parent or a wimp, you just have an obstinate and eventually hysterical child.
January 20, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Good luck Erin’s mom!
February 3, 2009 at 4:27 am
I have a very stubborn 3 year old who takesmeds when HE feels like it. Sometimes just fine, other times you’d think I was trying to kill him with the very medicinehe had a day earlier! WE have found a little succes with a couple M&M’s before and after medicine but even this doesn’t always work. It’s very hard to do but please try to be as patient as you can to avoid a traumatic experience for them. Good luck to all parents. We all feel your pain!
February 18, 2009 at 7:24 am
Ok, reading that other people have this problem is making me feel better. I am sorry though that others pain makes me feel better
My son is 4 and has had several eye surgeries where they give him pink liquid medicine before the anesthesia. Ever since the last surgery, he refuses to take any medicines. He came down with strep throat in early December and needed antibiotics. We have held him down, plugged his nose and tried to force him to take it. He literally would rather not breath than take the medicine.
He just continues to pass strep to us and never get rid of the strep throat. He did have the shot after the 3rd positive strep test in 2 months (which was very painful), but at this point we don’t know if it worked because it is not typically given for strep throat and he has it again (4th time since early Dec.). However, my step daughter has strep throat, so the shot could have worked and then she could have given it back to him. ACK!
Anyways, I just wanted to post and say thank you to everyone for sharing. This is helping me know, it is not just me!
February 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Dear Jennifer, I hope your son gets better soon and stops getting strep. Have you checked w/an Ear, Nose & Throat about getting his tonsils out? Of course, after the operation, he’ll have to take antibiotics. Personally, the liquid is totally gross. Have you tried to get him to take the chewable form? My daughter will take it, though reluctantly, with a jelly bean or ice cream if we plug her nose while she’s chewing. It’s still an ordeal, but at least we can get her to do it. Good luck to you, and thanks for reading my blog!
February 18, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Ok, I have one for everyone. I have a 14 yr daughter and she was diagnosed with pneumonia today. She has to take antibiotics but can’t take them in pill form and they don’t have it liquid. I’ve tried crushing them, cutting them, putting them in juice, wrapping them in bread, you name it I’ve tried it. The pills cost $82.00 and I am frustrated. She has to take them or she won’t get better. She also has to take the pumps and that took an hour for her to take. It’s going on 2 hours to take the pills and I’ve wasted 3 pills so far. She gets herself so worked up that she vomits. I just don’t know how to get to take them. They are too big to take at once and they taste awful when chopped. Any ideas? She’s sobbing now in her bed and it’s killing me!
February 19, 2009 at 12:09 am
Oh Darlene! I feel so awful for you! I think your only recourse is to talk to the M.D. because pneumonia is very serious and her best hope may be hospitalization. I hate to think that anyone that old would not cooperate and take her medicine. She’s old enough to know the consequences. Maybe a night in a hospital hooked up to an i.v. will get her to cooperate. Keep us all posted.
February 22, 2009 at 3:59 pm
oh me . I am so glad i ran across this website. I was at my witts end and thought I was the only one who had thir problem with my grandbaby who is 5. She has strip throat and chest congestion and on penicellin liquid. I put it in all kinds of flavored soft drinks. Last night about 15 minutes later she threw it up.. i AM so tired of begging, threatening . and whatever else it takes.. Helpp. THIs grandma is fed up .. and so tired.
February 22, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Dear Worn Out Granny, I’m so sorry you are going through this. Please make sure you talk to the pediatrician for ideas for meds. I’ve found the chewable works best in our family. I’ve even mushed it to a powder and put it in the frosting of a mini cupcake b/c I know my daughter will always eat all of the frosting. Good luck and keep trying EVERYTHING!
February 25, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Dear MoodyMommy, I posted to this blog back in Dec of 2007 and after reviewing it again today, I can’t believe how many more moms have posted! My daughter is now 6 and things have gotten better. She ended up with a high fever and we had to give her a tylenol suppository…she did not like that at all…so she started using the grape flavored chewables. Thankfully, we have not needed amoxicillan or any other liquid types of antibiotics because I’m still not sure she would take it. Although I appreciated the link Nicky posted, those things are easily read than done. When we, the ones trying to give the meds, are going through it, it is heartbreaking and definitely not as simple as it sounds. It upsets me that we don’t have support from the physicians…I had to call 4 times and cry before the dr would even listen to what I had to say. Good luck to all of us caregivers! It is so nice that we can vent on this blog!
