Vent! DD Has Strep Throat and refuses to take her medicine!

[Christine]

robin--

Your daughter sounds like a very headstrong, stubborn girl!! It will serve her will when she's older, but she'll probably drive you nuts in the meantime!

 

[#1MMFan]

I can't help feeling that getting an injection is probably just the easiest short term solution, but at the end of the day I can't say I'd advocate that. Is it really the best thing in the longterm. Also, I think it harms the child-doctor relationship and the parent-doctor relationship not to mention the child-parent relationship. I'm seeing it from the other side of the desk and I wouldn't feel comfortable just injecting a child because mom couldn't get the child to take the medication. The child could construe the doctor as a form of punishment, which does nothing for when you (the dr) have to examine the child the next time they are unwell.

 

[Marseeya]

You mean that cutie in your sig is giving you such a hard time??? I don't believe it!

My kids were the same way, especially my DS, and thankfully we never had to resort to a shot. When he got immunizations, it took three of us to hold him down, so that wasn't something I really wanted to go through.

I didn't give him an option with the antibiotic -- I knew the pink liquid tasted good, so that's what he got. No choice in the chewable pill and I didn't even give him any input. Every time he had to take his dose, we'd go into the bathroom and I'd sit on the closed toilet with him standing in front of me. There was maybe one time where we had a standoff in there, but once he learned I'd sit there for as long as it took, he would take it (reluctantly, I might add, but he still took it).

Tylenol just tastes nasty. Have you ever tried one of her pills? You wouldn't want to take it either. Liquid motrin is so much better. Have you considered that instead? My DD always fought me on the Tylenol, but she took Motrin just fine because it tasted good.

Now, imagine trying to get a 14 yo who's bigger than you to take a pill he doesn't want to take. Fun stuff.

 

[MrsPete]

This won't help with the Tylenol type things, but for antibiotics you can ask the doctor to give her a SHOT instead of MEDS. It acts more quickly, and you don't have to keep giving the meds every day. She won't like it, but she also doesn't like what you're doing now, so what's the difference?

 

[MrsPete]

I can't help feeling that getting an injection is probably just the easiest short term solution, but at the end of the day I can't say I'd advocate that. Is it really the best thing in the longterm. Also, I think it harms the child-doctor relationship and the parent-doctor relationship not to mention the child-parent relationship. I'm seeing it from the other side of the desk and I wouldn't feel comfortable just injecting a child because mom couldn't get the child to take the medication. The child could construe the doctor as a form of punishment, which does nothing for when you (the dr) have to examine the child the next time they are unwell.

The results of not treating strep are VERY, VERY SERIOUS. The medicines have to go into her body, regardless of how they get there!

 

[MrsPete]

My DD always fought me on the Tylenol, but she took Motrin just fine because it tasted good.

We always use liquid Motrin in our house. I don't know about the taste personally, but I think it works better than Tylenol

 

[Galahad]

The results of not treating strep are VERY, VERY SERIOUS. The medicines have to go into her body, regardless of how they get there!

Jim Henson, of Muppet fame, died at the age of 53 from bacterial pneumonia that was secondary to an untreated strep infection.

The medicines have to go into her body, regardless of how they get there!

 

[Marseeya]

The results of not treating strep are VERY, VERY SERIOUS. The medicines have to go into her body, regardless of how they get there!

I don't think MMfan is recommending not treating the infection, but rather the mother find a way to force her DD to take the meds instead of taking her do the doctor.

 

[Marseeya]

We always use liquid Motrin in our house. I don't know about the taste personally, but I think it works better than Tylenol

With the exception of mashed baby food peas, I always tasted everything I expected my kids to swallow.

UGH!

At any rate, I prefer Motrin too. When DD was little, she would get these outrageously high fevers with the slightest cold (DH is like that too). Tylenol would hardly touch the fevers, but Motrin always did the trick.

 

[robinb]

With the exception of mashed baby food peas, I always tasted everything I expected my kids to swallow.

It's funny you say that! I tried a nibble of my DD's amoxicillen and I didn't think it tasted so bad. I also didn't mind the taste of the Tylenol. The liquid Strawberry flavored Tylenol in the OJ tasted like a tropical drink, LOL! I'll buy some Motrin on everyone's recomendation for her next fever.

BTW: She had no advese reaction to going to the doctor to get the shot. We had to wait a bit to make sure she didn't have a reaction and we read "Green Eggs and Ham" to each other.

 

[Pinkprincessmom]

Hi from the cruise forum.

My DD5 also has strep this week. It is very difficult to get her to take any medicine either. She's very good at throwing it up afterwards. Our doctor does the 24 hour test instead of the rapid test, so he just called in the antibiotic. He did tell her how important it was to take the medicine. Thankfully she listened.

By the way, this is her third case of strep this year. The last one was Oct. 20. Anyone know at what point they start talking taking tonsils out?

 

[laurie31]

I'm chiming in a day late and a dollar short, as the OP has handled the situation and the child has been treated, but she didn't take her for the shot as punishment. I do HATE when parents say things like, "You'd better behave or I'll get that nurse to give you a shot!" The OP did NOT do that. She understood the child HAD to take the medicine one way or another and communicated that to the child the best way she could. Children DIED of strep before there was penicillin. Hopefully her dd has learned that meds are non-negotiable, and next time, she may choose the shot for herselt up front. Some kids would rather have it that take the meds orally.


btw, robinb, my dd2 is strong-willed also You may enjoy the book, "The Strong Willed Child" by James Dobson. (even if you are not a Christian, there are wonderful insights into the minds of these "power-hungry" kids - and how you can parent them without making things a power struggle - because they will win those, despite the fact that you are the parent. As you obviously already know. )

I hope your dd is feeling better soon

Laurie

 

[#1MMFan]

The results of not treating strep are VERY, VERY SERIOUS. The medicines have to go into her body, regardless of how they get there!

