Guest guest Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Hi, We are new to the protocol and recently visited Dr in Texas for the first time. Dr is starting my daughter (5 years old, 42 lbs) on Valtrex. Initially, one 500 mg tablet per day (divided into 3 doses) then increasing to 1.5 tablets/day. My question is regarding the details of giving the medication. I know that we should rinse the blue color off of the tablet but then how do you give it to the child? Is it OK to crush the pill into a powder? Would it be OK to mix it with a liquid and give it via an oral medicine syringe/squirter? I am asking because my daughter is extremely picky about taking ANYTHING medication-wise and will not take powdered meds mixed with soft food. She will only take liquid medications using the " syringe method " . Thanks in advance for any tips! -Jen R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 We crush them and use a cup with a cap and straw on top (from Target) and mix in about 1 1/2 oz. of apple juice. Shake it hard with the lid secured on top with your thumb over the straw hole....then let it dissolve for 5-10 minutes. Shake again. Serve. The granular pieces should be dissolved enough that your daughter probably won't taste it over the juice. b Sent from my iPhone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 We used the syringe method for a while - the powerful one where you could just shoot the meds to the back and they'd swallow automatically. I dared not (and still wouldn't to this day) risk mixing anything in his food. He can tell if I don't buy ground beef from the right STORE and won't eat it. I'm not kidding. That one took me months to figure out what was going on there... The colder the liquid you mix it in and wash it down with, the better. If you can have her drink something super cold or put ice in her mouth first, that will take out a little of the taste. Valtrex is quite bitter with a strong aftertaste, but they took it for a while without complaint once they understood they weren't getting out of it and would be pinned down if I had to. I also rewarded immediately w/ a treat at first. I suggest, though, trying to teach her to swallow pills. My boys learned at 2 & 3 years old. I was swallowing mine while preparing theirs, and when my oldest asked me what I was doing, I told him I put my pills straight into my tummy, and that one day he'd learn to do that, and then he wouldn't have to taste that yucky medicine anymore. He picked up his pill and swallowed it, and so when his brother saw me screaming and jumping up and down, he picked up one and swallowed it, too - just barely 2 years old. They've swallowed them since - they just take them all at once and have been doing so for years - since shortly after learning how. It amazes me - I could hardly get a pill down until my mid-20s lol. I can still barely do two at a time myself. It may depend on the child, and helping them understand really helps. Draw a picture of the throat to the tummy, etc. Then just start out with them having the choice, watching you do it, telling them 'when they get big'... make it something they can't wait to do. Good luck with that... ________________________________ From: jreila1 <jreila1@...> Sent: Wed, March 30, 2011 4:09:52 PM Subject: how to give Valtrex  Hi, We are new to the protocol and recently visited Dr in Texas for the first time. Dr is starting my daughter (5 years old, 42 lbs) on Valtrex. Initially, one 500 mg tablet per day (divided into 3 doses) then increasing to 1.5 tablets/day. My question is regarding the details of giving the medication. I know that we should rinse the blue color off of the tablet but then how do you give it to the child? Is it OK to crush the pill into a powder? Would it be OK to mix it with a liquid and give it via an oral medicine syringe/squirter? I am asking because my daughter is extremely picky about taking ANYTHING medication-wise and will not take powdered meds mixed with soft food. She will only take liquid medications using the " syringe method " . Thanks in advance for any tips! -Jen R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 If you have a good pharmacy that compounds helps a lot as well. Make sure they wash off the blue and you don;t have to worry about crushing the pills. We take it 3 times a day. ________________________________ From: Breitmayer <brightman@...> " " < > Sent: Wed, March 30, 2011 7:12:45 PM Subject: Re: how to give Valtrex  We crush them and use a cup with a cap and straw on top (from Target) and mix in about 1 1/2 oz. of apple juice. Shake it hard with the lid secured on top with your thumb over the straw hole....then let it dissolve for 5-10 minutes. Shake again. Serve. The granular pieces should be dissolved enough that your daughter probably won't taste it over the juice. b Sent from my iPhone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thank you for the great suggestions! Cytnhia - I am very impressed that your kids learned to swallow pills at so young an age! I will work on that with my daughter - it would make both of our lives easier if she could swallow the pills whole! Thanks! > > Hi, > We are new to the protocol and recently visited Dr in Texas for the first time. Dr is starting my daughter (5 years old, 42 lbs) on Valtrex. Initially, one 500 mg tablet per day (divided into 3 doses) then increasing to 1.5 tablets/day. > > My question is regarding the details of giving the medication. I know that we should rinse the blue color off of the tablet but then how do you give it to the child? Is it OK to crush the pill into a powder? Would it be OK to mix it with a liquid and give it via an oral medicine syringe/squirter? > > I am asking because my daughter is extremely picky about taking ANYTHING medication-wise and will not take powdered meds mixed with soft food. She will only take liquid medications using the " syringe method " . > > Thanks in advance for any tips! > -Jen R. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi, We work with a DAN! doctor here in New Hampshire and are just getting started w/ . Last year we had our son's Valtrex rx made into a liquid at a compounding pharmacy. Valtrex is quite bitter, so they actually suggested adding a chocolate flavoring which worked great with an oral syringe! Evidently chocolate does make all things better! Hope this helps > > Hi, > We are new to the protocol and recently visited Dr in Texas for the first time. Dr is starting my daughter (5 years old, 42 lbs) on Valtrex. Initially, one 500 mg tablet per day (divided into 3 doses) then increasing to 1.5 tablets/day. > > My question is regarding the details of giving the medication. I know that we should rinse the blue color off of the tablet but then how do you give it to the child? Is it OK to crush the pill into a powder? Would it be OK to mix it with a liquid and give it via an oral medicine syringe/squirter? > > I am asking because my daughter is extremely picky about taking ANYTHING medication-wise and will not take powdered meds mixed with soft food. She will only take liquid medications using the " syringe method " . > > Thanks in advance for any tips! > -Jen R. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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