HELP!!! It's impossible to give her medicine.

[Chris]

Sarah has a nasty sinus infection and is miserable. We went to the doctor and got a liquid antibiotic but it is just about impossible to get it down her throat!

She has been running a fever since Friday night and I haven't had much success getting tylenol or advil down. I have tried liquid and the tablets that melt. I have mixed them in yogurt, had my husband hold her down while I try to squirt it toward the side of her throat. Yikes!!! I am about to lose it! On top of all that, she is constipated and I am supposed to give her a glycerin suppository twice a day.

Did I mention that I'm frazzled and I never wanted to be a nurse!

Chris

[Cbean]

Have you tried blowing in her face once you get the meds in her mouth? Sounds kind of cruel, but it usually gets Emily to swallow.

[violettesmom]

How does she do with the suppositories? If she does ok, you might want to consider "Fever-all" suppositories and see if that kills two birds with one stone, as they say...my oldest typical child has always HATED taking liquid meds and was impossible to get her to do it. Now she takes pill form (she has since she was 5) and it is MUCH easier. But we used feverall quite a bit when she was in her impossible stage. Sometimes you have to ask the pharmacist for these - for some reason they don't keep them on the shelf.

www.feverall.com/retail.html

[Chris]

The suppositories are a great idea! I don't think that she will like it at all but she can't spit it out and I will know how much medication she got. Thanks for the tip!

Christine ~ I have tried blowing in her face and holding her nose. At 46 lbs, she is very strong and puts up a huge fight. I wonder how one little girl can be so strong.

Chris

[laurasnowbird]

Chris,

We are in the midst of our own battles here today, but wanted to quickly give you an idea. Our "problem child" was Victoria...and we couldn't get anything in that girl. Thank heavens she was never sick, but when she was about three, she had a nasty viral thing, and ran a fever of about 103 degrees for about a WEEK! We tried EVERYTHING, and that girl even managed to push the suppositories back out, LOL! When we tried to give her anything orally, she would start blowing raspberries before we could even get it in her MOUTH!

Is there a flavor that Sarah likes? Victoria liked bubble gum, and even though Tylenol doesn't come in that flavor, if your doctor will write out a script to have it done by a compounding pharmacy, they can add any color and flavor you like. We had pink bubblegum flavored Tylenol made for Victoria, and our problems were over.

Sorry to hear that you're having such a time of it. I can relate right about now. Hang in there, you and Sarah will be in my prayers!

P.S. Will she let you use saline nasal solution in her nose? That will help immensely with helping to break up the gunk in her sinues.

[Emilysmom]

Chris,
I wouldn't be quite as concerned about not being able to get the Tylenol or Advil down Sarah, because you can do other things like sponge baths or tub baths or putting cool cloths in her arm pits, etc to get her fever down. But, she needs the antibiotic. If it doesn't get any better and she doesn't get the medicine, I think I'd ask the doctor if he could give her a shot of antibiotics. There was some research a while back that one shot of Rocephin was as good at clearing up an ear infection as a week's worth of oral meds. I would think a shot or two of antibiotics would clear up a sinus infection too.
Or.............some antibiotics come in good tasting chewable tablets. Would she do better with those?
Hoping she gets well soon,
Susan

[Chris too]

I give antibiotic shots to my goats and turkeys, but I need two people to hold them down to do it Maybe just the threat of a shot will get her motivated to take the liquid :-D

I just know that you will get through this! Prayers for you in the mean time!
Chris, too

[mollysmomma]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh i so feel your pain...

by the time molly was 6 weeks old...she was able to take that liquid digoxin, and blow it out her nose TOTALLY bypassing her throat...looking back, i should have taken that as a clue, as to what living with molly the mule was going to be like!

Today at 7 years old? it takes daddy AND mommy (and he has to use a law enforcement hold on her) to get ANYTHING down her throat! Once she caught me slipping a singular into her morning teaspoon of ice cream??? AND NOW SHE EATS ONLY PLAIN VANILLA! anything that has sprinkles or crunchies on it, she assumes is medication and refuses!

UGH

wish i could give you some suggestions.. 'get used to it'... is the only one i can come up with....

and i had to laugh at the spitting out the pills...molly can do THAT with a suppository, too! HAHAHAHA!!

We'll keep you on the prayer list....and hope that one day dispensing the meds will go a little easier for you than it has for us!


our kids..*sigh* she definitely knows the extent of my limits...and continues to push that bar up!


e & molly kate

[Chris too]

Meltaway strips (like the breath strips) are great - they melt and can't be spit out at all. They stick on your tongue like glue. You can get Benadryl like that, maybe even Tylenol. I do not know what to do about the antibiotics except request a shot.

Chris, too

[Chris]

I really appreciate everyone's responses. I did go buy the Feverall suppositories and slipped one in this afternoon. I haven't checked her diaper to see if it was all absorbed.

I did call the doctor and the pharmacy made a mistake. She only has to take one teaspoon of Amoxicillin not two. Honestly, it hasn't made a huge difference. This morning I had to take my older daughter to the doctor and I tried giving Sarah her meds just before I left. What a dumb mistake! I was covered in little drops of pink all over my clothes. I had to change before I left the house.

I am most worried that Sarah refuses to eat anything. She will take little sips of water but that is it. I guess I shouldn't worry since she is drinking water and urinating.

Meltable strips for antibiotics seems like a great idea! I haven't seen a fever reducer in a strip but that would be great, too.

Sounds like Sarah and Molly could have a stubborn contest. I have never met a child who is as stubborn as Sarah. She also NEVER forgets. I think she won't eat because she is convinced that I have put medicine in everything.

Thanks again. Y'all always come through.

Chris

[MB]

Strip your bathroom of all distractions including towels, toilet paper, soap etc... You want an empty, sterile room. With NO emotion, tell her she can leave as soon as she swallows her medicine. Tell her to bring you the bottle and spoon when she is ready.

Stay there all day if necessary. Tell her you will leave as soon as she swallows the medicine. Pick up your cell phone and call a friend. Thoroughly enjoy your talk. Read a book, do your nails whatever it takes to let her know you are more than happy to stay in the room.

Your may wait up to four hours, but I guarantee you will not have to wait more than 3 minutes the next time.

I did this with an increasingly large boy who would not take a shot. We were up to four people holding him down. I said enough. We sat in the exam room for 45 minutes. I told him to go get the nurse when he was ready. He finally did. Shots are no problem for us any more.

mb

[Chris]

MB,

Thanks for your wisdom. I need you to train me how to train Sarah. She is the boss in our house and that is wrong. We need to correct it right now before we have real problems.

Chris