help getting medicine into my 3yr old son please

my son is 15 and will not take medication orall, I have tryed every way to give it to him. Hidden it in sweets. Tryed medicine vomited it back at me. He is to big to try and hold him, to keep it down. Any advice as he really needs antibiotics at minute coughing up FelM. has anyone had the same proble? Advice needed. 

I am in the exact same boat.  My son will not take any oral medication; fortunately, we have found paracetamol suppositories for times he has fevers (to help keep that down). No luck with liquid medicine though!  He has had a chest infection for the last two weeks, and the doctors just keep prescribing Amoxicillan and other forms of Penicillin.  I was told by my chemist that there is the ability to get Amoxicillan unflavoured - but then couldn't find it!

I've searched the internet for unflavoured medicine and am having no luck.  Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Anyone had any luck?

momnson said:

hi all my son is 3 and is quite poorly atm. he has a virus and it's pushing his temp as high as 40.4!!! the problem is we can't get him to take any medicines i've tried just about anything we can think of from medi dummies to hiding it in food or pop we've even tried forcing it down him which was heart breaking and didn't work either as he still managed to spit it all over me. i spoke to the doctor who simply said i had to get it down him and there was nothing else that could be done. i'd like him to come here and try to "get it down him" he was no help and very patronising, so as usual i'm turning to you all for some advice. any suggestions are welcomed thank you in advance

claire xx

. good luck

Hi, It`s a struggle. Unfortunatly no means no with my boys and forcing it down will often make them sick and lose their trust in you. My sons will take calpol and I have mixed liquid antibiotics into that to get them to take it. Easy for Drs to judge when you say your child refuses it, try living it first then be qualified to have an opinion. Maybe things will get a little easier with age. Good luck.

hi momnson your not the only one struggling we are too i think when the kids are like this and wont take there meds then there should be a way that maybe they took them in hospital and gave it to them through an I.V until they are better because when there temps are so high like this they can have seizures its ridiculous the way doctors are they think they know it all but they dont rant over lol

Big Hugs

skye xxx

Hi we have the same problem, only my son is 8 years old and nearly as big as me! its a horrid way to do it and the GP's really don't understand how bad it is, but try this one, get them on the bed, wrap them in a duvet (you may need help) so they are cocooned and can't flap arms and legs, stragle them on the bed one hand on the forehead and the other squirts the medicine in the mouth, i use this method in extreame cases where he has no option but to take medicine not nice but getting some down them will help.

ahh that sounds good i'll give it a go

thanks stranger  x

I'm sure I read (it was a long time ago) something about using a syringe and squirting it under their tongue? That way, they can't spit it out.

thanks skye1971 it's so frustrating you'd think being doctors they'd be a bit more understanding well he's all better now thank goodness it just leaves me dreading the next time he's poorly his brother got over it quite quickly but it took him 5 days i've never seen him so poorly. there must be other ways of getting the medication in next time if his temp goes that high again i'll just go to a&e i think they might be able to offer something there.

it's nice to know i'm not the only one struggling

thanks again xxx

hi momson i know exactly what you mean our daughter is 2 1/2 years old and recently had a virus also but you cant get the medicine down her we told the doctor this aswell and was told exactly the same thing as you and she was very patronising aswell we tried everything even with a syringe she spits it out all over you we had to try and force it down her and your right its heartbreaking to do these people just dont understand and with her temp being so high the doctor said you will have to watch she doesnt have a seizure and i said well thats hard when we cant even get the medicine down her to bring her temp down stupid woman

BigHugs xxx

hi narniaAspie

thanks ever so much for ur reply. unfortunately he cannot comprehend bribery believe me we've tried, and he has the whole hyper sensitive senses thing going on so anything cold or wet he won't even entertain the idea. his temps back up again now and all i can do is strip him off and cool sponge him. thank you again

claire xx

I have been there as well a few years ago, when there temperature is that high they can hallucinate and be completely out of it which makes it even more difficult.

We tried everything we could think of and in the end the only thing that worked was major bribery.  He is obsessed with Lego and we went out and bought a lot of smaller Lego sets (expensive) and he had one every time he took it.  It did work in the end, you could also try giving ice pops for half an hour before the medicine which will lower his temp and might make him more cooperative. ( but don't try a cold bath or shower as these could put him into shock.)