Children refusing to take meds??

anita01
anita01 Member Posts: 43
edited 19. Apr 2010, 15:16 in My child has arthritis
Hi all, I am appealing to all mum's/dad's out there.
My 7 yr old has systemic onset Jia, didgnosed a year ago, she has been refusing to take her steroids for the last few days, I usually dissolve them and add them to a drink. She is now only drinking water got from the tap by herself, she says she does't know why she she won't take them . We have had other battles in the past year with Mtx, tabs and injections, but I am more worried about stopping the steroids suddenly. She says I am scaring her when i tell her she will get really ill and have to go back in to hosp.

Any ideas/ strategies welcomed,

thanks, anita

Comments

  • illihor
    illihor Member Posts: 283
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Eeek this is a tough one. I have a 4 year old with JIA and she's pretty good at taking meds, she'll even take tablets. Have you tried mixing it with juice? How about her mixing it up herself? Giving her a sticker chart and after say 5 stickers gets a treat something that she wants, can be a small toy or magazine?

    Obviously she needs to take her meds so she doesn't feel bad as hard as it is try not to get angry with her. Perhaps sit her down and ask her what's wrong even draw a picture, is she scared of taking them, does she feel different from everyone else etc?

    I guess i'm lucky in that both myself and my husband have to take medication daily. Me (as my 4 year old tells me) one to make me happy the other for my heart, my husband pain killers, so come dinner time we all take our medicines, so she knows and understands it's good for us and we need to take our meds.

    Good luck and I hope you figure out something which works.

    Michelle
  • speedalong
    speedalong Member Posts: 3,315
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi, This is a tricky one. Is it dangerous to miss these meds? If it wasn't perhaps she needs to miss them and appreciate how much worse she feels when not taking them, If this is not an option is there another adult who could talk with her about the importance of taking of them - someone she respects - a professional, rainbows leader, another relative etc

    If this has only happened since she has decided to drink only water - it is because they taste more foul in plain water? Do the meds come in other forms?

    Another strategy that sometimes works is to ask her what she would do if a child of hers/friend of hers etc wasn't taking their meds. Children often come up with much harsher suggestions than we would come up with ... but because they dreamt the up they work.

    If rewards work - I'm all for a bit of bribery ...

    Someone posted about them needing meds too and that that helped. Could started taking a multivitamin/ efferscent vitamin C tablet etc as the same time as you daughter ...

    Speedalong
    I have had OA since mid twenties. It affects my hips and knees. I had a THR on the left aged 30 and now have a resurface-replacement on the right - done May 2010.
  • anita01
    anita01 Member Posts: 43
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hiya,
    Thank you both for your replies, It is still surprising how when you are so wrapped up in a situation, its hard to see any answers. :roll:
    My daughter has taken her meds in o.j 2 out of 3 days since my post. (she had been getting her own water so she knew there was nothing in it!), I feel the pressure is off for a day or so,

    I feel that i have some more strategies to use now, will keep you posted, thanks again,

    Anita, xx
  • andylambs
    andylambs Member Posts: 71
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I'm happy to hear that she's now taken some meds.

    Another strategy to try if it happens again is to explain she absolutely must take her meds; that is the only non-negotiable but that you're willing to negotiate on everything else. She can choose, when to take them (daily!), where, what with etc.

    With my daughter it's sometimes a power thing. She doesn't get to choose anything about what's happening to her. So by giving her power over some of the choices it means she's happy to agree to other things. It's not ideal but it's better than no meds.

    Good Luck!