How do you get your toddler to take medicine?

[marrelam]

DD (age 3) has had a fever for 24 hours. I have 4 different meds (thank goodness for CVS ECB's!). I've tried to get her to take: Advil blue-raspberry liquid, Tylenol Meltaways in grape and fruit punch flavors, and Motrin in berry flavor.

I have added the liquids to her juice - she ain't havin' it - she knows it's got medicine in it!

I have tried to give it to her with a syringe and force it - she's gagging and spits it up.

I have given her the meltaway and she spits it out.

I have crushed the meltaway and put it in applesauce - nope.

I have crushed the meltaway and put it in some ice cream....barely worked.

Any ideas moms & dads?

[tacatcon]

OH I feel your pain. We have to give my 2 1/2 year old a horrid tasting antibiotic every night to prevent UTIs and we have been struggling with getting her to take it. (Used to be worse, we had to give her 3 different medicines that she fought taking!) She's finally taking it without spitting it out but nothing worked very well for us. We tried mixing it, we tried getting it flavored at the pharmacy, the only thing that worked (barely) was just giving it to her with the syringe, and my SO kind of stroking her throat to make her swallow, she'd still manage to spit some out but at least she got most of it in.

The only thing that masked the taste when we did try mixing it with food/drinks enough to fool her short term was jelly. I know sounds weird right, but it did work short term.

Luckily she does like those tylenol meltaways-bad thing is she thinks they're candy!!

have you tried the flavoring at the pharmacy?

[Flutteringbee]

My sister had this problem with my nephew. She would add the liquid to yogurt and give little bits at a time. He never knew that he wasn't eating anything besides the yogurt. Hope that helps. Good luck.

[tmsmalley]

Pudding, yogurt, koolaid or similar drinks, or just tell her that she has to do it and when she takes it you'll give her some sort of treat. I've been very lucky with my two and meds but I worked in special ed for 10 years and had a lot of kids that were just terrible. It is never fun. Also try giving it to her in the tub (be sure the bath isn't too hot if she's got a fever). If it gets spilled or spit out, at least you're not cleaning berry Motrin off the rug!

Tess

[enginerd]

I had this problem with my son also. He would either spit out or throw up every single liquid medicine. I finally had to give him medicine in suppositories - yes it was gross but the only way I could get it in him. When he got a little older I taught him how to swallow pills. He was doing pills by the age of 4.

[MariaT]

I found throwing it in yogurt or some liquid always helps.
If anything try chocolate pudding.

[marrelam]

So far she has still allowed us to crush up the meltaway Tylenol and we mix it into Edy's "Take the Cake" ice cream.

BTW - that's an awesome ice cream flavor!

[tacatcon]

Ha! I jinxed my dd posting in this thread cuz after a trip to the doc now she's on amoxicillin too for a double ear infection. But I forgot to mention we do bribe her with stickers. She gets stickers for going potty and when she gets 5 stickers she gets a little candy or pop so she really wants those stickers!

[marrelam]

Wahhh! DD won't take it with the ice cream anymore! I can't bribe her for anything! And we tried pinching her nose and she spit it all back on me!!! Ugh!!!!

BTW - this is all OTC meds. Does the pharmacy add flavoring to those?

[missmitz]

Wahhh! DD won't take it with the ice cream anymore! I can't bribe her for anything! And we tried pinching her nose and she spit it all back on me!!! Ugh!!!!

BTW - this is all OTC meds. Does the pharmacy add flavoring to those?

my wags said they would/could flavor benedryl for me.

As for how I get DD to take her meds....... I'm mean and she knows it! She knows I'll keep filling the syringe and giving it to her as long as she wants to spit it out. Now she'll say.... "just one..... ok?" and she just takes it.