February 26, 2009 at 4:30 am
Dear Marielle,
Wow, welcome back! I’m glad to read things are a bit better. Let’s hope that our children will become more reasonable as they age. In the meantime, I am always interested in reading about people’s ideas and progress they make in trying to get their children to take meds. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon (hopefully w/good news) Sophia Leto
February 26, 2009 at 1:00 pm
WOW I cant believe how often people have this problem It drives me crazy my daughter is 7 years old and everytime we tell her that she has to take meds she freaks out and then when she puts them in her mouth she starts gaging im so sick of it. Its very frustrating this has been going on since she was very little she has two other youger siblings and they take meds very well hopefully some day they will come up with a patch for tylenol because im going insane
Michelle
February 28, 2009 at 12:37 am
Hello Moody Mommy, I’m back. I posted on Feb 18th about my 14 yr old daughter with pneumonia. We continued to try for three days after that with the meds but to no avail. After sitting her down and really talking to her I found out that it wasn’t because she didn’t want to take the meds because she knew she needed them, it was because of fear. She was afraid of choking. The fear got the best of her. After doing some research on the net I found out that it happens alot and it’s a phobia that alot of people have not just children. Some children grow out of it and some don’t, it’s all about time. Relieved to let you all know though that she is getting better just by using her pumps. The first pump opened her air ways enough to allow the second pump of medication to get down in her lungs and clear it up. We were lucky this time. I also found out that there was an alternative medication that the doctor did not tell me about that she could have taken in a liquid form, not better tasting but if you block your nose did you know that your taste buds don’t work? For all you mothers out there try it with a jelly bean or something like that and you yourself will see that you need your sense of smell to taste. By the way the medication she was perscribed was BIAXIN XL (pill form only, the XL stands for extended release) The other BIAXIN’S have a liquid form. As for the money we spent, well, we will just chalk it up to a lesson learned and we are just very happy that she is better. There is no price on your child’s health. Thanks for the support.
February 28, 2009 at 4:02 am
Darlene! I am soooo happy for you! Oh, and thanks for posting the info on the Biaxin.
March 3, 2009 at 5:15 am
Wow. Some relief to know you’re not alone. My 4 year old vomits even at the site of the medicine, or the container. Tried every disguising method know to man. Equally frustrating is the lack of compasion from Doctors and Pharmacists, who react as though I’m being lazy, or not stern enough. Recently he asked when he could take an Advil like mommy. Hmmm. An idea. What if he was able to swallow a small capsule or pill? He would NEVER chew one, as of course we have tried numerous times, but swallow one? Practiced with a mini MnM. Worked first time. Today, needed anti-biotics for MRSA Infectiction. Tried chewable tablet quartered, to swallow with water- NOT chew. Done. I’m amazed. Hope this helps someone.
March 3, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Caryl, It is comforting to know that a 4 year-old can learn to swallow pills. I’m going to have to get some mini m & ms today! Thanks for posting and I’m glad you’ve had good luck!
March 3, 2009 at 9:11 pm
It has been about three weeks since I posted about my son’s 4th positive strep test. Well we are going back to the doctor today to have him tested for the 5th time. He will NOT take the medicine. To answer your question, he will take chewable tylenol (it is not easy but I can make it happen)…however as for a antibiotic he is allergic to penicillin and they do not make a chewable antibiotic that is not penicillin based.
Our doctor has called many drug companies to find something and they just don’t make it. I have no idea what to do and I hope the doctor has some better advice.
March 10, 2009 at 1:46 am
I have struggled with my five year old over and over again. it feels a little better not being the only one. He will not take any medicine, he has to take a daily dose of claritin for his allergy I usually give it to him at night when hes real sleepy so its easier still he throws up and since he has bad allergies he runny and whiny all day it even now affects his school work. I had to stop trying to make him take it cause the vomit started wearing on his teeth thank god there not permanent yet I hope he gets passed this phase. I read in an earlier post that one child was 10 that frightens me! I didn’t know about the shot I never spoke with a doctor about this defiance now i see I can i will definitely look forward to the patch. Stay strong to all the parents battling this situation.
