I need serious help!

[PatnErinsMum]

Not psycological - although that is needed too, but that is another post for another day.

This is help for my DD. I am looking for help in getting her to take medication without a fight, throwing up, gagging and a song and a dance. It doesn't matter what type of medication it is SHE WILL NOT TAKE IT!

She cannot stand the taste of any liquid med - even something like Benedryl. Forget taking a chewable, meltaway or strip. Even "hard" chewable vitamins get her thumbs down, the only type she will take is the gummie variety. When she had her back surgery 3 weeks ago, she would not take any pain medication! We tried flavoring the Tylenol with Codeine a tropical flavor that smelled like Sunny D and giving it to her in Sunny D and no go - she knew it was in there. The last time she had an ear infection, I insisted they give her a shot of antibiotics and they thought I was nuts.

Now she has a skin infection and a topical cream, but she also has to take an oral antibiotic and she will not take it. If I hold her down and shoot it with a syringe in the back of her mouth she will throw it up. If I mix it in something she will taste it (even if she doesn't see me do it- I tasted the mixture and I could taste it too)

I need help. She doesn't get sick very often (thank GOD!!) but this is ridiculous. It is exhausting and frustrating for both of us. I have asked at the hospital and the nurses don't believe me until they see it and they too are at a loss.

I have tried to teach her to swallow pills using tic tacs and no go there either.

Please if you have any suggestions, I am all ears!

[BlondeMomBlog]

I absolutely hated taking medicine when I was a kid (especially cough medicines.) I would gag and carry on!

Luckily my girls (they are 3 and 6) will take the flavored medicines from Walgreens.

Would she take it if you promised to "chase it" with something yummy like a little Cherry Coke or chocolate or strawberry milk?

Good luck!

[Jennifer A.]

I don't have too many ideas, for my son, we put liquid meds in something similar flavored, such as antibiotics in orange juice, just enough to make sure it gets down and then he can have more orange juice. I don't know how old your daughter is, but with my daughter we told her she needs to take her meds, they will not taste good, but she can have something like oj or chocolate milk when she is done and the sooner she takes it the sooner she will feel better.
Have you talked to her doc about this?

[PatnErinsMum]

DD is 6. I have tried:
1) Mixing meds with similar tasting things
2) Chasing with ice cream, chocolate syrup, etc.
3) Reasoning with her - "Yes, I know it tastes bad, but you have to take it!"
4) Out and out bribery - "Fine I will buy you another Webkinz!"
5) Having it flavored at the pharmacy - hence the Sunny D try out above with the Codeine med
6) Talked to dr's, nurses, pharmacists etc.
7) Self medicating myself!

Now I am hoping moms can help!

[JackieWks]

Ds3 has been on meds since he was 3 then had a kidney transplant at 8.

What is she motivated by ? What gets her excited ?

What about bribery incentives ?

She picks a toy, agrees to taking the meds calmly, chasing with water & maybe a sucker or gum, then marking off that day on a calendar or chart on frig. When all med is taken she is given the toy.

For my guys it would be Legos or a game to go with Wii, XBox, PSII ....etc.

How old is she ?

Did she understand the pain pill would eleviate the pain ? Was she willing to live with the consequences of pain ? No pill = pain.....pill = less or no pain ?

When Marshall started having to give blood the nurses held him down to take it. I had to leave the room. When they were done he had burst the blood vessels in his cheeks. I KNEW then that we had to do something logical. Dh talked to him making sure he understood. To this day he is the poster boy at the hospital lab on how to give blood. He knows which arm, where, he prefers having NO IV on the top of his wrist & wans it up inside his arm.

Some how empowering her or making it fun or educating her on how important it is ....

It doesn't hurt to ask for Divine Inspiration either ....

[PatnErinsMum]

Jackie,
She knows all this. She has been having surgeries since she was 3 and will continue to have them until she hits physical maturity. She has Congenital Scoliosis and has 2 titanium rods implanted alongside her spine to help use her natural growth to straighten her spine.

She has a high pain tolerance. She must as she has refused the oral pain meds every time she has had surgery on her back (4 times now) and the 2 times she had a mole excised. I always offer them to her, and every once in a blue moon I can get it by her, but anti-biotics are another thing. I cannot get them by her and she throws them up. She is allergic to Penicillian so that takes a lot of meds out of the equation and the ones they can give her have horrible smells as well as horrible tastes.

I have asked for shots before and I think I will just have to continue to do so.

[JackieWks]

OIC...

Yes, shots sound like the sane way to go....

Put your Dr. Mom hat on & tell them to write that in her chart.

Shots = your sanity

Shots work...sometimes the medical field just has to learn the hard way.

Has she piped up & stated to them that she prefers a shot ?

