How do you gently do medicine?

[seren]

Or do all rules go out the window with that? We are having such a rough time. Ds has a massive sinus infection that is causing migraines. He's on antibiotics. He hates them. It's a fight, but he's been getting better. Especially if it's the time he gets the nasal spray afterwards. He loves that stuff, weird child.

Dd1 flat out refuses. She had a fever 103.4 today. So I tried to give her some tylenol. I tried to put it in a drink, I tried reasoning, bribing, nothing. I was at my parents and they didn't have a medicine syringe, so my dad tried to help. He tried forcing her mouth open and pouring it in. SHe bit him. She ended up with most of it all over her face. I have held her down. I have done everything I can to try to get her tot ake meds. Nothing works.

So how do you fit medicine into ap? Or do you just do what you have to do to get it down?

[Ruthla]

I rarely give medicine (this is not about being AP, it's more about being NFL and not wanting to put potentially toxic substances into my children.)

Fever is not something to be feared. Fever is a tool that your child's body is using to "clean up" toxins and germs and, in general, return itself to health. Suppressing the fever will only slow down the healing process. My advice is to stop trying to give her medicine.

I've never needed to give antibiotics to any of my children when they were very young (I think my girls have had them only once or twice total in their lives, and it was while we weren't getting regular chiropractic care.) Since your DS already has a sinus infection, and you already started antibiotic treatment, I wouldn't stop that in the middle- it can just create antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Maybe "bribe" him with something he enjoys after he takes his medicine? A sticker or something like that?

[seren]

I am not big on antibiotics for my kids. But ds complained of headaches for a while, we went to the dr. And he wanted a ct scan because of past head injuries (I have a very clumsy boy). The ct scan was what picked up the sinus infection. By the time we met with the dr again it had been three weeks of ds having migraines because of it. So we are doing the antibiotics. The ped said they might not work the first time so gave us a refill. If they don't I will definitely be taking him to the chiro.

On the fever thing. Do I just do nothing? I did give her a lukewarm bath and it brought it down for awhile. But it's coming back up. What if it gets really high? At what point should i be concerned?

[Ruthla]

On the fever thing, yup, I would just do nothing- keep her comfortable, offer her as many liquids as she's willing to drink, cover her if she gets cold, uncover her if she gets hot, etc, and not worry about her unless she gets listless or dehydrated.

[seren]

She just wanted to be cuddled or lay down and watch a movie. But she wasn't listless. What should I do if that were to happen? In my mind if I ask, it won't happen, if I don't it will and i won't know what to do. I know, I'm weird. You would think I should know this by now.

[JessicaS]

Did you try letting her give it to herself?

Put it in the thingie and give it to her..she might drink it.

[FreeThinkinMama]

I don't have a problem with giving medicine but I try to avoid giving ibuprofen unless the fever is serious because as the pp said it helps fight the infection and suppressing the fever can prolong the illness. Here's a page about fevers and medication:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html

It basically says you don't need to worry about an older child unless the fever is 104 or more. Babies it's 100.4

That said I've given dd antiobiotics and ibuprofen before. I never had a problem, I usually act like it's yummy and she just takes it off the spoon. If she still refuses I would put it in a sippy cup. I don't like giving antibiotics unless I have to though, I know that if you give them too much when they really get sick and need them they won't work. So I've used them as a last resort, one time she had a double ear infection that would just not go away in example.

I do have a HUGE problem when I go to brush her teeth though. I've tried everything, modeling, distracting, and nothing works. She freaks out when it comes time to do it. She'll brush her teeth a little on her own but since she's 2 1/2 obviously she can't get it well enough to prevent cavities so I have to take over. I figure this is just like when she freaks out about being in the car seat sometimes. There comes a point where there's just no choice, it has to be done. I can't have her crawling around in the back of the car and it will be much worse if she gets a cavity and has to see the dentist for it. I cuddle with her a lot and talk or sing the entire time and after it's over I give her a lot of hugs and kisses. But just because she's crying that doesn't mean I can just give up on brushing her teeth or putting her in the car seat KWIM?

[seren]

Originally Posted by abimommy

Did you try letting her give it to herself?

Put it in the thingie and give it to her..she might drink it.

Yup, she even tasted a tiny bit on her finger, said it was good, but she didn't want it.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by seren

Yup, she even tasted a tiny bit on her finger, said it was good, but she didn't want it.

I have no idea then. My dd will just take stuff.

I would even give my mom raised eyebrows over Flinstone vitamins ("Is this drugs?" "What? No it isn't drugs..its Barney!"

