Novel ideas for getting Calpol down?

[NellyBluth]

I'm running out of ideas here. 10mo DD has yet to figure out that medicine tastes quite nice, and I'm having a nightmare getting it down. Spoons are refused, syringing or anything similar generally causes gagging and then throwing up, we never used a dummy so the medicine dispenser doesn't work, she only likes plain water so won't take a flavoured drink, and if she is poorly she doesn't want to eat much so I can't even slip it in a yoghurt, especially not just before bed (definitely won't eat then)

I'm not sure about putting it in milk, especially if her tummy is unsettled (which this teething seems to cause) because she might only drink 2 or 3oz.

Does anyone have any great tips for sneaking medicine in?

[AuntPepita]

Suppositories. Honestly - works a treat.

Ask the doctor & get them on prescription, otherwise are v expensive over the counter.

I learned this from Mumsnet :)

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Firstly, don't use the sugar free one - it has an odd taste.

The trick is to dispense the medicine into the cheek - not onto the tongue. Slide the syringe along the gum line into the cheek and dispense a little at a time. A nurse showed me this and it works every time

[tazmo]

I put it in their milk

[memphis83]

Try making a 3oz bottle with a spoon of calpol in. I second squirting it into cheek though, this stopped the gagging with my ds.

[DeWe]

With ds (this was antibiotics regularly so we got practiced at getting it in-and he got practice at getting it out!) we pinned him down on the floor, with his head on a cushion between my knees. Syringe right at the back of the cheek. Little at a time and rub gently the top of the neck at the throat. Keep lying down until you're sure he's swallowed it. Usually we reckoned we got about half in that way.

[Theas18]

Don't know what you are treating with the calpol but TBH i'd not bother if they won't take it. Treat a fever with light clothing and bathing and teething with teething gel.

Putting medicine in food drink seems a really bad idea especially for toddlers as they are like cats and start to get suspicious of anything you give them and refuse to eat/drink normally! Also Ok maybe not paracetamol , but with antibiotics etc mixing with food may affect absorption and the way the drug works (some drugs are formulated to be sprinkled in food though read the instructions)

[NellyBluth]

At the moment we're trying to treat teething pain, so it isn't the end of the world if we don't get any in. She takes teething powders and occasionally some gel. I am worried about getting in medicine for a temperature at another time, though. DD seems to go off food when poorly so I don't think we can rely on mixing it in a yoghurt, though might try the 3oz bottle of milk.

We had been doing the squirting into the cheek but it just seems to make her gag - she gets so hysterical at being pinned down that she then overly gags on what is dripping down her throat, and then throws up, iyswim. So anything squirted too quickly makes her sick, and anything squirted too slowly puts her in hysterics I might try how you describe, DeWe, to see if that stops the gagging.

Though I am now waiting for the GP to call back about suppositories (actually, I just wanted to ask the receptionist advice but she marked me down for the GP to call - feel a bit bad now, its only a 10mo with painful teething...)

[Spirael]

When DD was little, we had some success by putting on CBeebies. While she was fixated by the screen, she didn't notice/care what we were feeding her!

Not a solution that will work with all children or that everyone will want to go with, however.

[CarpeJugulum]

Bribery.

Chocolate buttons for after and ensure the calpol is the full pink and sugar loaded version. I worked on the principle that a bit of sugar wouldn't kill DS if I got the result he needed.

Was the only thing that DS tolerated to start with, and knowing he could get chocolate after seemed to make him determined to tolerate it - and it was made quite plain that he only got them if most of the calpol was taken.

You then downgrade the great after a few goes - so a few raisins or similar and then stop.

[Spirael]

Oh, also, for teething try Anbesol liquid instead of Calpol. You only need to rub it on the gums and it provides instant relief. It's behind the counter at pharmacies and safe for babies. :)

Works for adults with wisdom teeth issues too.

[2muchxmaspud]

In a yogurt always worked for me. Now he asks for medicine!

[NellyBluth]

I hadn't heard of Anbesol. Thanks - if the GP can't suggest anything exciting I'll try that for the teething.

Sadly she is too young for bribery, I honestly can't wait for that one to be possible!

[UntamedShrew]

Having exactly the same here with 11mDD. She has awful chicken pox but won't take anything. This morning I smuggled calpol into half a bottle of milk but the rest of the time we've been trying to squirt it into her cheek and getting about half a dose into her.

It's awful, I feel like we are torturing her and she gets so upset when she sees the syringe or spoon.

My 2 DSs always loved medicine. Possibly as it was the only way they got any sugar! We have given up are a bit more relaxed with the diet of our third

[NellyBluth]

I've just spoken to the GP and he happily prescribed suppositories without seeing DD - thanks AuntPepita for sharing the MN wisdom!

Yes, untamed, it feels so awful, doesn't it? We had this a few weeks ago with dioralyte during the Great Tummy Bug Outbreak of Autumn 2012, I think that has scared her for life now, poor thing. But by the sounds of it, get on the phone to your GP - mine was very understanding about how hard it is to get medicine into a baby!

Now I just have to contemplate sticking a tablet up my baby's bum which is definitely something I wasn't warned about pre-motherhood

[MrsBucketxx]

your going to hate me but i mixed mibe into melted choccy buttons which dd loves. she would hate it otherwise.

[AuntPepita]

No one tells you about the glamorous bits

It's easy to do, a little poke and it gets sucked up!

[NellyBluth]

I read that you're supposed to keep them lying down for 15 minutes after - do you actually have to do that?!

MrsBucket, if we were on to chocolate buttons yet I would be doing that too!