Thursday, May 29, 2008

My kid hates me

For about 5 minutes every morning and 5 minutes every night Emma thinks that I am the devil himself here to torture her and send her into hysterics. It's called MEDICATION TIME. She's not sooooo bad when it's just the 3 regular meds (less than 1ml each) but when we add in the antibiotic every 2-3 weeks for 2 weeks it gets BAD. I have to hold her down, restrain every part of her, and choke it down. LITERALLY. I sit on the floor with my legs apart, her in between. I put my legs over her arms hold her face with one hand so she doesn't turn her head and let the meds run out. She still spits it in my face half the time. I have to 'pucker' her cheeks to get her to keep the meds in, about 1/2ml at a time and wait... and wait... and try to get her to swallow- and scoop it back in with my finger...

How do you give your kids that HATE medications their meds? I've tried the "shoot it to the back" method but it ALL comes back out. She spits it. Her tonsls are huge and I'd bet that doesn't help since it constricts her throat some. What do I do?? If you have an answer before, say, 8pm tonight, I'd love to try it!

18 comments:

  1. We mix with a small amount of gatorade, OR in a teaspoon or so of pudding. And we do, Zantac, zytec, and a few other powder meds twice a day.

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  2. This sounds really mean, I know. Do you blow in her face? She won't be able to help but swallow if you blow gently at her after you put it in her mouth. ;-)
    Love and Prayers,
    Allison in TX

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  3. We put it in a bottle that we know she will take all of. Sarah is the worse at taking meds. I hated it when she had her tonsils out and tried to give her the pain med. She could taste it in everything we tried. For omnicef I put it in milk and add strawberry nesquik(the omnicef has a banana/strawberry flavor) to it. She loves strawberry milk! Her reflux med and vitamins I do the same. Have fun!!

    Robyn

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  4. I second blowing in the face. Totally works. Use the smallest med syringe you can, squirt in the cheek instead of the throat, then blow in the face.

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  5. I do the blowing in the face gently as well....works everytime...sounds mean, but i have also had to hold her nose when i blow, so i know she will swallow....also...the strawberry syrup has worked wonders for us...i just add alittle extra to it, so the med taste isnt there. i only do like 1 ou of milk total and then add meds....GOOD LUCK!!! I know how you feel, we are on meds ALL THE TIME around her...but my girls are med freaks...they love just about all of them!!!

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  6. We had this problem, but we tried a reverse approach and squirt it into a spoon (a little at a time). She will eat it like it's food now. Well...that is if it is a tasty flavor like the antibiotics come in (she wouldn't do it for Zantac). Or, we do it with the bottle.

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  7. My son hates taking meds too although has improved much. I figured out that he hates it squirting into the back of his throat. If I squirt it in his cheek, then he will swallow. I think putting it in the back of his throat made him feel like he was choking. There's probably a different answer for every child because I can't hide his in anything!!! Good luck!

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  8. You've described Pierce to a tee when it comes to taking meds of any kind. I squirt it (little bits at a time) in his cheek like some others have mentioned. he chokes if I put in anywhere else and then he ends up puking everywhere. So not fun. BUT, when DH gives it to him, he seals his lips around the end of the syringe and sucks it all out....dh doesn't even have to push the syringe at all...the little booger just sucks it all on his own. So there's my tip, make DH do it! LOL

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  9. Oh, my gosh! I don't know if I've ever commented here before. I enjoy lurking and watching your amazing family! But today, when I read that description of giving Emma her medication, it reminded me so much of my youngest son! I have to do the exact same thing with him! Fortunately, he's rarely on meds. The last time he needed antibiotics, I would roll up a blanket to lay him on before I straddled him because I hoped it might keep him from choking. He got to where he would remind me (and insist!) that it was time for his medicine, roll up the blanket, lay down, and then start thrashing! It was the funniest thing I have ever seen! Well, and probably the most exhausting!

    One thing I found with him that helped keep him from spitting it back out, was to stick my finger in between his teeth (found that out accidentally because I had to first pry them apart). As long as I held his teeth apart, he had a hard time spitting it back out at me and would usually swallow it pretty quickly. It worked to get the medicine down him, but I can't say it was kind to my finger! I wish I'd had a little gauze or a really thin little wash cloth to wrap around my finger to keep it from getting so chewed on! Oh, and about 8 more arms would have come in handy! Good luck!

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  10. I also blow in the face. It seems to be the only thing that works.

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  11. I pay the couple extra bucks and have them put a flavored diluent into the meds. (I'm assuming you're talking stuff like nasty augmentin?) Depending upon the medication, it sometimes adds to the amount needed to be taken, but for us (Angela was sometimes on 5 or 6 different meds at a time, and currently is on 7, but all in pill form) it was well worth it if it meant she'd take it without a problem!

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  12. Prelone syrup is why Miranda learned to swallow pills at 2 years old. Polyvisol was horrible with AJ. She ruined tons of clothes. If the med tasted okay, ice cream has always worked otherwise. I mix it with a little bit of sherbert because of the fruity taste and start out giving them the ice cream BEFORE you add the med in. Then trick them with the 3rd or fourth bite. Good luck!

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  13. I was going to suggest a pill form of the meds. They have these pill "shooters", for lack of a better word, and they shoot the pill straight back and down the throat. Then maybe have her suck on her bottle to help swallow?

    I've also seen where nurses will give the meds in the cheek, then the kiddo will swallow it. Something will work for Emma, I'm sure :o) And, there is NO way she hates you, Meredith...you are too precious and a wonderful mom! She loves you :o)

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  14. I was also going to suggest mixing it with a beverage she likes or some yogurt. Disguise it somehow so she thinks she's actually getting a treat.

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  15. I pretend to give some to her older brother. It usually works like a charm!

    Erin in Texas

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  16. blowing in the face works great for the hard meds time! another thing I have done I started it right away with my daughter is the medicine song sing, dance, Act silly that has worked pretty well for us just once in a blue moon i have to resort back to face blowing

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  17. Here are my suggestions...
    1) for pills or powders, put it in to a spoon covered and the cover with peanut butter or applesauce or chocolate syrup.
    2) for syrups you have gotten a lot of good suggestions, mostly putting it into the cheek and or disguising it in a small amount of liquid she likes (usually milk, choc milk, strawberry milk, pediasure work better [i.e. thick liquids vs thin liquids])

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  18. I did exactly what you are doing. Mercede at age two couldn't stand to take new meds that she was put on. It really felt like child abuse and it was horrifying to hold her down and pucker her mouth. Finally she realized that it was easier just to take it then to fight it. There are some meds, I still have problems getting her to take. Like vitimins. She hates those things! lol

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