March 21, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I found this site after visiting the one posted above (hawaii.edu) that was pretty harsh and basically said that children have to learn to be good medicine takers. I was feeling like such a jerk because I basically ruined our family’s evening last night because my 6 year old wouldn’t take her chewable amoxicillin so I told her she couldn’t watch Star Wars until she took it. I was sure that would work because she looks forward to watching it all week with my husband. Nope. She went to bed hysterically crying, but chose to skip the show rather than take the medicine. I was able to talk and reason with her a little bit. I even took one of the pills to see how bad it was. It did have a cloying flavor and aftertaste but it was not that bad. I think knowing that I tried it helped her. She says that it burns her tongue, and I think she is just holding it in her mouth too long, letting it melt because she doesn’t want to swallow it. She has to take two pills three times a day for seven days. This morning she took one of the first dose before her swimming class, and we said she could take the other when she came home. We will see – she is there with her dad now. I am going to try the popsicle thing, and I also have some of that chocolate that hardens when you cool it. I told her about how we used to put pills in grapes for our dog to take and she found that very funny and seemed to feel a little better that it was not just her who didn’t like to take pills. I may also try cutting the pills in half and seeing if she will swallow them. She has taken Benadryl pills this way in the past. Maybe this would work? Anyway, thank you to all the moms out there who took the time to post. I totally relate to all of you and you are NOT alone in this and your feelings are shared by me and everyone on this board, it seems. I’m so glad I found this site just for the relief of knowing that I am not an inadequate mother.
March 25, 2009 at 12:46 am
I am glad that I found this post & responses. I am so stressed out and frustrated that my daughter refuses her medicine. She’s been on antibiotics for a few months due to a kidney condition. She had surgery for the condition 4 days ago and has been so stubborn with meds…constantly spitting them out. In the hospital she had IV antibiotics, but since we came home 2 days ago it’s been a battle. We got a different formula of the antibiotic (one that she’s had not problem with in the past)…but she totally refuses. She even said it smelled good. She needs to remain on once a day antibiotics until her follow up surgery late next month. Right now I am sitting with her trying to get her to drink her fruit smoothie laced with meds.
The stress is really getting to DH and I. We are fighting a lot. Our teen has keyed in on it and is really pushing our buttons when we are stressed out. The Dr knows how stubborn our daughter is. She was a fighter when she came out of anesthesia and nearly pulled her tubes out/off.
I know there is probably not any answers (and I didn’t want lots of advice so I am not posting on my blog about it), but it is comforting to know others have experienced the same.
March 26, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I have a 7 year old son that is on the low end of the autistic spectrum. We have never been able to get him to take any oral medicine. When he was younger we had to force it into his mouth and when he did swallow some of it, within seconds it was being puked up.. and to this day I can’t get him to take anything. Nor can I get him to take any vitamins. I have tried to mix it in Apple Sauce, he notice that it tasted different, and now he won’t even eat Apple Sauce to this day. I have tried adding it in lemon lime soft drink, but he tasted it in there. I wish they would these medicine with no taste at all. I have even tried to add it to his Cereal, he always notices a change in taste, and will refuse to eat it.
He is also a very picky eater and will only eat a few items, like cereal, Hot Pockets, Corn Dogs and Chicken Nuggets from McDonalds. He will eat french fries and all what he drinks is water, lemon lime soda, and milk. He doesn’t eat candy or chocolete, except for a sucker once in a while.
He has been sick twice this month, with high fever, and there has been nothing I can do for him except take his temp and give him a cool wet wash cloth for his fore head.
He simply refuses to take any medicine, liquid or pill form. I don’t know what to do for him. Any body know what to do?
March 27, 2009 at 2:01 am
Randy, My heart goes out to you. I wonder if there is anyone in an autism support group that has some good ideas. In fact, all of us who have posted on this site about this issue probably have something in common with autistic children (forgive me if I misspeak, I don’t know much about autism) in that there is something about the texture or some irrational (to us at least) fear of meds. If you do have success, please share your ideas with us!
March 30, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I wanted to check back in after my week of chewable amoxicillin tablets with a crying six-year old. I told my daughter I had been on this website because there are other kids who don’t like to take pills, and told her some of the things I had read. I gave her a choice of which one she would like to try. She chose the popsicle method, so we got out a freezer pop, she sucked on it until her tongue was numb, took a sip of juice, and then I poked the pill in between her teeth. NO PROBLEM!! She took the rest of them exactly the same way for the rest of the week, even first thing in the morning before school!! Thank you, thank you to the woman who posted that hint because it saved my sanity!!
