Re: how to get a child to swallow valtrex?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

When my son was on Valtrex, I carefully measured water and let the Valtrex

dissolve in it overnight (it took at least that long to dissolve), then gave

my son 1/4 or 1/3 of the solution, or water the dosage was supposed to be,

with a syringe.

Then we got a pill I couldn't dissolve ;-( so it was time for him to learn

how to swallow them. I laid him back in my arms with the pill and a syringe

of juice, put the pill in the very back of his throat and washed it down

with the juice. I demonstrated on myself what we were trying to do, too. It

took a few tries with a little fussing (and a gag or two), but then he " got

it " and now swallows all kinds of pills like a champ. Makes things sooooooo

much easier.

I guess there is some cup you can get where the pill sits in the spout, so

when they drink they get the pill first, then liquid to wash it down.

Kristy

how to get a child to swallow valtrex?

We just saw Dr. Goldberg this week & are very excited to start giving

our son his valtrex... the problem is, he's 3 & doesn't know about

swallowing pills. Any suggestions, recommendations would be very much

appreciated. For now, we have " cut " the pill into the dosage amount

(to the best of our ability) and put it in a muffin & let him chew &

swallow it. Our pharmacist said she didn't see anything in the

literature about problems with crushing the pill to take it.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi -

We initially crushed Valtrex (we always washed off the

blue dye) and mixed it in a little medicine cup

w/approx 1 1/2 tsp cold rice milk, then sucked it into

a syringe (the kind you can shoot the medicine with)

and would shoot it as far back into the mouth as we

could, then immediately wash down w/ very cold water

or juice. It tastes nasty and lingers!

Other treats could be a tsp of rice-dream rice milk

ice cream - a real incentive to get them to accept it

- and it may even be a good idea to give something

frozen just before (like frozen pear juice popscicle

chopped into pieces so you only have to give a bit) or

rice-dream ice cream - the frozen treat will numb

taste buds enough to make it more tolerable.

Eventually your child will 'get used to it' and accept

it w/out too much fuss, but after the first time, for

a couple of times I had to pin my oldest down to get

him to take it because he was real resistant. Go

ahead and do that and get over it if you have to -

he'll eventually not freak out over it. Anything you

can do to motivate (big-time praise and a special

treat) in the beginning will help you later.

My youngest son did learn to swallow his Valtrex

before he turned 3. They happened to be watching me

take my meds, and I was just describing what I was

doing, and said " One day you'll learn how to swallow

pills like this and you won't have to taste the yucky

medicine anymore! " They're meds were sitting there

ready to be crushed, and they picked them up and

swallowed them right then and there!!! I just freaked

out with joy and they have swallowed pills like little

champs ever since. So don't think a 3 year old can't

swallow them.... if properly motivated, they just

might! lol BTW-to make it easy w/ a washed pill like

Valtrex, I would wrap it a bit in margarine

(fleishman's light is dairy free) and my son loved

that. I started doing that for me too w/pills I

couldn't stand to taste, as I always had a very hard

time swallowing pills (so I can't comprehend the ease

w/which my kids do it lol).

For a 3year old, you can sorta-maybe explain that he

can " put it in his tummy " without chewing it.

HTH-

--- The Hacklers <thehacks@...> wrote:

> We just saw Dr. Goldberg this week & are very

> excited to start giving

> our son his valtrex... the problem is, he's 3 &

> doesn't know about

> swallowing pills. Any suggestions, recommendations

> would be very much

> appreciated. For now, we have " cut " the pill into

> the dosage amount

> (to the best of our ability) and put it in a muffin

> & let him chew &

> swallow it. Our pharmacist said she didn't see

> anything in the

> literature about problems with crushing the pill to

> take it.

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I have posted this many times on this board so others are probably

tired of reading it again, but just to let you know. If you go the

route of teaching to swallow pills (I agree.....soooo much easier in

the long run for you and him!...we've been giving pills for 3 1/2

yrs!), try putting the pills in empty gel caps....there is never any

taste. Valtrex is Bitter!

>

> Hi ,

>

> When my son was on Valtrex, I carefully measured water and let the

Valtrex

> dissolve in it overnight (it took at least that long to dissolve),

then gave

> my son 1/4 or 1/3 of the solution, or water the dosage was

supposed to be,

> with a syringe.

>

> Then we got a pill I couldn't dissolve ;-( so it was time for him

to learn

> how to swallow them. I laid him back in my arms with the pill and

a syringe

> of juice, put the pill in the very back of his throat and washed

it down

> with the juice. I demonstrated on myself what we were trying to

do, too. It

> took a few tries with a little fussing (and a gag or two), but

then he " got

> it " and now swallows all kinds of pills like a champ. Makes things

sooooooo

> much easier.