[PatnErinsMum]

No she hasn't spoken up, because of course she hates getting a shot too! But in my mind, and as you put it, for my sanity a one time shot is the lesser evil than having to fight for 7-10 days of giving antibiotics.

I did call the dr's office today about the antibiotic and the fact that I could not get her to take it etc. They called me back and said that as long as we were getting the cream on the "rash" we should be ok, and if I could get a dose or two of the antibiotic into her that would be great, but there was no shot available for this. So I will have to see what I can do with the cream I guess. It is looking better.

Thanks for all your help!

[Kate]

I couldn't swallow pills until I was 16 years old - not even kidding a little! My dad created this method just for yours truly: place the pill in a tablespoon (one your husband would eat cereal with) and crush the pill with the back of another tablespoon. This keeps all the pill dust in the 1st spoon. Then fill the remainder of the tablespoon with 2 parts sugar and one part water. Then, serve away. Not exactly great for your teeth, but as a former gagger, this method really works! Good luck!

[JackieWks]

Wonders if applesauce would work ?

[Astacia]

I feel your pain. I went though this with my daughter. For medication and several other issues. The only thing that worked was speaking plainly to her. I told what would happen if she chose not to take the medication. I tried not to overly dramatize it. Here's what worked for me:

1) Be sure to talk to her when she is not agitated. Talk to her at a time when she does not need to take the medicine (in between doses, etc)

2) Begin with discussing her reasons behind not taking medicine. Validate each reason. They are very important to her.

3) Tell her why she needs the medication. Do not use fuzzy terms like "it will make you better." Try phrases like "this medicine is to keep your body strong and keep you out of the hospital." be true about what will happen if she doesn't take it 'You could get an infection and end up back in the hospital." for the pain meds, leave her be. When she complains about it hurting remind her that you offered her relief and she refuse. Be nonchalant.

4) Keep the upper hand. Never appear desperate. Never beg. This is a power struggle, not a distaste problem. Right now, she gets a rise out of you when she refuses, she controls the situation.

5) If she continues the behavior, brush it off. I know, this sounds crazy. However, if you impose your power, she will retaliate. If you walk away, she loses. If it continues haul her little but into the doctor and let him give her shots. Coolly tell her that they are required for girls who won't swallow their medicine.

You should take a look at Dr. John Gottman's 5 Steps to Emotional Coaching. It is a wonderful set of parenting tools.

Good luck :)
Astacia

[PatnErinsMum]

Astacia (what a pretty name!)

I will look into the book you recommend - with a DS with ADHD/ODD/SID and DD with
Congenital Scoliosis, VATER Association (vertebral and renal anomalies), Torticollis, Klippel Feil Syndrome, Fused Ribs, First VEPTR Recipient at Cincinnati Children's Hospital 3/21/05, VEPTR Expansions: 11/05, 04/20/06 & 6/12/08; Mole (Spitz Nevus) removal: 11/26/07 & 2/11/08 - you would think I would have a handle on this wouldn't you??

DS will take any type of med I give him - of course he takes ADHD meds every day, but even as a baby and a toddler I never really had a problem with him except for one antibiotic they tried to give him - Ceftin - and that is because that stuff is just plain NASTY!!

DD, even as a baby, would fight you if you gave her meds. She knows why she has to take them - especially if it is after one of her back surgeries (which she will be having until she reaches physical maturity - so we have at least another 8 -10 years of surgeries to look forward too) and I have never sugar coated why she has to take them, just sugar coated the meds themselves.

Just yesterday, it took me and 2 hygenists to hold her down for a fluoride treatment at the dentist (and they are NOTHING like the nasty stuff we used to get as a kid) and she spit out some of it.

The doctors and the nurses have talked to her in plain facts as well. She just can't get past the taste. I keep wondering if maybe she has one of those "super palates" that could get her a job for Hagaan Daz or Ben & Jerry's and make her mama very happy by bringing home extra ice cream so I can self-medicate!

[Astacia]

maybe an evaluation with an SLP or OT would help. Does she resist other sugary/syrupy consistencies? My 3 yr (who has Cerebral Palsy, et al) has been in oral therapy all her life. She only recently began eating cold and warm foods. she would resist everything that was not room temp after she stopped bottle-feeding. She doesn't like creamy textures like pudding or whip cream. But she will eat soup- go figure.

We have trouble at the dentist, too. When she goes in for a check up on the 19th I am going to sedate her with Clonindine to make in less traumatic for us all. Our neuro said it's better to have her drowsy than combative.

You can e-mail me directly if you want, mamikaze at live dot com. We have done many therapeutic approaches with feeding. I have my fingers crossed for you. You can also check out http://kid-power,org and their yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KidPower/ it is a valuable resource/online support group.

-Astacia