March 31, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I am so happy I found this site! My 5 yearold and I have been having a 3 day BATTLE over her taking an antibiotic for her double ear infection. The strange part is that it has never been an issue before. Grandma and Grandpa are in town and today she chose to stay home while they took her older sister to SeaWorld just because she wouldn’t take the darn medicine. They want to take the kids to Universal Studios tomorrow and Disney on Thursday and I don’t think it is going to matter to my stubborn little Ava. I can’t believe that anything could taste so bad that a 5 year old would pass up Disney World!!! I am going to try the popsicle trick with her later today and see if that may work. My husband just lost his health insurance through his employer so I have already spent $300 on this ear infection between the Dr visit and the medicine (half of which was spit in my face). I can’t afford for her to not take this! If anyone has any new ideas let me know, I’m at the end of my rope!
March 31, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Dear Ava’s Mom, What if you drove her to the parking lot of Disney (or wherever you are going) and asked her to take her meds or you will turn around and leave? Perhaps seeing her siblings walking toward the park away from the car w/out her would motivate her. Good luck to you and keep us posted!
April 8, 2009 at 11:26 pm
My employee just e-mailed me this blog after I teared up at work from sleep depravation and frustration. My daughter has a sinus infection and we leave for Disneyworld in 9 days. I’ve done it all as well. Currently she spits out the antibiotic chewables after sucking on it for 5 minutes or so. I cringe at my exasperated rants and wrestling matches so she’s healthy but scarred for life. Every night I lay awake thinking what haven’t I tried. And last night it came to me… hypnosis! I met a great child psychologist just last night at a business association dinner and she offers counseling plus more. She says hypnosis may be the immediate quick fix I’m looking for plus counseling to get at the root of my daughter’s need for control when it comes to food, medication, etc. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
April 15, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I am glad to have found this site regarding taking medicines. My son is 11 yrs old and what terrible trouble it is to get him to take it. He is very stubborn and defiant regarding medicines. He takes risperdone medication which is great as it has no taste, no flavour and added to his water this is great and not a problem but at the moment we have eliminated him having a teeth problem so we know now it is his ears, he doesnt have infection that the doctor can see but his ears were a little red and and was using ear spray for him but gradually getting worse with pain and generally not himself. I am beside myself and feel terrible that the doctor said ok then we will give antibiotics abd see how he goes. Well….it is not going Jay is refusing completely, he cannot be held down as he is too strong and taller than me, treats, bribes are just not working he is just too distressed and getting very aggressive with me. My son is also off his food which doesnt help as he usually onlly drinks with food or maybe a snack. I have tried hiding it in foods, yoghurts but as he is not eating as usual and would be able to taste this amoxicillin as i can even taste it. I really dont know what to do as its effecting his general behaviour and has been staying in his bedroom under the quilt not coming down. The pain generally comes and goes even paracetamol tablets i have crushed in his food but he is not eating very much. Is there anything i can do i feel so terrible for him and not being able to do anything.
April 15, 2009 at 2:00 pm
My son is on the low end of the spectrum so it is very difficult and that i do give in to him and say ok no medicine as he is just so so distressed. He would rather stay in his bedroom all day than face anything like medicine.
April 23, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Thanks for your blog. My 4 year old just started an ear infection and needs to take amoxicillian for 10 days. Had a hard time getting him to take it, like the rest of the other moms. So glad to hear that I’m not alone and that I’m an okay mom.
April 27, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I am so thankful I found this message site! My daughter, 6 years old, was just diagnosed 3 days ago with pneumonia and was prescribed augmentin. She REFUSES
April 27, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I don’t know what happened with my last message, so I’ll try again.
My daughter was diagnosed this past Saturday with pneumonia and was given augmentin. She positively will not take this medicine. We have held her down, she just spits it back at me. I tried the loving, caring, gentle approach – I know the stuff tastes horrible. We are feeling like the worst, and most stupid, parents ever because we cannot get a 6 year old child to take 1.5 tsp of medicine. This is truly insane. I tried yogurt, pudding, chocolate everything, ice cream, took it back to the pharmacy at 9:30pm to have them flavor it another flavor – nothing works. She’s sitting here with chest pains. I’m waiting now for the doctor to call back and tell me she can take a pill or another drug, hopefully. I simply cannot believe she is this difficult. She actually refused to brush her teeth because she believed the brush wasn’t wet from water, that I had wet it with her medicine. Completely irrational.
