Granted, he's had many excrutiating hospital visits, but I'm just exhausted...

He's teething badly and in a bad mood all of the time. He head seems a bit warm and I'm trying to give him some tylenol. He spits it out every time.

These are the ways I've tried:
1. Straddle his head with my knees while he's lying down while one of my hands is holding his arms and the other is administering the medicine.
2. Simple cup...refuses to try to drink out of it.
3. Syringe in the situations above.
4. Trying to hide it in his juice. He detects it and now he won't even drink out of his purple sippy anymore. (He's already decided he doesn't like his yellow sippy either...no matter what's actually in it.)

He just spits it out. I've used tylenol, ibuprofen, and another one I can't remember.

I'm going insane...I'm going i n s a n e .... I want to help him but he doesn't comprehend why I'm giving him medicine or what it does.

By Tink on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 06:42 pm:

My ds was awful about taking medicine (he'd even make himself throw up as I gave it to him, ugh!) but the easiest way was to straddle his upper body, use my legs to hold his arms, one hand holding his forehead and the other holding the syringe in his mouth, shooting it towards the back of his cheek and then, while still holding his head, I'd blow in his face. That would make him involuntarily swallow and it was finally down.

I also found that Advil's blue raspberry and bubble gum flavors are my dks' least hated flavors. It has to be Advil, not a generic equivalent.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 07:31 pm:

Natalie has always been a good "medicine taker", but a couple of times in the middle of the night when she teething badly she just refused. I was alone on one of those occasions and I did what Tink said...straddling the upper body and pinning the arms with my legs. It was AWFUL and I felt like a terrible mom. I know she thought I was TORTURING her, but we got it down. That was with a dropper, too.

Good luck!

By Sunny on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 07:53 pm:

Maybe switch to a medicine spoon?

I think I've blocked from my memory those times my kids wouldn't take medicine. I seem to remember putting the dropper on the inside of their cheek as far back as I could. It was harder to spit it all out that way. Otherwise, I used trial and error (at least until they were old enough that I could say to them 'Just take it!'). If he really needs it, you may have no other choice but to force it on him. Good luck!

By Imamommyx4 on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 08:47 pm:

Dd was atrocious at taking meds. Squirting it in her cheek while holding her down and then blowing into her face would work but it was hard, too. I was always afraid that I'd choke or strangle her.

What about the chewables? Dd at 3 would rather swallow a tab than take the liquid and would do it. Tylenol makes an 80 mg chewable that can be swallowed or chewed. And some of the cough and could meds come in popsicles or wafers that dissolve very quickly in the mouth.

Honestly I'd rather give my dog med than give her meds when she was little.

By Brooke327 on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 09:11 pm:

Have you tried the new Triaminic strips? they just dissolve on the tounge,( they are like the breath strips) and they have no time to think about it. They are the best, my Ds has the worst gag reflex and has problems taking medicine too. Good luck

By Mrsheidi on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 10:02 pm:

He won't chew on the chewables. And, we've tried Triaminic but they don't seem to be effective. I could try again though.

By Mrsheidi on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 10:03 pm:

Oh, and blowing in his face I have not tried either.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 10:20 pm:

Once, when Emily was about 2 or 3, she got pinkeye. When DH was home, it was easy enough to give her eyedrops, but when he was at work, it was very hard. I couldn't control her head ANd her arms! So, I rolled her up in a beach towel, with her arms at her sides, straddled her and then I could control the head with my arm, while I used my hands to open her eyes and plunk the drop in.

I don't remember anyone actually spitting the medicine out, it was just hard sometimes to get Emily to open her mouth, because she hated taking medicine. (actually, still does!)

By Emily7 on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 10:53 pm:

I give Olivia who is 2 chewables or the meltaways, it is just a lot easier than trying to get a liquid down her.

By Tripletmom on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 11:36 pm:

Some pharmacys will mask the flavour for you if you ask.The pharmacy has to be familiar with alot of compounding.