>

> I guess there is some cup you can get where the pill sits in the

spout, so

> when they drink they get the pill first, then liquid to wash it

down.

>

> Kristy

>

> how to get a child to swallow valtrex?

>

>

> We just saw Dr. Goldberg this week & are very excited to start

giving

> our son his valtrex... the problem is, he's 3 & doesn't know

about

> swallowing pills. Any suggestions, recommendations would be very

much

> appreciated. For now, we have " cut " the pill into the dosage

amount

> (to the best of our ability) and put it in a muffin & let him

chew &

> swallow it. Our pharmacist said she didn't see anything in the

> literature about problems with crushing the pill to take it.

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Any suggestions on how to get a kid with a sensitive gag-reflex to

swallow pills? My son is 8 and we still have to give him crushed

pills in a tsp. of soy frozen dessert.

Donna

> >

> > Hi ,

> >

> > When my son was on Valtrex, I carefully measured water and let the

> Valtrex

> > dissolve in it overnight (it took at least that long to dissolve),

> then gave

> > my son 1/4 or 1/3 of the solution, or water the dosage was

> supposed to be,

> > with a syringe.

> >

> > Then we got a pill I couldn't dissolve ;-( so it was time for him

> to learn

> > how to swallow them. I laid him back in my arms with the pill and

> a syringe

> > of juice, put the pill in the very back of his throat and washed

> it down

> > with the juice. I demonstrated on myself what we were trying to

> do, too. It

> > took a few tries with a little fussing (and a gag or two), but

> then he " got

> > it " and now swallows all kinds of pills like a champ. Makes things

> sooooooo

> > much easier.

> >

> > I guess there is some cup you can get where the pill sits in the

> spout, so

> > when they drink they get the pill first, then liquid to wash it

> down.

> >

> > Kristy

> >

> > how to get a child to swallow valtrex?

> >

> >

> > We just saw Dr. Goldberg this week & are very excited to start

> giving

> > our son his valtrex... the problem is, he's 3 & doesn't know

> about

> > swallowing pills. Any suggestions, recommendations would be very

> much

> > appreciated. For now, we have " cut " the pill into the dosage

> amount

> > (to the best of our ability) and put it in a muffin & let him

> chew &

> > swallow it. Our pharmacist said she didn't see anything in the

> > literature about problems with crushing the pill to take it.

> >

> > Thanks!

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I would be very interested!! TIA,

Donna

>

> there is a product out there i have to find the link for but it is a

cup

> that is supposed to help children swallow pills. i think it is

called a " pill

> cup " . dont know much about it but i will look up the info and share

if anyone

> interested.

>

> vicki

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharnita,

Here's a link to the company that makes the cup. You can order from

them: http://www.oralflo.com/

I ordered one a week ago and am still waiting for it.

Donna

>

> > Donna,

> >

> > I found this article online...

> >

> > Pill-Swallowing Cup Minimizes Risk for Aspiration in

> > Patients With

> > Difficulty Swallowing

> >

> > Registered with the FDA in June as a class 3 medical

> > device, Pill Swallowing

> > Cup, made by Oraflo Technologies, LLC, facilitates

> > the ingestion of

> > medications and vitamin supplements in individuals

> > aged 4 years and older

> > for whom swallowing pills is a challenge.

> >

> > The product is intended to assist the swallowing

> > reflex and benefit people

> > of all ages and many conditions including autism,

> > cancer, Parkinson's

> > disease and attention deficit­hyperactivity disorder

> > (ADHD). According to a

> > company news release, results of a 2004 study

> > conducted by

> > Interactive have revealed that 40% of US adults have

> > difficulty swallowing

> > pills despite their ability to swallow foods or

> > liquids.

> >

> > To use the device, the cup is filled halfway with

> > water or other liquid and

> > the lid placed securely. The pill is then dropped

> > into the spout to rest

> > above the liquid in a mesh with fluted ribs that

> > minimizes surface contact

> > with the cup. The angled mouthpiece extension allows

> > the pill and liquid to

> > be swallowed without backward tilting of the head, a

> > feature of benefit to

> > patients with neck pain or limited mobility.

> >

> > The cup is compatible with all marketed sizes of

> > pills and eliminates the

> > need for pill crushing and cutting, thereby enabling

> > proper administration

> > of time-release and coated capsules and tablets.

> >

> > Here's the link...

> >

> > http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/537485

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>