been there done that and only now at age ten am having success in cooperation. My difficult child had huge sensory issues in the oral and olfactory areas so this isn't unexpected (as well as contributed to his still not handling swallowing pills).
Always be sure to check with the pharmacist to be sure that a pill is crushable. Anything that is time released should not be cut or crushed.
Check the website online to see if there are some other formulas available. Twice I have found more child friendly options of the brand name that the doctors didn't know about--once was a disolvable powder and the other a stong mint flavored liquid.
I have had best luck by not telling my difficult child he's taking the medication and just hiding it randomly into snacks. I did this successfully for years with the stuff that tasted nasty.
My best results were with chocolate and mint flavors and changing the way I was presenting it so he didn't catch on. I dished up Celexa for awhile between to halves of Oreo cookies--put it between two sides with frosting so it was double frosting. Mint chocolate chip ice cream works well also.
Add the medication to anything you're mixing in at the last minute so it doesn't disolve and spoil the whole food or drink. Hot liquids will always disolve the medication quickly.
These days now that he's cooperating is to take the liquid and add a teaspoon of sugary Koolaid mix plus an ounce of water.
I've heard some parents having good luck with Cool Whip.
I know of one girl who from little on preferred to swallow an adult pill instead of taking the sugary sweet liquid form.
A few weeks ago he was pretty desperate to avoid sinus surgery so he took two very nasty tasting liquids down followed by water followed by a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream to kill the flavor. But again, his motivation was very high--don't think I could have pulled this off even two years ago.
