How do you get dc to take meds?

[seren]

4 yodd has to get a cavity filled tomorrow. This girl refuses all meds. No matter what we do she spits them out. She has tot ake these meds an hour before her appointment. I do not know how I am going to do this. She loves the dentist, until it's time to lay down and open her mouth, then she doesn't love it so much. She refuses to lay down and I have to lay her down. THey said if she won't let them fix her cavity they either have to strap her to a papoose board or set up a time to do it at the hospital and put her under. I know that straping her down will traumatize her and i just don't think I can do that. But I don't want her put under either. She is not allowed to eat tomorrow, so no hiding it in something. And don't even get me started about scheduling a 4 year old for a noon appointment and not letting her eat at all that morning.

So, does anyone have any methods of getting their kids to take meds? I'm desperate.

[MomInCalifornia]

Honestly, either big time bribery or physical force

I have vivid memories of 4 of us having to hold down my brother when he was 6 so he could take his medicine after having his tonsils out. He is 21 now and has long since forgotten about it.

[grahamsmom98]

WAIT! Cancel the appointment and give yourself a little time. The cavity CAN wait a little while longer.

Before you go to the appointment, find a dentist in the Yellow Pages that uses the water laser! No needles, no pain!! Our 6 yo ds had a couple of fillings put in via the water laser and it was soooooo easy!!

He was totally relaxed (and this was with a completely new dentist, for the first time) and it took less than a half hour to do them. No needle and no numbing required.

I would REALLY suggest trying this before going the regular numbing route. Ds has no fear of the dentist and is very comfortable with going for exams.

I would not allow anybody to strap my child down. I would not give my child sedating meds for a procedure like this when you don't have to. Sorry, but one cavity in a baby tooth isn't worth being given general anesthesia in the hospital. Not when there ARE alternatives.

[Naughty Dingo]

I always give my DD a piece of chocolate. She will take anything for that reward.

I would ask a pharmacist about a different way to formulate the medicine. The pharmacist can mix it up in any number of syrups such as pina colada, tutti frooty, cherry, bubble gum, grape etc that are palatable to a child. Some meds are really bitter tasting but many can be formulated so that it isn't traumatic to take them. You can even get some of the plain syrup so your DC can sample them and get used to the taste.

I would also be reluctant to be strapped down. I was held down screaming, with the doctor yelling at my mother to control me! for a gynecological exam at 5 years old and to this day have a really hard time enduring that exam. I agree with the pp who said you don't have to do this right away.

Good luck Mama. It is so frustrating, I wish we could just explain to them "It is just a tiny thing, over in a second, and it is so important" but of course kids can't understand that

ND

[seren]

I wish I would have posted this weeks ago. We already filled the scrip. It's too late to cancel the app. My kids have the state medicaid coverage, so it's very hard to find a good dentist. I called for days to find a dentist that would accept our coverage AND let me go in the back. Most here don't let you go back with the kids. It turns out this is the number 1 dentist in our area, he's great.

I refuse to let them strap her down. It's just not gonna happen. And I really don't want to put her under. I guess I"m going to try to bribe her to take the meds and we will try it. If she won't let them I will discuss other options and waiting.

THanks for the advice!

[Naughty Dingo]

Good luck Seren, I hope it goes smoothly Mama

ND

[eilonwy]

Well, BeanBean loves to take medicine. It happens so infrequently for him that he thinks it's great fun, because his sister used to take medicine every day.

With BooBah, who is not quite old enough to take a bribe, I restrain her and force it down. : I hate doing it and I always offer nursies afterwards. With older children who don't like taking medicine, I have bribed; I usually offer anything that they want to drink to wash it down, be it soda or gatorade or even those horrible brightly-colored freezer pops. I make a big show of getting the after-treat ready. I have even crushed chewable tablets between two spoons and forced them in. When my niece was four, I could get her to take just about anything by offering her ten minutes with a pacifier (she had to give her binks up on her fourth birthday).

In general, I don't believe in bribing kids but if their health or safety is involved, I don't feel too badly about doing it. You've got to do what you've got to do!

As to restraints-- I still have a hard time with the idea of the papoose board. When I was three, I cracked my head open on a concrete wall. They wanted to strap me down to put the stitches in, and I freaked: I swore that I would hold perfectly still and not move if they would *please* not put me on that board with all the straps. My mother was able to convince the doctor that I was serious and the doctor didn't strap me down while he put the stitches in (I pretty much held my breath until he finished!), but a different doctor took my stitches out and insisted on the board then. I was so horribly upset about it, and my mom thought it was a load too. Honestly, I still have nightmares about it sometimes. My kid's life will have to be in danger before I'll consent to their being strapped down on one of those things!

[seren]

She did great! A bit of a struggle with the meds, but not too bad. And no struggle at the dentist. In fact she slept through most of it!

[USAmma]

Just FYI, many apothocary shops can even make medicine lolly pops or hard candy with some meds.

My dd1 takes allergy meds and I mix it with juice or milk every morning for her.

[Naughty Dingo]

Yay Seren and yay for DD. I am so happy it all went well.

ND