April 27, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Dear Lori, I am so sorry you are going through this. You have a stubborn child, welcome to the club. I hope you have an understanding doc who can help you out with it. Please know that you are not alone and you are not a bad parent. You are a great parent for trying so hard. Did you try taking something away like TV, video game, favorite book or toy? I hope your child feels better soon.
May 4, 2009 at 5:15 am
Thank you for this site…at least we know we are not alone. Our almost 10yo daughter gets almost hysterical about taking medications. Luckily she’s not sick much, but she now has either a viral infection or strep (we find out tomorrow) and will not take anything for the sore throat, and it will be a major battle over an antibiotic tomorrow. Like one previous poster, I/we ruined a night on a trip to DC because she refused to take some Tylenol…I took away TV and the pool at the hotel for 2 days, and it didn’t matter, she wouldn’t take it. It reduced me to yelling, which I hated myself for. So, my plan tomorrow, should she need to antibiotic is to pick it up at the pharmacy and drive her to the clinic, pay the co-pay, and make her sit there until we get into see a doctor and have them make her take it. I’m hoping the humiliation will knock some sense into her…she’s way too old for this. I just don’t know what else to do….
May 5, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I think I’m getting some really good tips in trying to get my daughter to take her medicine. What I was doing in the past was to add about 2 tablespoons of chocolate or strawberry syrup to her medicine with a little milk to make a very sweet drink. Some of you parents may want to add even more syrup to overpower the medicine in taste. I don’t like all the sugar, but I’ll do it if it means she will actually take her meds. I also let her know that even though it looks like chocolate/strawberry milk it will taste a little funny because it has medicine. Part of the problem we had was her expectation that it was supposed to taste perfectly good like normal chocolate/strawberry milk. If she has it in her head that it is supposed to taste a little weird then she reacts a little better. She will drink it, but extremely slow. It takes about an hour of sipping until she finally gets it all down. My problem is in the morning we don’t have a lot of time for to drink becuase then she’ll be late for school. After reading the ideas on here I think I might try getting it extremely cold as well to numb her taste buds, or maybe get a chocolate pudding pop to numb her tongue before she drinks her super sweet medicine drink.
So, the main advice I think is to make it extremely sweet, get it very cold, set up the child’s expectation of the flavor. Also, holding the nose so they don’t smell it. Smelling plays a big part of taste. People that have lost their sense of smell also cannot taste anything, so holding the nose works on that principal. But, you have to do it in short steps because they need to breath, obviously.
May 8, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Joe, Thanks for those tips. My daughter now holds her nose before having a chewable antibiotic pill and we think it helps.
June 9, 2009 at 7:01 am
Our daughter has OCD. She doesn’t admit to it. She has never taken any medication, even an aspirin for the last 13 years of her life. The doctor prescribed medication for her anxiety which she refuses to take. We haven’t tried to hide it in any food yet but before doing that I wanted to find out the legal issues surrounding secretly giving medication to children. Are parents liable for delivering medication in prescribed quantities? Are there any legal issues? I asked the question to her therapist and he said we should discuss the issue with an attorney. Any help?
June 9, 2009 at 11:40 am
This is an interesting question that really seems off the topic on the blog, which is getting children to take medicine who are not yet at an age of consent. I can’t answer as to the legal issues. Who prescribed the meds? The doctor who prescribed the meds will probably know the answer and will save you attorneys fees. If your daughter is over a certain age you may be required to get a court order. However, is her OCD that bad that you would want to make it such an issue? Good luck.
June 9, 2009 at 11:41 am
Sorry for all the question marks. I have no idea how they got in there!
