Can a 9 year old take an adult pill of azithromycin

[TessaKrista]

I am wondering if a nine year old can have the actual pills instead of the liquid form?

 

Can you break the pills in half, or do they not quite come up with the same amount when you break a full pill into two?

[BoyIowa]

My ds who is 8 has been taking pills larger that Zith for several months now. My dh can't take any pill without choking. The amount of Zith that my ds took when on Zith was greater than I get when I get a sinus infection. I was told that it is not recommended to split pills in half as there is no guarantee that there is an even distribution of medicine in both sides of the pill.

[EAMom]

I am wondering if a nine year old can have the actual pills instead of the liquid form?

 

Can you break the pills in half, or do they not quite come up with the same amount when you break a full pill into two?

 

My dd has been taking the 250mg Azith pill since she was 7.5 years old! Azith pills aren't that big. She could actually swallow any size pill at that age.

 

The pills that are REALLY big are the Augmentin 875mg tabs!

Edited April 4, 2012 by EAMom

[philamom]

What is the dosage? My 9yr old (10 now) took zith 250 daily for months.

[nicklemama]

DS has been swallowing pills since just before he turned 7. He swallows two huge fish oil pills every day. DS was on 250mg of azith sid when he was 7 and weighed 55lbs.

[kimballot]

I am wondering if a nine year old can have the actual pills instead of the liquid form?

 

Can you break the pills in half, or do they not quite come up with the same amount when you break a full pill into two?

 

My kids always used applesauce for pills when they were younger. It worked well.

[TessaKrista]

Thanks to all who replied. It seems like the pill form is just as good as the liquid form. I don't know what strengths the pill form come in though.

 

Unfortunately, at this time in ds9's life, he is totally fixated on stuff that can "kill him" and stuff getting stuck in his throat. For example, at school they were sewing some crosses, and he came home and told me that he was worried that he might have swallowed the needle, even though he never put the needle close to his mouth. He was looking at play doh, and got really worried asking me if he is going to die, bc he is worried that he ate the play doh...which he didn't, bc he didn't put it anywhere close to his mouth. Another example...and I can give you a million examples from the last month since this has been happening...is the few times that we have put batteries into toys, and he gets all worried that he has swallowed the batteries. I say to him, "you didn't even have it close to your mouth....plus...you never put things in your mouth when you were little, so you don't have to worry." Unfortunately, I have to say that a lot lately. I gave him advil for 5 days straight, and that certainly lessened/decreased the level of worry/anxiety that he was experience, but did not completely take it away. Before...he would get totally worried, whereas now, he starts clearing his throat (which means that he is scared) and then I ask him what's wrong, and he says that he thinks that he swallowed this or that, or that he is afraid that this or that is stuck in his throat, and he is afraid that he will die.

 

So.... it sounds like I can crush the pills, and put them into applesauce or something.

 

Thanks so much everyone!

[fightingmom]

I am wondering if a nine year old can have the actual pills instead of the liquid form?

 

Can you break the pills in half, or do they not quite come up with the same amount when you break a full pill into two?

 

My dd has been taking the 250mg Azith pill since she was 7.5 years old! Azith pills aren't that big. She could actually swallow any size pill at that age.

 

The pills that are REALLY big are the Augmentin 875mg tabs!

 

Yes, they are!!!

 

P.S.

Be careful about cutting pills. A lot of them have an enteric coating on them which prevents the break down of the med in the stomach. Not sure if azith is one of them, but you may want to check.

[momcap]

All 3 of my boys take 250 mg azithromycin pills. My youngest is 5, but he's big for his age and weighs 50 pounds. I don't know about crushing it though - you'll have to check with the pharmacist. I started giving the pill on a spoon of applesauce or yogurt and reminding them not to chew it. But soon they were telling me it's easier to drink with water. Turns out they can swallow pills easily.

[kimballot]

 

So.... it sounds like I can crush the pills, and put them into applesauce or something.

 

Thanks so much everyone!

 

I just wanted to clarify that when I said my kids took pills with applesauce - the pills were whole. I just hid the pill in the middle of a spoonful of applesauce and told them to swallow withoug chewing. The applesauce kept it from getting stuck in their throats at all.