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It’s one thing to have a sick child, it’s another to have to figure out a way for them to take and successfully consume prescribed medication…that might not appeal to their tastebuds! When my son came down with an ear infection, our pediatrician gave us a script for an antibiotic that would knock it out, and I was so anxious for him to feel better, but upon first taste…it came right back at me…LITERALLY!
So, then you have to try different things to hopefully get them to keep it down. I tried mixing it with milk, with juice…serving it with food, no luck. After a day of this gagging, crying, whining, etc… and no success getting him to take the multiple daily doses, I called the doctor and asked if there was another alternative to this medicine. At the same time, a Mommy friend of mine mentioned she had seen an ad about getting a flavor added to prescriptions…and I was ready for anything to help get baby feeling better.
Well, we did get another prescription, but this time when I picked it up, I also inquired about getting the flavoring added, and bubble gum it was! Turns out a lot of pharmacies offer this service for an additional fee – I think I paid an extra $2. And — it is safe and there are flavor options!!! It’s called FLAVORx, it is FDA-approved and the flavoring masks any unpleasant tastes that might discourage a child from taking their medicine. From mango to cherry, watermelon and apple…there’s a wide variety of flavors available. All flavors are dye-free (except for vanilla), sugar-free and hypoallergenic. You can also go to their website to spin the “wheel of yuck” and find out which flavor may work best with different medications, turning the “yuck” to “yum.”
The sweetening enhancer is all-natural and doesn’t contain sugar. The flavors also contain neither gluten nor casein, and are safe for diabetics. Needless to say, the “trick” worked and I think he even liked it, as he would actually reach for it when it came time to take it. His ear infection was cured and now I KNOW that medicine doesn’t have to punish a child’s tastebuds!