July 10, 2009 at 2:40 pm
My 4 yr old daughter has never had a problem taking kids otc medicines, they taste good to her, but she came down with strep throat and the doctor perscribed amoxicillin. This was a big fight! Coughing, crying, gagging, hair and feet flying… I can’t do this 2x a day for ten days! I started searching for someway to disguise the taste and that yucky smell. While I was searching the internet I came across this site. When my daughter came up and asked what I was doing, I told her I was reading about a little girl who had to take the same medicine she did and how she made it not taste so bad. I told her the little girl said to put chocolate syrup in it and it would taste better. She helped me make the “get better fast recipe.” We measured out the medicine in the little measuring cup, added a liitle bit of sugar, with her special spoon. and mixed well while singing “a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down” (a la Mary Poppins). We then got a colorful kids straw poured some chocolate syrup down it, to coat the inside and then mixed some chocolate syrup in the medicine itself till it turned a chocolate cherry color. (drinking it thru the straw keeps it further away from her nose – yucky smell). With a little coaxing she drank it up, in several small sips with a lot of cold water chasers. (another great benefit!) I know it sounds like a big production and a lot of sugar but it was much better than the fighting and crying. We are both much happier.
July 24, 2009 at 1:38 pm
My 6 year old daughter wouldnt take her medicine ( congestal) properly ,,it would take like 5 hours convincing her to take it…i’m so tired with her and her stubborness..! she wouldnt take neither with juice nor food…
antibiotic injections is what she’s taking now and a supp of voltaren…her fever wouldnt go down for 6 days now… is it becuz the med shes’ refusing?
July 25, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Norene, I’m so sorry you are going through this. The question you are asking is for a medical professional. This website is by a parent (me) who has a stubborn little girl who won’t take her meds and for other parents to vent and throw out ideas to help one another. I hope your daughter gets better soon. Age 6 seems to be a very common age for these stubborn kids!
August 7, 2009 at 9:50 pm
My 18 month year old daughter has step throat and although she would normally take calpol without any fuss, she will not take the antibiotic. Unfortunately holding her down does not work as she spits it out. Have had a little success disguising it with milk (morning and nite bottle) but I wonder how affective it is when diluted? Think will try the yogart theory to see how it goes. Is the syringe eaiser than a teaspoon?
August 20, 2009 at 2:46 am
Hello to all the moms and dads out there. WOW… I can certainly relate and feel your pain. I just spent over an hour reading everyones comments on how to deal with a child that won’t take meds… it is such a scarey thing!!! All we want to do is make our child feel better.
While I did not finish reading everyones comments, I am having the same problem as everyone but my daughter is 14 years old. I can understand more about the younger kids refusing but I’ve been going through this for 14 very long years!!! She will NOT swollow a pill … out and out refuses. She is afraid she is going to choke. I have no idea why she has this fear… she sees me take all my meds (eight pills) every single day (all at once) and have never had a problem!!! It really is frusterating.
Three days ago she got an absessed tooth and it caused her jaw to puff up alot. She had the tooth pulled yesterday but had to get an IV at the ER for the antibiotic to work quicker. Now she has to stay on an antibiotic for the next 10 days, either 6 oz four times a day or three capsul powers four times a day — She will NOT take the pills … the taste if horrific!!! The ER dr even said it is the worst thing you will ever taste — which didn’t help my case to get through this!! I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!?!!?!??!?!?!
This is a very strong antibiotic and there is not other one to replace it. I have tried mixing the liquid and powder from teh capsul in pudding, juices, ice cream, cake icing and tried each of these with very little doses at a time — nothing at all works… she is refusing to take it. I am so afraid that she is going to get even a stronger infection.
I wish there was a good food or drink out there that would help with this issue … the patch someone mentioned would be wonderful!!!
Frustrated in NC!
September 15, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I’m sorry that I don’t have any solutions. I am just another parent, with a stubborn kid and about at the end of my rope. My daughter has an infection in her lymph nodes. She has refused to take her antibiotic. This is nothing new. She has always been this way. The only problem is, this time, it could be life threatening. I tried for 5-6 hours last night to get her to take her meds. I spoke to the doctor, after hours last night who said to try; bribery and if it doesn’t work, take away her most prized possessions. The doctor said that sooner or later, she would cave. I spent the entire night, packing up everything in her room, she lost every single toy, picture, her TV, you name it, it was gone. She is down to a bed and a dresser. My back hurt and she was just plain mad! My six year old even packed a suit case and told me she was “out of here!”. She was going to move out and find a new mom who wouldn’t force her to take medicine. Of course she came back less than 30 seconds later, but still, something has to give. I tried leveling with her, being honest with her about her condition and discussing the consequences, to no avail. It is so hard, to see someone you love, refuse to take medicine that they need. It looks like we will be admitted into the hospital for some IV antibiotics, since the shot in the dr. office won’t be strong enough. I love that patch idea that someone mentioned up above. That would be a life saver! Good luck parents! I am glad that I am not alone.
