Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

I hate giving my daughter antibiotics but she has a bad ear infection & none of the holistic cures worked this time.
She took it after breakfast this morning & didn't like it so when I gave it to her after dinner she absolutely refused to take it.
I tried reasoning with her, making it fun (silly straw, cute cup), mixing it in other stuff, & finally bribing & threatening. Nothing worked!
She's supposed to take it twice a day for 10 days.
HELP

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Going through this with DS who is 5...it tastes like crap.

He was refusing. I set the timer for 2 minutes and told him if he didn't take his he would lose his crayon box (his current favorite thing in the world)

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

I totally had this problem. Chocolate milk seemed to work best. But I also asked my doctor for a medicine which was better tasting and only had to be given in small doses once a day. I forgot the medicine's name but it was very expensive but at least she took it.

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Maybe see if your doctor can call in a chewable antibiotic. I think one or two of them come in chewable form.

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Thanks! Don't feel like trekking out to the pharmacy in the snow until Monday so I'll try it in chocolate milk first.

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Try putting it in chocolate syrup.

Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

I just tell her I am calling the doctor and she is going to want to speak with her. She takes it after that.

Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Doesn't help now but next time try having the pharmacist flavor it. That has made a world of difference for my 1yo taking her vitamins that taste terrible.

Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

I just saw this sip cup that you can put the liquid medicine in- it comes out first and mixed with a juice so they don't know it's there. Not sure the name though I believe I saw it on amazon!

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

We tried having the pharmacy adding flavor, she still refused. The Dr. said he could give her a shot & she's begging to to that because she would do anything besides listen to what we say
I'm not crazy about a shot so I think we are going to have to hold her down & make her take it. I hate to do that but at this point it's a matter of wills & I don't want her to think she can throw a tantrum & get her way.
Parenting is way too hard for me sometimes

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

We call it "candy" and not "medicine"....that did the trick fast!

Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Force feed with a cup of her favorite juice or water on the ready.

Sorry but you MUST take the meds to make you better, it's just that simple. If you don't do it willingly I will have to hold your nose and force you to do it while I sit on you. I don't like it any more than you do. So it's your choice. Easy way or hard way but you have 10seconds to choose. I always keep my threats. She had 10seconds. First few times it was the hard way of course. Then it was the easy way but she'd spit some out and yes, I'd make her start all over. But I'd tell her now it's just going to take longer and taste yucky even more because now I have to hold you down and do it again.

Ironically, she takes meds like a champ now. But we started that ordeal around 2yrs old. Easier to hold her down. Push the meds against the cheek so she had to swallow it. Not in the middle because it's easier to spit up.

By 4yrs old she still hated (and still does at 7) some meds but she takes it quick and yes, she gets whatever juice or water she wants to wash it down. Some meds you can't have juice so she gets water super cold. Cold water seems to wash the taste away faster than juice or anything flavored. Most flavored things just mix with the taste and make it yuckier. Cold water flushes better. We make it a race how fast can you swallow and then rush the water. Point is you must have an empty mouth before the water.

At first we gave her only a little bit of water because she'd keep some of the meds in her mouth and it would mix with the water and she'd not take her full dose. So less water meant she'd be forced to swallow it all.

Been dosing my kid forever. She still hates antibiotics tho. Seriously, who doesn't? And I totally agree Pharm added flavors don't always help either.

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

I bribe with lots of lollipops immediately afterwards. Even if it's 7am.

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

DD thankfully loves amoxocillin now and we haven't had this issue in a while, BUT it worked best in a shot glass, easier for her to drink from, and I told her that she could either drink it super quickly or I'd need to hold her down and shoot it in her mouth with the syringe. She hated the idea of hte syringe and just drank it quickly.

I think the flavoring stuff the pharmacy does can actually make the medicine taste worse.

Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

DS refuses the cup and when I had to give him Benadryl for an allergic reaction, the only thing that worked was holding him down and using the plastic syringe that comes with the infant medicines. I release it slowly into the side of his cheek and lucky for me he swallows through the tears. Then I let him have M&Ms to ease my guilt of having to restrain him. :(

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

Unfortunately none of these things worked for my son and he has to get penicillin shots.. The only med he would take by mouth, he ended up be allergic to it... The shots hurt, but they 2 at one time and he is done..

Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

When my Dd is feeling really sick, especially with a sore throat, I can't get her to take anything. I've tried mixing it it with juice and even soda,since she doesn't usually get to have soda so I thought it would entice her,,but she either refuses,or figures it out and doesn't drink it. But, when her sore throat passes, I usually have luck by using the syringe with liquid medicine, and I remind her how she fed the baby goats at the petting zoo the same way. Now she calls it her "goat medicine", but at least she takes it.

Re: Any tips on giving a 4 year old medicine when they refuse?

I used to mix it into juice. Now she takes it willingly.