Add flavor. If you forget this step, ask if mixing the medication into something tasty will affect the drug's efficacy. A few mixable ideas include yogurt, apple sauce, juice, sugar water or chocolate syrup.
When you collect your child's medicines from the pharmacy, ask whether they can be mixed with a drink or food. If tablets can be crushed, they can be mixed with a spoonful of yoghurt.
To hide the taste of the liquid, you can give the child a drink of milk or fruit juice straight after the medicine. But do not mix ibuprofen liquid with juice or milk as it may mean they do not get the right dose if they do not finish the drink.
If the ibuprofen is swallowed and then vomited up later, don't give your child another dose for at least 6 hours unless the dose was in tablet form and you can see that your child vomited up the whole tablet. Give every 6 to 8 hours as needed, but never give your child more than four doses in 24 hours.
Ideas to try if your pharmacist says it is okay:
Crush pills and place them in a small amount of food the child likes (applesauce, ice cream, etc.). Make sure your child eats all of the food. Mix crushed pills with chocolate syrup. It can hide the taste very well.
Mix the dose of medicine with a strong-sweet flavor. You can try chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, or any pancake syrup. You can also use Kool-Aid powder. Medicines can safely be mixed with any flavor your child likes.
For infant drops that say 50mg/1.25 mL on the label, give a 2.5 mL dose. For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 1 tsp dose. For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 5 mL dose. For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 2 tablets.
Ibuprofen can be used for mild to moderate pain in children, adolescents and adults. It should not be used in children under three months of age, or be given to children with bleeding disorders. Never give aspirin for pain to your child if they are under 12 years, unless it is advised by your doctor.
Studies have shown that ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) together work well to relieve certain types of pain, and with few side effects. In fact, for moderate to severe dental pain, this combination often works better than many opioid pain medications.
For example, ibuprofen and other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are best taken with food. This is because NSAIDs inhibit the body's production of prostaglandins - compounds that promote inflammation - but unfortunately, prostaglandins in the gut also protect the stomach lining from your own stomach acid.
Do not drink orange juice or concentrated lemonade for an hour before or after taking your medications.
Vasant Lad notes that yogurt shouldn't be paired with milk. In addition to this, he also lists down a couple of everyday foods, that you may have been combining all your life with yogurt but shouldn't be! These include sour fruits, melons, fish, mango, starches, cheese and bananas.
Take yogurt at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after antibiotics.
Studies have shown that foods supplemented with calcium can reduce the absorption of various antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and gatifloxacin ( 37 , 38 ). However, other studies have shown that calcium-containing foods like yogurt don't have the same inhibitory effect ( 39 ).
You can take ibuprofen on an empty stomach and this will give you faster pain relief than taking it with food. Food increases the time it takes for ibuprofen to be absorbed, although it won't affect how much is absorbed.
Although NSAIDs are generally well tolerated, adverse gastrointestinal events occur in a small but important percentage of patients. NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and others are known to have serious adverse effects, including severe gastrointestinal damage, that can be life threatening.
Some people will have no effects if they take ibuprofen on an empty stomach while others could experience adverse side effects. It is recommended to take NSAID medications such as ibuprofen with food, milk, or an antacid to help prevent gastrointestinal side effects.
Add flavor.
A few mixable ideas include yogurt, apple sauce, juice, sugar water or chocolate syrup. Do carefully measure medication dosage before mixing with any other food or juice. Do not mix the medication into a full serving of soft food or liquid, in case your child can't finish every last bit.
Your child should start to feel better about 20 to 30 minutes after taking ibuprofen. Talk to a doctor if they need to take it for more than 3 days (or 1 day if they're under 6 months) or their symptoms do not improve or they get worse. Are there any long-term side effects?
Call your child's doctor within 24 hours if:
Your child has had a fever more than 24 hours and you don't know what is causing it AND your child is less than 2 years old. Your child has had a fever for more than 3 days.
If your child spits out or vomits medicine, don't give another dose — call your doctor for instructions. And, if your child isn't getting better or gets worse while taking the medicine, talk to your doctor.
Fever is a sign that the body is combating an infection. It helps kill bacteria and viruses. It also boosts production of infection-fighting white blood cells. There's generally no need to worry about bringing a fever down unless it's causing your child discomfort.
If the pill doesn't have to be taken on an empty stomach, your child can take sips with something thicker than water, like milk or a milkshake. You also can try putting the pill in a semi-solid food like pudding, ice cream, or applesauce. Praise your child if they swallow the pill successfully.