Enticing kids to take meds...

[Jengerbread88]

Zach is running a fever and the higher it gets, the less he'll take meds. I've tried everything from bribery to just trying to force it down (he spits it back up). He's usually really good about taking meds when he has to, but this time around, it's just been a fit-- he's never been like this!

Any tips on how to get him to take it? (It's your standard liquid children's fever reducer... at age 2, he can't switch to chewables yet iirc).

[nikkiARNGwife]

I used to mix it with a tiny bit of fruit punch or sprite and put it in their sippy cups..they'd usually drink it without even knowing it was medicine.

[MamaBee]

can you maybe mix it in applesauce? That is what I remember my mom doing when I was young... to this day I still hate the taste of liquid medicine. Or can you use one of those syringes? When my son was a bitty baby he didn't like meds and that helped with him... now he loves taking his meds and vits... he is also and 80 year old man in a 6 year old's body...

[rach3975]

If you blow on their face, it makes them swallow. So use the syringe to get a little into his mouth, then blow and repeat. I know it sounds crazy, but I read it somewhere and it worked with all 3 of my kids.

Also, don't they have meltables, or whatever they call the ones that dissolve on your tongue, for 2 to 6 year olds?

[Jengerbread88]

Rachel, OMG! You're right-- the last time I checked in our local store, they only had chewables for 4+, but looking online, they do exist for 2 year olds. If I have to drive all over the place, I will.

[jacinda]

Is he really miserable with the fever, or is he relatively happy? If he's happy enough, you don't have to give medicine, even with a high temp - the body will regulate itself. The body is fighting something, and the fever is the result of that. The Tylenol is good if he's in pain, or overly uncomfortable, but otherwise you could try cooling him down with cool facecloths, lighter clothing, etc.

There was a good article about it online this week, but now I can't find it. Was similar to this one: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/he...94G0WG20130517

Here's a quote from another forum:

Q: My toddler (who is nearly three) always refuses to take medicine so when she has a fever it is nigh on impossible to give her Calpol. She just has to ride it out but I feel so helpless. Is it ok NOT to give medicine for a fever? I have tried everything - spoons, syringes, mixing with juice but my daughter just spits the medicine out.

A: You don't have to give these medicines. They don't necessarily make your child recover from infection any quicker (in fact they may delay recovery) but they can help to make your child feel better. If they don't feel too bad then don't worry. If your child is very unwell then you should get her checked out and if she's feeling really ill she may be more compliant about taking the medicine. You can give paracetamol as a suppository, by the way, but you'll need a prescription so you would need to see your GP first.

[adi&co.]

a warm bath is a really good way to reduce fevers. Put them in the bath with warm water and leave them in there until the bath water cools down and their body will go down right along with it. Also, skin to skin contact is a good one. Take all of his clothes off (diaper is fine) and take your shirt off bra is ok) and just snuggle on the couch and watch a movie with him or something. Your skin will help his body to regulate his fever and keep it lower. My older son has an over active immune system and he gets 104+ fevers a lot. I only use the meds when I really have to because they don't work on their own. I have to double tylenol and ibuprofen at the same time to get them ot bring down the really high ones

[Kara]

This is one reason why I am very thankful for Timothy's g-tube. Not that I want him to have one, but it is so super easy to give meds!

[Jengerbread88]

Originally Posted by jacinda

Is he really miserable with the fever, or is he relatively happy?

I'm not one to push meds, so he has to be relatively miserable before I'll consider it, even with a fever. He was pretty lethargic, and the doctor advised advil or tylenol. He'd get these chills and goosebumps, but have a high fever to go along with it. Combine it with not eating (vs. on the meds, eating normally) and being really grumpy/upset, with the littlest things making him cry, I thought meds would be the best option.

We did skin-to-skin contact, got him the chewables (still a fight, but went down easier than liquid!), and he had a warm bath. He's doing alright, still not eating, but finally showing some interest in his kindle apps and playing with toys while sitting on the couch (he isn't getting any more active than that, but that's more active than he's been in the past 24 hours...)

I'm almost certain it's teething related (either directly from teeth or from a bug he picked up while chewing on something to relieve teething pain), because he gets like this every time he gets teeth in.

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I'm hoping we're on a downhill slope now-- he's been asking to "go!" and has been perking up since getting chewables down.

[kim21673]

I am no help at all....all my boys LOVE meds!!! Sigh......

[rach3975]

Yeah for finding meds he'll take more easily! I hope he's feeling better soon.

[SeattleSheri]

Originally Posted by kim21673

I am no help at all....all my boys LOVE meds!!! Sigh......

Mine too! I'm not totally certain the headaches they claim to have are totally legit.

My only other suggestion would be to try a different flavor. My boys love the grape, but won't touch bubble gum or cherry.

[Jengerbread88]

After the first dose (which was a little bit of a fight), I managed to get him to take the second dose without a fight. The fever has disappeared, he got in better spirits, and now he's sleeping soundly (last night was fitful and neither of us got any rest).

YAY for a much better night!

[fifilur]

Great that you found something he likes.

My son really likes medicine, some anyway, so I try to stick to those. He sometimes start to cough just to get some medicine or feels his forhead and says that he thinks he has a fever, lol.