10 year old son refuses to take antibiotics

amother

DarkGreen

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 5:26 pm

Liquid:
- With the liquid, squirting it straight into the cheek with a syringe and then swallowing it is not as bad as drinking from a cup or the syringe in your general mouth area, but it doesn't prevent the taste, just minimizes it. May not be enough.
- Ask for a different antibiotic that tastes different. My dd (now age 9) used to literally throw up if given liquid medication with a taste she can't handle. But some she can tolerate no problem and some she can't. But a different antibiotic, or even a different version of your current antibiotic may be better. Ask the dr to switch it.

Pills
- Can teach him to swallow, but it will be a process. The best is to try a drop it onto the back of your tongue and then swallow quickly. However, it may take time to learn it and this may not happen before he need to finish the antibiotic. But once that is done, practice with something else so he can handle pills next time he needs them (ask the dr if there are vitamins or probiotics he can practice with - something safe to take but doesn't matter if he can't). Tell him eventually it is swallow the pills or swallow the liquid, and he should decide which he thinks he can handle better.

Capsules:
- Ask for a different antibiotic that comes in capsules you can open and put the contents in food. It will still not taste good, but may be better than the liquid flavoring. Don't hide it without telling him, just pick together a food he wants it in. If he doesn't like sweet, pick something not sweet. Do check with the pharmacist if there are any foods or drinks that it shouldn't be mixed with.

Also, talk to the dr about it, he may have ideas or be able to prescribe something less offensive.

amother

Cornsilk

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 5:34 pm

amother OP wrote:

For strep
In general he is very sensitive to flavors. He hates sweet, artificial things even candy and drinks. Every day is a battle to get him to swallow the 2 teaspoons. He took it for a few days- some days only once instead of twice. Now he completely refuses. He claims it’s so awful he feels like he’ll throw up from it. I let him take it himself.. nothing doing.. offered a reward.. nope.. he just has to take it because it’s the right thing to do. I told him he can get sick again and it could be even worse.. I told him if he doesn’t take his medicine I’ll have to bring him back to the doctor and the doctor will give it…. I’m taking away privileges.. he’s just locking himself in his room. He keeps running away to another room and locks the door when he sees me.He’s usually pretty well behaved- this is something I don’t think I can handle. I just don’t know what to do…

my son at that age would not take antibiotics because it hurt his stomach badly.
pediatricians tend to downplay it.
One pediatrician in our group gave him an antibiotic shot.

amother

Violet

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 5:34 pm

I had the same experience with my son recently. The doctor prescribed a capsule that is not typically prescribed for strep, (forgot which one, I can check it up soon if you're interested) since it can be opened and mixed with water etc. and it doesn't have a taste.

He also said that if the child will refuse, to find a center that will give the antibiotic shot (some urgent care centers have it).

The capsule worked, it only had a slight taste (not bad at all).

ra_mom

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 6:19 pm

amother OP wrote:

So I forced him with anger and threats after hours of trying. He gagged and some of the medicine didn’t go down. Of course now I feel bad and wish I didn’t show such frustration. I told him to hold his nose and have a cup of water ready… didn’t help
He’s not talking to me anymore. I told him to get ready for bed. Usually I tuck him in and talk to him for a few minutes. Tonight he had his head turned to the wall and won’t talk. I saw tears running down his cheeks that he probably didn’t want me to see. This will be something we will both never forget. I feel horrible.
I showed him the new yarmulka and tzitzis I bought him today and told him he could wear them tomorrow… no response… I asked him if I need to sign something he brought home.. no response
I can’t force him to swallow a pill anymore than I can force him to swallow the liquid… I don’t know what the solution is. There are no suppositories - I asked when he was much younger- not that I would be okay giving a suppository to such a big kid…I heard that other countries do have antibiotic suppositories but it’s not available here.
Aside from force which I think is terrible probably the only other thing is to be hospitalized and given antibiotics through an IV. He shouldn’t need to be hospitalized for strep!!
I’m feeling so horrible and frustrated now. He needs to take his medicine a total of 20 times. It’s day 7 and he only took it 7 times. I don’t know what will be…
Obviously I need my child to be healthy but not just physically, emotionally too.

