My 2 1/2 Year Old Will Not Take Medicine! Help!

I know how you feel. I have a 3year old that does the same thing,and he has to take meds on a daily basis. i have had some luck with crushing his pills up and putting it i an little bit of pudding or ice cream( chocolate or some flavor that is kind of strong to disguise the taste of the med. So far this has helped. Some days he is still hesitates to do even that but he does it, because i tell him he does not get to do anything until it is gone. But most the time he see's the icecream or pudding as a treat. Hope this helps you.

What kind are you giving her? Most come in multiple flavors--grape, berry, etc. And anything that is an Rx you can get flavors added to. So start by changing the taste of it--next, don't call it medicine! Call it something completely different--make it fun! Call in yum yum juice, or magic potion.
Finally how do you normally give it to her? If you would normally use a medicine dropper or syringe, give it to her in a kiddie med spoon or vice versa.
Finally, give it to her before you give her something you know she will want to eat--like a banana, or before mealtime or snacktime. And tell her she has to drink her magic potion before she can have the banana. (and don't give in!)
Try to gradually get her to try it too if she gives you the big NO NO NO with the head moving away before she even looks at it or considers it(we also use this technique with new foods):
1> Tell her to look at it.
2> Tell her to touch it (many times they will then taste whatever is on their finger after they touch it).
3>Ask her to take a baby sip.
Basically once she tastes it--she should like it. Most of the kiddie medicines taste like candy...so she should drink it down once she has the initial taste. If not, like I said, try a different flavor!
Oh and this is probably a power struggle, so I just thought of something else you could do--especially if you already have 2 flavors of the same med. Ask her if she would rather have the grape or the banana magic potion....that way she gets to decide...just an after thought, since I too have a 2 1/2 year old that likes to say No we use the choose from 2 choices options A LOT.

What kind of medicine are your trying to give her? My 4 year old, when she was too was like that as well and wouldn't take medicine and gag on it and throw it up if we tried to force her. Soon we found out that she LOVES candy and anything she thought was candy would take it. I found some echinacea lollipops at a healthfood store(they sell them at Walmart now), and started with those, and she gobbled it up, then the next time she was sick, I tried the little dissolvable throat and cough strips and chewables, and depending on the taste, sometimes she would take it and sometimes she wouldn't, I would just have to keep reassuring her it was candy. Then after a good while trying the other things, I tried the liquid again, (it was the grape flavored tylenol, and told her it was candy) and she finally took it! I haven't had any problems since, and she'll take anything now.
Good luck to you! Hopefully you'll figure out how to get her to take it!
Take care!
V.

S.,
Ok. I hear ya! Having 4 kids ranging from 20y to 10m, I have dealt with the dreaded medicine dilemma many times! The thing that works with my 8 year old and 3 year old is simple. I count. I tell them that I will count to ten and when we get to ten, they should be done with it. Some reason, it works. Of course, at times, I have to count 9 and 10 rather slowly. However, It works. It's like a challenge to them. They celebrate if they finish by 6 or 7, kind of like they won the race or something. I also let them have their favorite drink at hand to "chase" the yuckiness and push it down.
This works for us. God Bless You!

Okay, this is coming from the nurse in me (not the mom, in that I've only been a mom for 4 months and a nurse for 15 years) You might just have to hold her down and give it to her. Get a oral medicine dropper (syringe) and hold her mouth open with finger on either side of mouth and put a small amount (about a 1/2ml) at a time in the very back of her mouth and hold the syringe between her teeth until she swallows. I know it sounds cruel but you have to be the mommy and make her take the medicine she needs to get well. After a few times she might just give up and take it or you might be in a struggle til she is older. Good Luck

Well I have done my share of fighting with my three to take meds. The best thing that worked for my 2 1/2 yr old was putting in chocolate milk. It disguises medicine completely. Also make sure she doesn't see you put the medicine in there. This is important cause if they see you do it you can forget it. One more thing I always make sure not to give too big a cup of the choc. milk cause if they don't drink it all then they don't get all the medicine. Hope this helps.

Dear S.,

The one thing about situations like this is that everyone gets so upset. I've got three boys, myself, and have been an in-home daycare provider for 24 years. Here's how I solve this problem when all else fails.

1. Sit on the floor with the medicine prepared.
2. Quickly place the child with his/her head at the apex of the "V" your thighs make to immobilize the child's head.
3. Put each of their arms under a thigh. (I don't know about you, but my thighs are soft enough that NO ONE is getting hurt...and it means you aren't battling flailing arms or a thrashing head.)
4. The child will normally protest. Who wouldn't?! But, once the mouth opens, place the dropper in the hinge of the jaw and gently squirt. This area is one that automatically causes a person to swallow.
5. Scoop up that baby and lay on the hugs, kisses, and "good jobs".

Viola! In 10 seconds you've administered the necessary medication and saved the child (and yourself) from a long-lasting battle.

Some folks will think I'm horrible...but medicine is a necessary evil and this method (again, when all else fails) allows you to get it over with and to move onto happier things almost immediately.

I would be careful about saying anything about it being "candy" since that could be pretty dangerous. I have been lucky in that Mac takes his very well- i just say "it's time to take your medicine!" and he sits down and holds the lid while I fill the dropper etc. I have heard that you can fill a dropper and a little cup and let her hold the cup and you the dropper and tell her that it is important that she take her medicine so she can be healthy and she can choose to do it herself like a big girl or you will have to do it with the dropper. Then she can feel more in control of it. If that doesn't work, i agree with an earlier post to just hold her down and get it in there! after all she does need to take it and it is not a negotiation. I hope it all works out for you and you find something that works!

My Three year old is the same way and has been forever. We usually have to force it, but the last time she was sick, we gave her a choice. She could take it hersele like a big girl or we would have to force it. She chooses to take it herself. She knows that the threat is not empty b/c when she doesn't take it her self, we hold her down and force it.

Now she requests medicine if she feels bad. Oh, the control issues!!

When I need to get some fever medicine (tylenol/motrin) for my son, I let him choose the flavor/color. He's resists every now and then but he knows he needs it.

You can tell her the Doctor said "she needs it to feel better" its the truth and you're not lying to her. If she gets the choice of the color or flavor she might be happier with that.

putting it in the food, I know will just make the food taste worse so getting her to take it after she is full might help...it won't upset her tummy.

sorry she is resisting. when my little one resists I hug her real close and just squirt it with a bulb syringe into the cheek and she will normally swallow it down. I follow up with some water or juice!

Good luck...