Our two year old tested positive with Influenza B. Who knows how she got it. She had a cough for about two weeks. She would only cough in the mornings or when she woke up from a nap so we didn't think much of it. We just used eucalyptus and a respiratory blend to help with the coughing. She never had a fever or showed signs of not feeling well.
Friday night she started throwing up. The coughing got worse to the point where she was vomiting. She got up at 1 am crying. She crawled into bed with us and went back to sleep. We got up at 6 am and she was burning up! She was uncomfortable and now we had to give her tylenol to help with the fever. I personally HATE tylenol because it masks whatever is causing the fever. You give a kid tylenol and the fever goes away, but the illness is still there. Well, she hates the taste of any medicine and barf city again. First thing in the morning I take her to the dr and yep, she's got Flu B. Doc prescribed tamiflu. Even with medical coverage, her medication for one week was $45. That's the most I've ever spent for medicine.
The pharmacist warned me that the taste is bad and chilling it helps it go down easier. I have never had to take Tamiflu and didn't think it would be that bad. Well, boy was I wrong. Tamiflu is a horridly bitter medication. That explains the fighting, wrestling, and kicking and screaming whenever she saw that syringe filled white goopy medicine. And we had to give this to her TWICE A DAY!! ugh. Not to mention, because it tasted so horrible, it brought on the vomiting fits! It took three of us to give this medicine to her. One to hold her body. Another to hold her head in place. And another with the syringe.
Last night, after trying to get her to take her dose, she vomited violently...the ENTIRE NIGHT. That meant, she didn't get much of her medicine. Which meant she didn't sleep well. Which meant WE didn't sleep well. Which meant she woke up with another fever. And I had tons of laundry to do.
So this morning after trying to figure out how to get this in her without a fight at 6 am, I tried vanilla yogurt. Didn't work. Finally, I was so damn frustrated that I grabbed a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a very little bowl and I covered it with her Tamiflu. I mixed it up and lo and behold she ate every last spoonful. Even tried to drink the rest up out of the little bowl. HALLELUJAH PRAISE THE LORD! So, lucky Emily gets ice cream twice a day now. Thank god we had vanilla ice cream in the freezer.
It wasn't until now that I decided to google tamiflu and children. I found that ALL parents that have had to administer tamiflu had the same struggles. It made me glad to know that it wasn't just us. Cause I thought all the drama was just because we had to restrain her like a psychotic person in a mental hospital. I hated having to fight her and force it down her screaming throat.
So, tip for you parents....tamiflu hides well in vanilla ice cream or nutella. Prepare the bowls/spoons out of sight. If they see it, they won't touch it.
If you choose to do just nutella, make three spoons. First one with plain nutella. Second one spiked with tamiflu. Third one is the chaser with plain nutella again.
You're welcome.
Friday night she started throwing up. The coughing got worse to the point where she was vomiting. She got up at 1 am crying. She crawled into bed with us and went back to sleep. We got up at 6 am and she was burning up! She was uncomfortable and now we had to give her tylenol to help with the fever. I personally HATE tylenol because it masks whatever is causing the fever. You give a kid tylenol and the fever goes away, but the illness is still there. Well, she hates the taste of any medicine and barf city again. First thing in the morning I take her to the dr and yep, she's got Flu B. Doc prescribed tamiflu. Even with medical coverage, her medication for one week was $45. That's the most I've ever spent for medicine.
The pharmacist warned me that the taste is bad and chilling it helps it go down easier. I have never had to take Tamiflu and didn't think it would be that bad. Well, boy was I wrong. Tamiflu is a horridly bitter medication. That explains the fighting, wrestling, and kicking and screaming whenever she saw that syringe filled white goopy medicine. And we had to give this to her TWICE A DAY!! ugh. Not to mention, because it tasted so horrible, it brought on the vomiting fits! It took three of us to give this medicine to her. One to hold her body. Another to hold her head in place. And another with the syringe.
Last night, after trying to get her to take her dose, she vomited violently...the ENTIRE NIGHT. That meant, she didn't get much of her medicine. Which meant she didn't sleep well. Which meant WE didn't sleep well. Which meant she woke up with another fever. And I had tons of laundry to do.
So this morning after trying to figure out how to get this in her without a fight at 6 am, I tried vanilla yogurt. Didn't work. Finally, I was so damn frustrated that I grabbed a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a very little bowl and I covered it with her Tamiflu. I mixed it up and lo and behold she ate every last spoonful. Even tried to drink the rest up out of the little bowl. HALLELUJAH PRAISE THE LORD! So, lucky Emily gets ice cream twice a day now. Thank god we had vanilla ice cream in the freezer.
It wasn't until now that I decided to google tamiflu and children. I found that ALL parents that have had to administer tamiflu had the same struggles. It made me glad to know that it wasn't just us. Cause I thought all the drama was just because we had to restrain her like a psychotic person in a mental hospital. I hated having to fight her and force it down her screaming throat.
So, tip for you parents....tamiflu hides well in vanilla ice cream or nutella. Prepare the bowls/spoons out of sight. If they see it, they won't touch it.
If you choose to do just nutella, make three spoons. First one with plain nutella. Second one spiked with tamiflu. Third one is the chaser with plain nutella again.
You're welcome.