how would you administer pain meds?

Princess_Lily · August 2014

You hear the familiar cries & coughs of your sick 5yo. You go to his room, and he's awake from coughing all night. "Mommy, is that you?"

You check his fever, and he needs his medicine. In the 3a morning fuzz, you come in with a dosage cup of bubble gum flavored fever reducer. Your child hides, screams that they don't want to take medicine. You offer in a syringe. Nope.

The fever is in the mild range, but left ignored it may spike again.

How would you administer the meds?

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Off topic:

I went over the protocol with another geneticist in the same practice, and I really enjoyed it. No medical rhetoric, she spoke to me like a mom to another mom

We spoke about fever limits, and what is mild vs major fevers...what dehydration would look like...and glucose levels. My"protocol" is in the medicine cabinet door &,file folder.

Princess_Lily · August 2014

When I say "Pain meds", I meant liquids aced and IBP.

For DSs condition Mild fevers are 100.4-101.9
Major is 102.0+

I also asked what do we do if temp is 102, but controlled...etc. Anything major for us marks stat bloodwork needed. I also looked into going to an urgent care, but if he needs IV/fluids we will have to be transfered via ambulance.

I just didn't want to leave it be since the threshold is so low, and temps spike the most at night. Also since DS was in discomfort from his throat being sore, PND and awake...I thought I would try.

I've seen nurses pin DS down for med refusal, DS won't take chewable pills nor applesauce. His pickyness gets worse when sick

Junebug060609 · August 2014

Granted my DS is younger, but if he needs to take a liquid med I give him a chance to do it himself making it clear that he does it or I do it for him. If he still wont take it: syringe and squirt it into the side/back of his mouth and then hold the mouth shut until I see him swallow. He hated it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

ToastieSimons · August 2014

Have you considered the chewables?

my kiddo is 4 but cognitively delayed. If he gets to that, I climb on top of him and straddle him over his arms. I get my face real close to his, I use a syringe into the bottom back of his left cheek and give it two doses.

All while softly and calmly singing a song he likes.

When we're done I tell him he's a good boy and this will make him feel all better.

What about the chewables crushed into a bit of pudding or something similar? My brother always had to take meds this way, he couldn't/wouldn't swallow pills.

As for pain

meldoo2002 · August 2014

If they need to take it… I just give it to them. I tell them they need to take it. If they don't, I warn them if they don't take it I will give it to them (if that means holding them down to squirt in cheek or using a suppository) that it's not a choice. Typically they take it even if they have to chase it with a smartie or chocolate chip otherwise I do what I have to. They take seizure and allergy meds 2x a day now every day so it's really been less of an issue, but we have an occasional refusal on the nebulizer, inhaler, or tylenol depending on mood.

greyt00 · August 2014

We have to do suppositories for fever reducing meds because DS1 refuses to take anything and gags and throws up anything over 1 mL that is "forced." I devised a "medicine taking" program for him in ABA therapy so we can train him to accept a spoonful of mystery liquid.

I admit to medicating fevers in DS1 most of the time. They usually mean a sore throat, which means not eating and drinking, which is a problem for us, so my hope is the meds will help his throat.

fancynewbeesly · August 2014

Reese has to take chemo medicine in the middle of the night every night. Granted she is younger, but with her medicine you can't eat 2 hours before AND an hour after--which leaves about 10/11 at night. I go in with a syringe and just squirt it into her mouth while she is still sleeping. I don't wake her up for it. Sometimes she has her pacifier, so I just remove that and insert the syringe, cover her up and walk out. She doesn't really wake up at all. And never really fights me on it.

realisticdreams · August 2014

DD2 has issues with medication..liquid and chewable. But, when she was younger with her fevers when they were high, I always gave her suppository of tylenol. Because, even when we would go to the hospital and they would give her tylenol/ibuprofen together..they wouldn't listen to me and she threw it up every.single.time.
I don't know if it was the thickness or what but she's still awful about medicine now, and I've tried everything by this point, including the promises of a pony.

I'm glad you have a protocol that is more suited for your needs. If you talk to the head of a local urgent care that may help. We were having to go to the ER for cathing every time they had a fever too and I said enough with this BS. And urgent care told me they weren't equipped to cath and didn't have the correct sizes. I told them I had the right sizes and I would cath them if needed.

Good luck.

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