September 16, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I am soooo sorry you are going through this. I have a daughter just as stubborn and I can imagine the exact scenario happening in our home. I hope a few hours in the hospital convinced her and I hope she is on the mend. Please give me an update when you can. Moody Mommy
October 17, 2009 at 4:39 pm
OK, my son has H1N1 swine flu. He was put on Tamiflu oral suspension. I had it flavored grape on the small chance that my 8yr old might actually take it. First dose took an hour to give, but he was too sick to fight me much. Second dose this morning was a battle and ended with him puking it back up. Now what? He is a very picky eater anyway. Won’t eat applesause, frosting, or any other “sneaky” methods. I tried grape koolaid but he wasn’t fooled. Refused it, so that dose was wasted. I tried rewards and bribes. No good. I tried threats. No good. I tried to reason with him and explain why it was so important. His answer-”I’d rather die than take that nasty medicine.”
October 18, 2009 at 11:25 pm
I am so so sorry you are going through that. Right now, we are struggling to give Charlie iron supplements and boy do they taste yucky. Now he won’t even drink his favorite grape juice after having to drink the iron mixed in it. I wish you all the best with your child. I hope he gets better soon. Please let us know how he’s doing, and what, if anything, the doc suggests about the Tamiflu.
October 18, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Yes, it is very hard trying to get someone to do something that is only good for them. When our children are sick and we have a solution that will take care of them all we want to do is get the meds inside their bodies!! I have this problem with my 14 year old daughter and now I am a similiar problem with my 71 year old mom. She just had surgery 10 days ago and she refuses to eat… she doesn’t have an appetite!!
Pretty crazy…
October 19, 2009 at 12:36 am
My daughter finally took her medicine. It took two shots from the doctor to push her to take her medicines. She was so scared that she was going to get more shots that she finally took the meds.
October 19, 2009 at 9:00 pm
So happy it is working out!
October 20, 2009 at 1:52 am
hello everyone , i am sooooooooo tired of trying all sorts of things over the past few years.. my son who is now 7 has made me cry and cry and cry…because he just wont take medicen he simply just pukes it all out !!!.. its getting a little better now.. actually lets just say that i am getting use to it. Anyway there is is one thing i do i give him his medication always in front of the bathroom sink and i run cold water ,let him play with the water …AND i keep a teaspoon of Nutttela in one hand and the medicen in the other . It has made a difference ….do try it…it has worked for us to some extent….my heart goes out to all parents with this problem …..
p.s my daughter is only 4 and actually enjoys any kind of medicen ….!!!……..
October 20, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I can’t believe I’ve found this page!
My son is almost 6 and has autism. He’s been iffy with meds most of his life but I was usually able to hide them in things if he flat out wouldn’t take them.
He came down with a fever two nights ago. At first it took some convincing (he’s almost nonverbal but understands everything we say and can be reasoned with) but he took his chewable ibuprofen on his own. Well last night was The Worst. It ended with him crying, daddy upset and mommy crying. He just WOULD NOT take the ibuprofen to help bring his fever down. Refused. Clamped his jaws shut. When we got it in liquid form and used a syringe to get it in his inner cheek he (of course) spit it back up. We even tried the holding his nose and he would just rather not breathe then, haha. But when the mouth would open again he would shoot his tongue out immediately and push out whatever we tried to pour in.
As far as that doctor from that article posted way up, the one in Hawaii… Most of us have enough of a hard time struggling with wondering where we went wrong and we don’t need some holier than thou patronizing *Saint* to tell us what we should try when we’ve all already been there and done all of that. Shame on you, I say to him/her! My son didn’t start giving us a hard time until he was 2 or 3, so his/her claim of ‘if they learn to take meds by the time they’re 1 everything will be fine’…bull!
He doesn’t like applesauce, ice cream or frosting, but I did use that method mentioned a few posts up and put it into an icee today while it was still thawed then I froze it. He ate over half of it and the only reason he didn’t get to finish it is because his cousin (a toddler) snatched it out of his hand and spilled it all over the floor. But it looks like the icee idea works for my son! Hooray!