[IamCoupongirl]

Well, first I ask. Sometimes that works. Then I bribe (using mini M&M's). If that doesn't work for a particular medicine or a particular child (!), and the meds are absolutely necessary (versus an optional cough syrup or tylenol), then I say "You will take this, because you need it to get better. You can do it yourself, or I will have to make you." If the meds are "optional" and I've asked and they say no, then I just put them away. Save the big guns for when it really matters.

[USAmma]

Get a very thin medicine syringe that has 1-3 cc capacity. Make her lie down and turn on a video for her. Then squirt no more than 1 cc into the inside of her cheek at a time, let her swallow that, squirt another 1 cc until it's done.

You may have to "sit" on her. Have her lie so that her feet face away from you and her head is nested between your thighs. Put your thighs over her upper arms, then put the syringe to her inner cheek and administer meds. Be calm and gentle and praise her even if she fights.

I have had to do this with both kids and it's NOT fun but it works most of the time. For dd2 we are "lucky" that she has a stomach tube so we give her meds that way. I still had to brush her teeth b/c of acid reflux and that's how I did it until she accepted teeth brushing. Now she opens wide and seems to enjoy it.

I only did this method if all else failed. I would not do it for anything but a high fever, pain, or if meds are really, really needed. But sometimes my job as a mommy is to do things that are necessary even if she doesn't like it. Sounds like that sinus infection is pretty nasty for your dd!

[famousmockngbrd]

I mix it with ice cream. :

[Emilie]

get a "shooter" just a regular medicine syringe- ds loves to shoot his acidopholous!

[Marsupialmom]

bribery.....Yes, I have stooped to it in medical situations.

[WuWei]

We don't treat fevers. There is an informative Mothering article about fevers being beneficial. I'll try to find it. http://www.jrussellshealth.com/fever.html And we don't force ds to anything against his will. He is 4.5. And medicine hasn't been an issue for us. We have just discussed the benefits and addressed any objections with alternate solutions. I have heard that chocolate pudding or chocolate milk (or chocolate syrup) disguises most medicine. And most pharmacy formularies are able to alter the taste by adding mint flavor. For prescription meds, I'd seek alternate flavors or an alternative medication prescription that is more palatable. Mint ice cream also helps, I have heard.

Trying again later, or when less tired helps. Bedtime meds seem to be the most opposed by children. So, giving it earlier or when they wake up in the middle of the night, or missing a dose isn't generally worth the fight. The next dose doesn't go in easier if the preceding dose was a battle. I am of the theory of 'If you make it an issue, it becomes an issue.' I am an RN and people miss very important medication doses all the time, it is just given as soon as possible thereafter.

Pat

[MsChatsAlot]

I have always allowed my children to use their intuition. When they have flat out refused medication, I believe it is their internal knowing that it is not right for their body. I do not force it. Sometimes that means that I have to re-group and get out of "fear" to allow them to know what is best for their body.

For the migraines, have you looked into alternative medicine? Maybe your child would respond better to something natural.

[Clarinet]

My older daughter does better with chewables than liquid. As far as the antibiotics goes, I don't think those come as chewables, so I'm of the "sit on the kid" persuasion. (SORRY!!!)

Tooth brushing hasn't been a problem because I let her do hers while I do mine and then I tell her I'm going to go over hers one more time to make sure she got it all. And I've let her choose the brush and toothpaste so she likes to use it.

[Jen123]

With meds that they have to have I hide it in food. If that doesn't work I force it. It's no fun and it feels very punitive and wrong to hold down a child , but it's for something they need to get better. I praise them while I'm doing it using calm slow motions.

[midstreammama]

Originally Posted by MsChatsAlot

I have always allowed my children to use their intuition. When they have flat out refused medication, I believe it is their internal knowing that it is not right for their body. I do not force it. Sometimes that means that I have to re-group and get out of "fear" to allow them to know what is best for their body.

I was thinking this same thing. It's pretty much what we do here too.

I also don't do tylenol for ANY fever. Dd was about 7 months old and had a 103 degree fever. Scariest time in my life. But, I also know that fever is the bodies natural reaction to infection, if I tamper with that it screws that process up. I don't want to do that, I just want them to get better. As hard as that is, I know that my mind has been programmed by society(and the way I was raised) to reach for the medicine bottle as soon as anything goes south. Luckily, I have been able to fight that urge back.

The fever didn't last long, Almost a day. I just use any non-medicinal routes to keep them confortable.

[sunnysideup]

My kids have always liked chewables more than liquid. You can ask the Dr. to write the Rx for chewables for the antibiotics. That said, I wouldn't ever force my child to take medicine. Studies have shown that ear and sinus infections get better in the same amount of time, whether you take antibiotics or not.