Whatever Makes the Medicine Go Down

Kids and medication often go together as well as cats and Tabasco sauce. Just when you think you can get it down their pipes, the taste kicks in and the revolt starts.*

But when the home remedies aren't working and you find yourself turning to medical science for a cure, or at least a way to ease some nasty symptoms, you do what you can to make sure your little ones swallow their jagged little pills... or nasty bubble gum flavored syrup.

Side note: I have often asked our pharmacist why every kids' antibiotic syrup seems to be bubble gum flavored? He has no idea and thinks it is a little strange, especially when pharmacies are capable of adding any flavoring these days. My kid has never had bubble gum and finds the flavor totally disgusting, so we have to double up on grape flavor to mask it. Yuck!

And back to my regular blogging...

Last week, I had to keep Little Dude home from school. And my motto is, "If he's sick enough to stay home, he's sick enough to go to the doctor." Good thing! Because he had strep throat, and possibly another bug on top of it.

Lovely.

So the doctor prescribed an antibiotic and a steroid. Plus, she recommended Benadryl (she described the back of his throat as "a river of snot"). And due to the massive fever, chills and sweating, we was already taking Tylenol.

Yes... if you can add, you've already figured out that he was taking FOUR medications.

Again... lovely.

So as I was lining up Little Dude's afternoon snack medication, he stalled with his usual tactics... questions.

What does this one do? It helps bring your fever down. It dries up all the snot in your head. It fights the infection and germs that are making you sick. It fights the swelling that's making you wheeze and cough.

Do I have to take it again? Only until your fever comes down a little. Yes, you have to take it again tonight. You don't have to take it again until tomorrow.

Am I done taking it forever? Nope. Just until you get better. I don't have to take it anymore? Yay!!! Sorry, Little Dude. You have to take these two again tomorrow and these two again in 6 hours.

Bummer.

But being the resilient and resourceful creature that he is, Little Dude came up with his own way to make his medication exciting...

He named them after superheroes!

After hearing what each medication is for, he appointed them monikers after a few of his favorite superheroes. He renamed his antibiotic "Iron Man" (the red coloring fit), his steroid "Thor," his Benadryl "Hulk" (which he later renamed "Pirates101") and his Tylenol "Captain America."

The names didn't make the medicine taste any better. But at least he seemed comforted in the knowledge that the medication was working like a superhero team fighting off nasty germs and symptoms, and that he wouldn't be taking them forever.

On the plus side, he is looking forward to learning how to swallow pills so next time he gets sick, he doesn't have to worry about bubble gum flavored medicine anymore!



*Disclaimer: I have never tried feeding a cat Tabasco sauce and would not recommend it. I'm pretty sure there would be some blood loss and dismemberment involved if someone ever did try it!