October 20, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I’m glad you found something that works. Next time, if you are just concerned about getting a fever down, a cool bath could do the trick. Also, I would consult w/the doc b/c with some fevers it is only a matter of making your child comfortable. If he can suffer through the fever (and if you can too
) and the doc says it is ok, perhaps doing nothing at all is another option. I hope you get some rest, I’m sure you need it!
October 22, 2009 at 3:12 am
I don’t think what im gonna say is gonna help anyone but here goes..
I am the mother of a 4 year old little boy named ryan..
when he was a little over 1 he was diagnosed with 2 forms of treatment resistant kidney disease and is now in late stage 4 kidney failure.. he has to take 14 yes you read that right 14 meds a day and injections at home weekly let me tell you he hates taking meds too … but hes not given a choice he has to take them or he will die
what all of you need to understand what what they need to understand is this .. you are the parent they are the child they don’t have the option to take only what they feel like and not take anything else… they need to take what you give them and realize your doing it for a reason and that’s to help them get better even if it means you have to hold them down and make them then that’s what you need to do it may not be fun for either of you they may throw it up which we deal with daily but it’s something they have to do .. and they will understand that even if they don’t want to they have to and no matter how many times they make them selves puke you have to keep trying or they win and you will deal with it for life ..
my son spends weeks at a time at the hospital and like all of your children came up with all kinds of excuses like it takes bad or it’s yukky or w/e the excuse maybe the nurses tried to crush the pills up and mix it in choc syrup, choc ice cream, pudding, drinks of all kinds and he wasent having it
well let me tell you after spending most of his free time in time out and staring at a wall for a few days and doing nothing fun he has decided it’s easier to take them and get it over with because he knows now if i don’t i will be in trouble and won’t have any fun .. i wish you all the best of luck with your children i know it’s hard but you have to be the adult and stand your ground about things like this since after all your the parent not them !!
October 23, 2009 at 3:56 pm
[...] favorite, grape juice. Always willing to give a food or drink the ol’ college try (unlike my Eva!), he drank most of it. When I offered it to him the next day, however, a look of panic came over his [...]
November 10, 2009 at 1:06 am
Oh my gosh i really dont know what to do. I’m 16 and it’s my little sister i’m worried about. She’s 10 and she has the starts of pnemonia from a flu. She also has problems with authority and she’s seen a counciler before.
The flu she’s had for 8 days now. The entire time she’s been sick she’s missed school(which she’s not good at) and Mom hasnt slept at all.
We are having trouble getting her to take a liquid medicine. My mom, the people pleaser, has tried beging, bribing, and hiding it. Then it led to screaming from both of them. Then my stepdad, the law, came home(her dad). He tried talking to her nicely and explaining everything to her but so far it hasn’t worked.
I can only see the next 10 day as a living nightmare.
November 10, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Your sister is very lucky to have a big sister like you. Do you know why she won’t take her med? Does she look up to you? Maybe you can reason with her. If not, the doc may say she has to go to the hospital. Keep the doc informed at all times! Good luck and I hope your sis gets well soon.
November 11, 2009 at 1:48 am
She doesnt really look up to me but we did find a way!!!!! We used a little dropper thingy and she let us shoot it towards the back of her throat!
Less icky taste especially if followed by a gulp of orange juice! Halelujah!
November 10, 2009 at 4:54 am
Moms out there. I have bad news. Once a child is stubborn about taking meds, they will always be. My 9 yr old son would rather suffer his illness, make us all ill, and keep us up at night instead of taking any medicine. It IS a nightmare and it doesn’t get any better as they get older.
One hint for medium ear infections. Warm olive oil drops in the ear helps sooth them. Maybe 2 drops each side. Ear infections do clear up and DON’T always need antibiotics.
November 10, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Susan, That is just not true!!! My seven-year-old who used to be completely resistant now takes certain meds when before she wouldn’t take it at all! You just have to find what works. For us, it is a chewable and plugging her nose and following it all w/a jelly belly and /or ice cream. As far as the antibiotics for ear infections, your doc is the best one to determine that, but I believe studies have shown that they go away on their own eventually. The key is whether you child is uncomfortable or not. Good luck!
November 10, 2009 at 4:57 am
For those who have kids too little to take honey, use Agave Nectar as a substitute. It is a milder sweetness and tastes great.
November 11, 2009 at 3:45 am
So happy for you! What a great idea!