By Imamommyx4 on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 01:02 am:

Also, try a locally owned drug store. They are more likely to try to accomodate any compounding. There is a local drug store in our little town that makes lollipops out of all kinds of meds. I don't know how good they are, but I have btdt and would try almost anything.

By Bellajoe on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 07:57 am:

Don't try a regular spoon, the stuff ends up all over the place when you do that. Sticky medicine down their cheeks and on to the floor.

I think i did the medicine dropper into the back,side of their cheeks. They sort of have to swallow it that way.
Also the Triaminic Strips work good. Lots of other brands make those melting strips too.

Good Luck Heidi!

By Tarable on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 10:27 am:

I had a horrible time trying to get my oldest to take any kind of medicine when she was a toddler, and I found that the best way to do it (if i couldn't get the help of her dad) was to wrap her in a towel, as stated above, but instead of just blowing in her face I actaully had to hold her nose also.. that way she couldn't just breath out of her nose. It seemed kinda cruel but it was suggested by her dr.

I would also try the different flavors of Advil (name brand) because those are ones that my daughter would sometimes tollerate without spitting them out. I have actually tried them and they taste pretty good for medicine.

By Tayjar on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 01:07 pm:

Around the age of 2, I always gave mine a choice - they could get the liquid or the suppository kind (ask your pharmacist, they sell Tylenol suppositories for kids). And, I told them since they were big kids, they could do it themselves. I would also let them follow it up with a favorite drink - maybe a small drink or Sprite.

My doc also told me if I was desparate to put the dose in a small sippy and add just enough soda to make it easy for them to drink. I wasn't to let them see the medicine, only the Sprite or Kool-aid. Then let them have it and they think it's a big treat. She has a boatlaod of kids and doesn't always go by the medicine book but more by the desparate mommy book. This trick only works with pain medicine, though.

By Tonya on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 01:51 pm:

With Jade I will lay her on the floor with her arms next to her body and stradle her pinning her arms to her body with my legs. I will them use my knees to pin her head still and that way I hve both my hands to use. I use a syringe and just make her drink it by putting it so far into her mouth that she has to swallow.

I only have to do this with the stuff she doesn't like the others she will take on her own.

By Truestori on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 05:16 pm:

I would buy the sweet tart candies and slip the chewable amongst a few of those. Can you tell I was desperate also? LOL

It worked because he liked that candy.

By Crystal915 on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 05:26 pm:

We used to have to hold Madison down and squirt it in the back of her mouth, as well. Then, as the kids got older, we taught them to take a "big bite" (we just say "BIG BITE, BIG BITE!!!" as we give them the medicine). Now they both take meds without problems, even the foul liquid albuterol, one of the worst tasting meds I've ever come across!

By Luvn29 on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 06:52 pm:

Luckily, my kids take meds for me with no problems at all. But you have been given some good advice. I have to agree with Crystal that that liquid albuterol is some horrid stuff! So is the liquid Zantac. My pharmacist told us not to even waste our money trying to use the Flavor stuff with the Zantac my son had to take twice a day for a couple of years because nothing would mask the taste. Thank God he's such a good sport at taking meds.

I always, always let my kids wash all meds down with water. I still wash my liquid meds (if I happen to take liquid cough syrup or something) down and I am not going to make them suffer through the horrible tastes of medicines, either. I think holding that water helps them get through it!

By Amecmom on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 08:00 pm:

My son was a good med taker because he had to take them almost from birth. With Helen. I trained her with a med syringe and water so that when I had to give her meds, she was already in the habit of opening her mouth like a little bird and swallowing.

At one point though, she had strep and it hurt to swallow so she refused. What a horrible struggle! I was successful by distracting her with a toy - or a bottle of ibuprofen that she could shake, but not open. She wanted to shake it and was distracted enough to take the meds.

It is frustrating! Good luck!
Ame