# HELP! She spits out medicine!!



## brennatsi (Jan 22, 2008)

My 18 month old was given antibiotics for a sinus infection-- she has a terrible cough that is making her miserable. She needs a teaspoon and a quarter twice a day. That may not sound like much, but it is a lot of liquid!
No matter how slowly I dispense it, any tiny amount in her mouth she will work forward and spit it out. She is not getting any!! She is not a reliable enough eater that I could mix it in, say, oatmeal and trust that she would gobble it all up. If it were just a quarter teaspoon, I could mix it with "a spoonful of sugar" or jam or maple syrup, etc, but this is too much liquid for that.
It is awful to try to administer it- tears, fighting, struggling. Awful.

Please help!! Any suggestions? Anyone been through this? She is due for another dose...


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## SimonMom (May 19, 2004)

My 20 month old is an expert medicine spitter outer. I've tried giving it to him in a syringe while he's sleeping in my arms and nursing, and that's sorta worked. What really worked was mixing it with chocolate syrup.


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## newmommy7-08 (Feb 2, 2008)

DS only spits out antibiotics, the only thing that has worked was holding him down so he's in a reclined position (leaning against my knee w/ my other leg across his legs and pinning his arms between my body and my leg), shooting that syringe as far back as I can, slowly, hoping that he actually gets some of it. It's horrible because he gets so worked up... but I had tried everything and it was the only way it would work. I feel like the monster mommy doing it, but he got enough of the meds in him that he finally kicked the antibiotic resistant ear infection he had.


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

You need to do it fast, in a syring to the back of the throat. Also if you quickly blow a puff of air into the face.

I hate to admit it but this techniques works on cats and dogs also. I was desprite and said why not.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Honestly, I started learning to swallow pills around that age (I think it was closer to 2 for me) because my mother got fed up with my spitting medicine on her. She finally said, "Okay, if you don't like the liquid you can learn to swallow pills" and helped me do so...is that even an option?

In the meantime, the pps have good ideas. I also second slightly blowing in her face to get her to swallow.


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## brennatsi (Jan 22, 2008)

Yeah, I try to get it as far back as possible and she is a genius at working it forward to spit out. I haven't ever tried the blowing in her face thing. She is so busy spluttering and spitting. I am going to try that and the chocolate syrup thing. I will try to find some without milk (she is dairy allergic).

It sucks and I am just dreading every dose. I don't even know if she is getting enough to kick her infection!


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Marsupialmom* 
You need to do it fast, in a syringe to the back of the throat. Also if you quickly blow a puff of air into the face.

I hate to admit it but this techniques works on cats and dogs also.

Yes. This totally works for cats, dog and kids.


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

Aim for the back of the cheek, not the back of the throat. You dont' want her to choke. You can ask the pharm if there is a chewable version. Have something yummy for right after. Is the medicine flavored?


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## brennatsi (Jan 22, 2008)

I don't think it's flavored. Yes, back of the cheek is my m.o.
The first time, I tried candy before and after to sweeten the deal, but to no avail. This is one stubborn kid! I am still hoping to get to the store for some chocolate syrup before she gets to that "I'd be upset if you were trying to give me pure sugar just because it is in a syringe" point. My husband is gone for the weekend, though, and getting all three kids anywhere is a bit of a challenge.








That is assuming they make dairy-free chocolate syrup??

I am so grateful for everyone's comments! Keep them coming if you have anything to add!


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

Could you put the mixture in a measuring spoon from the kitchen? Measure out the meds, then pour it into a tablespoon, add the syrup and let her drink it? Or let her shoot it into her mouth from the syringe? Are you still nursing? I used to sneak the syringe into the side of the kids mouths when I started to let down and that worked sometimes too.


