Hello, my 4 yr old daughter has been taking medicine about 3 months now. She was taken keppra(generic) in the liquid form for a few months and we recently added Zarontin(generic) a few weeks ago. I also give her a b6, she hated the taste of the b6 so we taught her how to swallow the pill. About a week after we added zarontin she started gagging with her medicine mainly the nite dose. Then she started throwing it back up and we would have to redose. That went on for a few nights and she started doing it in the mornings also. We called her neuro and he called in the pill form for both meds. Brought those home and first night taking them was great. Second night she started fussing with us again at med time and said she didn't feel good.....she throwed them up, so again it was to redose. Now a week later still throwing up at med time and we can even tell her its time to take her meds and she will throw up before we give them to her. I thought she might of gotten a little virus and maybe that was what was going on but it's been almost 2 weeks of her doing this. We have even grinded the pill up and put it in something and we still have to fight with her to eat whatever we put it in....we want even tell her it's in the food. She just knows we are forcing her to eat all of whatever it is and probably knows what we are doing I guess. As soon as she throws up, she feels better and will take them like it's nothing. It takes about an hour or more every morning and every night to get the meds in her :dontknow:. I've even been talking with her and trying my best to explain that it's just in her mind that she will get sick and that's the reason she throws up. Could it be that her meds do really make her feel sick through out the day and then the thought of taken them makes her throw up or it really is just her her thinking it will and then she does? Can anyone offer any advise? This has been soooo stressful. She's not keeping much on her tummy and know that's not good either.
Throwing up....need advise PLEASE HELP!
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Silat
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It could be psychological in nature, IE she doesn't want to take them so the thought of it causes her to toss.
Alternatively, she could actually be nauseated by them. I have to take my medicine (Keppra) with food because if I take it on an empty stomach or a near empty stomach, I'll be nauseated extremely badly. I can keep it down, but it's hard and I pretty much have to tune out everything else and focus on not tossing. :?
I imagine that multiple meds, plus vitamins on top of that, without food, would make me extremely sick. That's me personally, we all have different stomachs which can tolerate different things, but the thought of taking all of that at once on an empty stomach is nauseating to me... :?
If you aren't already, make sure she's eaten within half an hour of taking those.
Alternatively, she could actually be nauseated by them. I have to take my medicine (Keppra) with food because if I take it on an empty stomach or a near empty stomach, I'll be nauseated extremely badly. I can keep it down, but it's hard and I pretty much have to tune out everything else and focus on not tossing. :?
I imagine that multiple meds, plus vitamins on top of that, without food, would make me extremely sick. That's me personally, we all have different stomachs which can tolerate different things, but the thought of taking all of that at once on an empty stomach is nauseating to me... :?
If you aren't already, make sure she's eaten within half an hour of taking those.
We do....I always have her eat about 30 min or more before she takes them. At night I have supper prepared an hour or two before so I'll even let her have a snack about 30 min before time. I even gave her some medicine for naseau about 30 min before once and she still threw up. I try to make her eat snacks or small meals through out the day also, hoping this will help. I wish she was old enough to understand how to tune everything out....I will try to take her mind off it by talking about something else etc. I've let her watch you tube on other kids taking meds and telling her she can do it and not get sick. I myself will take my meds and show her that it want make me throw up and how easy it is......nothing I've found or tried has helped
Yes, at first I know the liquid was yucky and making her gag.....I think that's when it all started. Now with the pills we can go to the kitchen and I'll tell her it's time to take her pills, she will start fussing and sometimes throws up before taking the vitamin. She even fussed today about her gummy vitamin which she use to love taking.
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Is there a way to build in a reward (a story, a video, a game?) for when she gets the pills down? Maybe if she can associate pill-taking with something nice, that will help negate the unpleasant associations she has from when she gagged on the liquid version.
I think we will try to do something for rewarding her if she takes it without fussing. I also bought some chocolate coating to coat her pills where they will taste like candy. I called her Dr today and he also said I could give her 1 pill at time through out the day. Don't know if that will be better or worse. Another lady on a different forum thinks that my daughter may be allergic to the zarontin and that's what is causing all this.....how do I really know if that is the cause? She also mentioned having DNA testing done to see what seizure medicine is right for her with the least side effects. I've never heard of that before. I just always thought DNA testing was just genetic test.
Silat
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onder:onder:onder: If you hear more information on that... I'd love to know. I've never heard of that either, and I'm curious how it would work if it's real.
epileric
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DNA is a genetic test. It's also extremely expensive. I don't see how a DNA test can determine what medication is right for someone and would be very suspicious of anyone who did make that claim to me. Especially if they gave me that test for an affordable or even semi-affordable price.
As far as I know, The only way to know if a med works is to try it.
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Eli
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I really feel for your child...
I've taken dilantin, tegretol and vimpat; all made me seriously nauseous and 99% of the time I ended up vomiting.
The drs played around with the keppra dosage alot and I finally found this worked for me:
500 mg a.m.
500 mg 8 hrs later
750mg 8 hrs later
I have to take them with at least crackers or in the first couple bites of a meal. If I take them with too much food or after I eat I vomit.
I also can no longer eat regular meal portions and instead have several small snack size "meals" throughout the day.
Of course everyone is different.
Hope you find a good balance soon.
I've taken dilantin, tegretol and vimpat; all made me seriously nauseous and 99% of the time I ended up vomiting.
The drs played around with the keppra dosage alot and I finally found this worked for me:
500 mg a.m.
500 mg 8 hrs later
750mg 8 hrs later
I have to take them with at least crackers or in the first couple bites of a meal. If I take them with too much food or after I eat I vomit.
I also can no longer eat regular meal portions and instead have several small snack size "meals" throughout the day.
Of course everyone is different.
Hope you find a good balance soon.
My 17 1/2 month old didn't throw up his medication but refused to have it turned away and when we did get it in often held it in his mouth then spat it out. Although it was really frustrating I also took heart in the fact that it was something a child without his issues might do, dare I say it it seemed normal. Anyway. We were told to let him play with his medicine syringe in his high chair so he didn't seem scared and then after his med give him a small treat straight away as we were told it could be the taste of the medication. Both things worked really well for him. He sees the medicine syringe and now plays at turning his head but will still have his medicine and now knows once he's had it he gets a small treat after which he looks forward to. He's had enough happen to him so I feel that at least getting a little reward after his medicine doesn't seem so bad.
Hope it sorts out for you soon.
Hope it sorts out for you soon.