Giving baby antibiotics

[nicejuicypear]

Anyone got any advice?

She's been prescribed antibiotics 4x a day and I can't get her to take them. I tasted it and it is the most vile bitter concoction I've ever tasted and it kind of burns your throat like a shot of spirits does. I'm usually pretty good with meds myself so if I'm balking at it, I can't imagine what a not-quite-4 month old makes of it.

I've tried a syringe in her mouth and I've tried a medicine dispenser dummy. She chokes and coughs then spits it out and keeps spitting, probably until all the taste is gone.

I googled and the advice seems to be 'shove it in and force them to swallow it' but I don't know how to do that with such a young baby, I'm scared she's going to choke on it.

 

[littlemonkey]

Erm, shove it in and force them to swallow?!

My LO used to have ranitadine which tasted like nail polish remover at that age. I used to put the syringe in so it pointed into his cheek. Apparently it's harder for them to spit it out from here.

The other option is to mix it in with some milk, but you will need to make sure that they finish it all to make sure they get the full dose.

 

[nicejuicypear]

I thought about milk but it's meant to be taken on an empty stomach. 2 hours after 1 meal, 1 hour before the next.

I tried the side of the cheek but once it hits the back of her throat she gags and spits for ages, until her bib is soaked, much more than the quantity of medicine I put in to start with. Will just have to keep trying a different angle in her mouth and hope some of it is going down.

You think they'd make it taste a bit more palatable for babies! It's not like I can reason with her or bribe her with chocolate!

 

[TTT]

That's a real tough one. Id ring the health visitor for advice and see what they say. There may be an alternative drug if nothing else

 

[nicejuicypear]

Thanks ttt. I think I got half a dose in this morning, hopefully I'll get better but if not I'll have to ask about an alternative.

 

[Pumpkin9]

My lo is normally ok with meds but when he's I'll he sometimes refuses so I just wait till he screams and shove it towards the back of his mouth that forces him to swallow. I use one of those calpol syringes instead of a spoon