Thanks for putting that in plain capitalised english. Perhaps we could look at the statistics for how common very, very serious complications of strep throat are before preaching to the converted; I'm a doctor.

Incidentally, over here, SIGN guidelines for removal of tonsils states 5 episodes of proven tonsillitis causing significant morbidity in 2 consecutive years. They will not normally remove tonsils in pre-school age children. I suppose the haemorrhagic complications of removing tonsils are considered very very serious therefore they don't whip the tonsils out without very good reason. Oh, believe me, I have seen someone bring up bucketfuls of blood post-tonsillectomy, when I was an ER doctor; not pretty.

 

[Disneyrsh]

The threat of a shot in the bum always works with DS, but it can be all out war. Maybe the shot is going to be what it takes, and does it hurt. Although, if she's like DS, they'll have tie her down. At this point, I would just quit arguing with her and take her to the doctor. It's time to let her know who's boss and take control back.

Ok, a few things. My older daughter had recurrent strep and we, at one point, had to resort to the shot to knock out the strep. This shot is BRUTAL. Absolutely BRUTAL. It's not in the butt, it's in the muscle of the thigh. You have to use a large bore needle and it takes about 15 seconds to get the very viscous fluid into the leg. My daughter, the nurse and I were all crying by the time it was done because it was so miserable.

We ended up having her tonsils and adenoids removed because of the strep and apnea-related issues. It was the right choice; she's been strep free for a year and no longer has sleeping problems.

Here's the other thing: When I tell my kids to do something, they do it. None of this crap about refusing to do things or throwing pills away. I give them the medicine, they take it. No excuses, no fights, and no arguing. I'm the Mom, and I'm in charge.

It may suck to be them sometimes, but I'm flabbergasted you have to try and sit down in front of a computer to freakin' explain to your child why they don't want to get rheumatic fever and that they need to take their medicine, blah blah blah.

NO.

YOU are the PARENT.

YOU make the decisions.

They don't like it, tough noogies.

You sit that kid down on the chair, hand her the medicine, say "drink it" and stand there and watch her until she does. That's called being a parent. Your kid says no, she sits in that chair until she drinks/eats it, and I don't care if you have to stand there for hours, she doesn't move until she does what you say. That's how it works.

Go ahead and flame me, I don't care, because being a parent isn't about negotiation and placation, it's about raising a healthy kid who has respect for herself and others.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm the opposite--I will take any medicine if it means I can avoid a shot .

Sorry for your DD. Will she have to get more shots--or is it a one-time deal?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Wow Disneyrsh--that was harsh!

Robinb is a good mom (from what I have seen on the DIS) and her kid is a pretty good kid (from what I have read on the DIS).

Pills are disgusting things--but if you have a child that is so adament for whatever reason to not take it..and an alternative is available....sending them to parenting jail isn't a nice thing.

As I said--I will avoid shots at all costs...I also don't take pills unless strictly medically necessary--and even then it is tough and depending on the size of the pill..it is very hard for me to swallow it--literally due to a sensitve gag reflex.

Flame me--but it got to the point where I refused taking my prenatal vitamins b/c I would get sick off of them immediately (As welll as other times of day). Tried different kinds...found one with an acceptable coating and then they changed the formula. And while my midwife prefered me taking them and keeping them down--you can't force the issue if morning sickness is making it impossible. I was given a reprieve and just told to try as I was able and then if I had success to continue taking them.

Sometimes it isn't a power struggle at all. Pill taking for some is just an absolutely vile and difficult thing to do--and the power struggle results b/c children have a hard time articulating why it is so hard to take the pill in the first place.

 

[mickeyboat]

Disneyrsh - I think that was really uncalled for. It's a parent's job to make their kids do something they don't want to. It's a kid's job to test their parents to the limits. Give the OP a break.

Lisa - I had a hard time with the prenatal vitamins too. They made me really constipated. my midwife told me if I ate Total cereal every morning, I would be getting the vitamins I needed. Thank goodness!

To the OP - you did the right thing. Hope Celia is feeling better soon.

Denae

 

[Marseeya]

Go ahead and flame me, I don't care, because being a parent isn't about negotiation and placation, it's about raising a healthy kid who has respect for herself and others.

In the end she didn't negotiate. That child got her medication. If the mom and child are both comfortable with getting medicine that way, then where's the problem?

 

[nativetxn]

Strept is a very dangerous illness. I believe that Jim Henson died from septicemia resulting from a strept infection. I could be wrong.

I hope the injection clears this up very soon and that your daughter is 100% better.

Katholyn

 

[kristen821]

My dd3 won't take medicine either and she needs the shot when she gets strep. I think that shot is great and it only hurts for a few seconds and she gets a sucker and is fine! I don't think it is fair for one parent to tell another parent that they are doing something wrong. I have two kids with completely different personalities. If I tell my ds7 to take medicine he'll do it. If I tell my dd to take medice she will throw it back up at you before she swallows it. I raised both children the same way so I don't think it is the fault of a parent at all. Children have different personalities and that is all there is to it.

BTW - They also have a fever reducer that can be taken rectally that I use for my daughter. It's gross I know, but you got to do what you got to do.