Switch the Zithromax. It's a once a day antibiotics that is taken for only 5-7 days.

amother

Navyblue

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 6:22 pm

amother OP wrote:

The Pediatrician can give him a shot

amother

Bluebonnet

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 7:07 pm

My 9 year old daughter had tonsillitis and was given awful red medicine to take.

We tried absolutely everything and she refused again and again.

She actually insisted I try it and it was revolting!
After that I got her.

Bh Dr prescribed something else less awful.

Im sure youve been to the dr about it(??) but maybe trying the medicine just to sympathise with your son would help.

I literally just touched it with my tongue.

amother

Bergamot

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 7:16 pm

My daughter hates taking medicine at age 7 it was impossible to get her to take strep medicine...I taught her to take pills.

Put the pill lengthwise on the tongue, in the middle, then drink a drink (a fulll cup of anything) with a straw. It may take a few tries but it should go down smoothly. The suction and mouth position enables the pill to follow the liquid and flow down the throat.

You can try it yourself with a mikeandike to demonstrate.

I am so sorry you are going through this, I know how hard it is as a mother to try to get your child to take medicine they mentally can't.

cbsp

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 7:44 pm

Oysh OP.

I didn't see this recommended yet, it worked for DS10 (on the spectrum, so rigidity is a factor as well). He was prescribed liquid clindamycin. I think it's the most foul tasting liquid medicine available excepting maybe liquid Tamiflu.

We asked a pharmacist what flavors work with it (not every medicine works well with every flavor - sometimes even the best tasting flavors will clash and make it taste worse). He recommended mint oil. (also important - the flavor carrier needs to match, some need to be oil based). I happened to have candy flavoring at home. We used one or two drops per dose and it made it more palatable.

Oh, and he sucked on ice beforehand to numb his mouth and dull his taste buds.

The last time he had antibiotics he did get pills but they were huge. He buried a pill in pudding and gulped it down (we first practiced with jelly beans and winkies)

I hope these ideas help. It's so hard...

Last edited by cbsp on Wed, Jan 25 2023, 9:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

BS"D!!!

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 10:20 pm

Sounds like what I went through with my daughter. She is super sensitive to tastes. One doctor suggested something that I hadn’t expected to work, but it really does for her. They prescribe capsules. I put a layer of applesauce on a spoon, then empty 1/3 of the capsule onto it and cover with another layer of applesauce. It slides down and is barely tasted. She still has a cup of water handy to drink after. It takes 3 spoonfuls of applesauce/medicine per dose.
The first 2 times I did this with her, it was a nightmare getting her to take it- although afterwards she told me it wasn’t that bad. After that it went really well. (I also bribed with a chart where each dose taken fully got a check and some of the boxes had incentives written in them that she would earn when checked.)

amother

Wed, Jan 25 2023, 10:41 pm

BS"D!!! wrote:

This is a good idea . I wonder if the applesauce tastes bad? My son likes plain unsweetened applesauce.

amother

Peachpuff

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 7:28 am

amother OP wrote:

Op, I feel so bad that this is how it played out. I see that you do too. Your intuition is correct -- this is not emotionally safe for your son. I had a similar experience with my parents and unfortunately was emotionally scarred for life (however, it was a medication that needed to be taken long term not a one time thing, and my parents were emotionally abusive in general).
You can fix it. Give your son a big hug, and debrief with him, cry together. Then ask him gently, in a caring way -- you know this is so hard for him. Is there any way he can do it, or should we go to the hospital who will have other ways to help him? Because that would be preferable to the trauma he is going through by having daily power struggles with you and being forced to take the medicine in this manner.