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## Pookietooth (Jul 1, 2002)

I have a friend whose six year old still does this. They usually stick with homeopathics instead.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

honestly? At that age, I'd opt for the shot, because dd won't take the liquid. It's one shot, yes it hurts, but then it's done.
Once she got old enough fo rthe pills (about 3 for my dd), she decided the pills (smashed up in applesauce) were better than the shot. Now(5) she just takes the pills and chews them.
But..dd is completely stubborn....if I did manage to get some liquid down her, using a trick, shed force herself to barf it back up. She's extremely willful. *most* kids will probably acquiescse to a "trick" of some sort.


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## justKate (Jun 10, 2008)

Yep, back of the cheek, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. at a time with the syringe thingie. I do this while Huz holds her in a reclined sort of nursing position with her arms restrained. She hates it and screams and fights. Too bad! This, like the car seat, is one of the things that are just not negotiable.

ETA you can also rub gently under the chin along the jaw--sometimes this encourages a swallow. Sometimes.


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## brennatsi (Jan 22, 2008)

I never tried it while nursing-- maybe I'll give that a whirl in the morning. She isn't a super-dedicated nurser like my other two. It is possible she'd just stop nursing.
She STILL hasn't had a full dose of the stuff. The sweetest thing I found to mix it in tonight was some vanilla soy milk for my coffee. She did take a couple swigs of that, but I know it wasn't even half the dose. This kid is never going to get better!
My oldest was a wretched medicine-taker, but the cheek thing still worked moderately well for her. Or mixing it with jam. This is too much liquid for the jam trick, though. (I wish DD3 was like my niece- she tosses it back like a shot of tequila- ha ha! That kid won't eat a vegetable to save her life, though, so I guess I should be grateful, no?)


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## pumpkin (Apr 8, 2003)

Ok, I've only actually had to do this with a cat, but call the pharmacy and see if they have flavor mix-ins. Ours does. Apparently most cats prefer the bubble gum flavor. Ours went crazy for it.

They recommend the flavor mix-ins for kids. Our pharmacy has many to choose from. I'm sure they can direct you to the most successful flavors for kids her age.


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

Maybe you should split the doses. Instead of 2 doses a day, do 4?


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

I would A) Make sure it's flavoured (what kind of pharmacy gives out medicine for a two year old that isn't flavoured?)
and B) See if she'll do it herself. My DS will spit it out unless I hand him the syringe, he puts it in his mouth, and I depress it. For some reason that makes him feel in control. Might help.

If that doesn't work, I've had day care kids where I had to lay them down, pretty much sit on top of them, and squirt no more than a drop at a time into the back of their cheek. It takes FOREVER, but it's really really hard for them to spit it out. (You have to wait and coach them to swallow between drops.) It's horrible, but if they need the medicine then they need it and it has to go down.


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

moved to toddlers


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## Holiztic (Oct 10, 2005)

I don't know how this will help you, but for us DS downs his medicine and begs for more. I think its because it is the only sweet thing he ever drinks (no juice or chocolate milk here). His medicines are all in honey or maple syrup, he's never had anything like antibiotics or OTC medicine, just herbs mixed in honey/maple syrup or homeopathic pellets (mostly sugar). Its like "candy" to him.

Is there some way you could make it special for her, like a treat?

Even a bribe might be worth it.


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## brennatsi (Jan 22, 2008)

It is sweetened (it tastes chalky, but sweet to me), but not colored or "flavored" per se. At this point, there could be straight pancake syrup in that syringe and I think she would still lose her mind. She starts blowing raspberries and spitting as soon as my husband gets her in position. I dribble a drop at a time as far back as possible, but she spits and spits until it is all out.

It is really awful.

To make a bad situation worse, she took a spill off of a blasted umbrella stroller and got a terrible gash in her tongue. Now it is even more important that she be on antibiotics so she avoid an infection in the wound.

I don't know what else to try!


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## zacharysmom (Apr 1, 2006)

when my Ds was a toddler it got so bad if he saw the bottle he would clamp his mouth shut but if i put it in a bottle or sippy cup with a small a(and that is key) amount of juice with out him seeing me do it he would drink it right down. i hope somthing works so youcan get the meds needed in you daughter.


