Unfortunately, Caleb has had to take a lot of antibiotics since he was born. Last year was the first year that he only had to take it 2 times in 1 year. This year, yes I know we just started the year, he has already been on it twice.
One of the down falls to medicine is they can have a nasty taste. Sometimes if you add flavoring to them it can make the taste worse. Or even with flavoring in them, it won't stop the bitter after taste. I am one of those parents that taste my kids medicine every time. Before you suck in air and think "you are not suppose to be taking other people's medicines", I said I taste it not take it. I put a drop on my finger and taste it to see how it is going to taste to him. The recent one he is on is a sulfa kind of thing. The first reaction to taste is not bad. It is the after taste that gets you. It is horrible.
This morning was our first bad episode with the medicine. Usually, he will take the medicine and then chase it down with water or a cracker to try to fight that after taste. First he didn't want to take it (which is usually his saying every time). Then, he started crying because he didn't want it and that lead him into coughing from crying. I start giving him the medicine because I couldn't get him to stop crying so then he starts gagging on it. Next, I am trying to get him to calm down so he doesn't throw it up. Meanwhile, I kept a calm and soft voice but a little stern so he knows he has to do what I am saying. With me being calm, he will calm down too. People often forget that if you are upset a child will get upset. So try to stay calm.
I am the kind of parent that will not fuss at him for crying over medicine. He is too young to grasp that medicine is horrible and he needs to just suck it up. I have heard parents yell at their kids because they don't want to take their medicine. Yelling is not going to get you anywhere. At the same time, you would be fighting too to take some medicines if they had a nasty taste to them. I know there are certain medicines I won't take till I really have to just to avoid the taste. Prednisone....I hate the after taste. It makes me gag. So I usually try to drink something flavored, rinse my mouth out with Listerine, or something to just get rid of that taste. With me tasting his medicines, I know how to deal with Caleb better to help him get the medicine down.
Some taste can be stopped with milk but if a child is congested or has an upset stomach, milk is the last thing you want to give them. Saltine crackers are usually a sure thing but not everyone keeps saltine crackers in their house. Apple juice makes the taste worse. Water just dilutes it but doesn't stop the after taste.
As a parent, there are many obstacles you have to cross. One of those is a child gagging over medicine. The best thing to do is suck it up and remain calm. They are just a child and they don't understand how important that medicine is. So getting mad and yelling at them won't solve anything. Remember there are worse things in this world besides a child gagging over medicine.
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