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## amberskyfire (Sep 15, 2007)

I used to do this with my stepdaughter when she was little. She was four and not a toddler, but it still worked. Maybe you could try?

Give her a spoonful of something yummy like a smoothie. Try three or four spoonfuls, then come in with a spoonful of half smoothie half medicine without her noticing. Then give a few more spoonfuls of smoothie, then another spoonful of medicine. She may not spit it out.

If all else fails, I'd give it to her in a cup with some full-strength juice in it. She can drink it at her leisure. I'm against juice, especially not watered down, but if it's just a few times and just for a little while, you can just brush her teeth really well twice a day and call it a win.

Or, if those don't work, does your daughter always want whatever you have? You could make yourself a smoothie with the medicine in it and pretend to drink it, but not let her have any. Let her beg for a bit and then give in and let her have it. She'll probably be so happy at having won the battle, she won't even notice if it tastes funny.


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## amberskyfire (Sep 15, 2007)

OH! Or freeze it in a couple spoonfuls of ice cream. She won't notice the taste if it's frozen and mixed in ice cream, surely!


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## brennatsi (Jan 22, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *amberskyfire* 
OH! Or freeze it in a couple spoonfuls of ice cream. She won't notice the taste if it's frozen and mixed in ice cream, surely!

Sorry! Foiled again by a dairy allergy!








All the food ideas are great, she just is such a picky eater. It is very hard to tell at any meal if she will eat at all, even if it is a food she likes. (You would never tell from looking at her-- she is a chunk!!)

So far, my husband has been pinning her down and I dole out the medicine to the back of her cheek in tiny drops, through pinched cheeks, as she wails and thrashes and spits it all over both of us. It. Is. Horrible.
That being said, it is getting slightly better--she is giving up a little. That is so sad and awful, too, though.
She did insist on playing with the syringe after her evening dose today, though, so maybe that is a good sign!


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## amberskyfire (Sep 15, 2007)

Does she like popsicles? how about freezing it into ice cubes with a little juice? My daughter loves ice cubes and I bet she'd eat a flavored one even if she didn't like taking medicine.

Sorry







I hope you find a trick that works!


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *brennatsi* 
Yeah, I try to get it as far back as possible and she is a genius at working it forward to spit out. I haven't ever tried the blowing in her face thing. She is so busy spluttering and spitting. I am going to try that and the chocolate syrup thing. I will try to find some without milk (she is dairy allergic).

It sucks and I am just dreading every dose. I don't even know if she is getting enough to kick her infection!

use the syringe to put pressure on the inside back of her cheek, keeping her from fully closing her mouth until she swallows.


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## sncmom (Apr 15, 2009)

My DD2 has to take a few medicines and it is truly challenging to get them down her. I have found that our pharmacy (Rite Aid) will add additional flavoring to any medicine for $3, and it is sooo worth it. The basic flavoring for kids' medicines doesn't mask the yuckiness enough. It doesn't work for everything, but for some she actually likes it with the flavor. You can choose different flavors for different medicines. Worth a try.
Good luck!


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

Maybe some people can't taste some of the components (you know like some people can't taste the bitter part of brussels sprouts) but for those of us who can, gag, gag, gag. I used to tell my kid "Mmmm, it's sweet like juice!" but she wasn't buying it. ("I want real juice, this juice is nasty.") Then I tasted it. It was basically like poop with a little bit of orange zest in it or something. Not that I've eaten poop. I'm going by the smell of poop. It tasted like a sick person's poop smells.

So anyway, my kid also hates antibiotics. She recently had an ear infection.

We had to hold her down, plug her nose, and squeeze her cheeks, then put it towards the back of her throat. Then clamp mouth shut and open nose.

She got water to rinse it down after.









It sounds awful but an IV in the hospital would have been worse.


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