Unhelpful doctor with toddler temperature

[Hogu]

Following on from a thread I posted about my toddler having a temperature a coupon of days ago.
I've not been able to get calpol or ibruprofen down him as he fights it then it makes him sick if I force it down him.
His temp is still 38 and he's still not eating.
I rang my drs this morning to ask about paracetamol suppositories but she said my only option is calpol or ibruprofen and if he's still refusing fluids then hospital!!

I told her I've got the same bug and my throat is very sore but I'm managing mine with tablets however he's not getting any medication so I can imagine how bad he's feeling.

I'm a bit peed off to be honest as so many of you suggested the suppositories yet my dr worn give us any... what can I do?

Try a pharmacy and buy them over the counter?

You can put calpol in a bit of milk/yogurt/nutella (on a particularly desperate occasion.

@RubyFakeLips Tried all those but he sniffs it out and refuses. He's not eating and barely drinking anyway

@Gatehouse77 Boots said I'd need a prescription for them..

Well then you either think he warrants hospital or not.

I’m surprised you can’t get a little bit into him with something he really likes but if you’re saying he won’t even drink much then the dr has given you your options. Maybe try a walk in centre over a&e but I suspect if it’s just a cold you won’t be rushed up either list.

111?

Sympathies Op, I can remember my dd at a similar age refusing all medicine, it was awful, we were all reduced to tears.

Go to a and e if you are worried about your little one, and good luck.

Not helpful for this occasion but if you have any friends/family or you yourself go to Europe ask them to stock up on suppositories to bring back. Our DD regularly refused calpol etc as a baby/toddler so we always had them on standby. I think you can buy online but quite pricey.

How is he in himself? Treat the child not the number 38 isn't that high. Don't worry about him not eating just concentrate on fluids, will he take milk? That has plenty of calories or milkshake for added sugar?

Mine also are jelly when poorly, pretty much just sugar and water but needs must!

If he's lethargic/floppy/excessive sleeping then get him seen.

A temperature on its own isn’t usually dangerous and generally doesn’t need to be medicated. However, if your DC is in pain and you think the calpol/ibuprofen would make them more comfortable and facilitate getting some food or fluids inside them, then it’s really a case of needs must…

With DS(3) he’s generally fine about taking medicines, but there was one time he had tonsillitis a little while ago and was obviously in pain but wouldn’t take anything, presumably because his throat was so sore. In the end, my husband held him in a rocking position on his lap and tipped his head back and I managed to get the syringe into his mouth and just syringed in as much as I could then quickly offered his dummy, which encouraged him to swallow. After having to do it this way a couple of times he obviously got the association that medicine equals feeling a bit better and was back to accepting it happily again.

Just hold him down and squirt wee bits of caliph in at the time. Same for fluids. It’s all they would do in hospital… miserable but they won’t remember when older…

Calpol!

Mine would never take calpol, the only way I could very occasionally get it into him was by giving it in a smoothie made with frozen fruit, must have disguised the taste just enough. Having been there myself, they will give paracetamol suppositories at A&E but I only took him in when his temp was 40 and I couldn’t get anything into him at all for 6 hours. He was about 18 months. Try ice lollies for hydration if he won’t drink

I've just had a look at the BNF - Paracetamol suppositories are a pharmacy only medicine (not prescription only) so you will be able to buy them without a prescription.

Diclofenac suppositories (the rectal replacement for Ibuprofen) are however prescription only.

As others have said if you know anyone travelling to Europe get them from there MUCH cheaper - there just isn't enough demand in this country to bring the price down.

Syringe dropper from boots, and drop the paracetamol to the back of the throat.

Is he eating and drinking?

When my son was small and refusing fluids and painkillers, the locum doctor I saw prescribed him a throat numbing spray. Best thing ever, he wasn’t eating or drinking because his throat was hurting.

You don’t need a prescription, I bought some the other day as DS vomiting with a fever.
I know it’s so hard but if you can squirt a tiny amount of fluid into his cheek (try 5ml not all in one go every 5 mins) hopefully he’ll stay hydrated.

You can buy paediatric paracetamol suppositories online from places like mypharmacy.co.uk (I've never used them, but they seem reputable)

Have you tried calpol mixed into ice cream? You have my sympathies. My youngest was terrible for this.

38 isn't particularly high but of course if he is in a lot if pain with a sore throat he needs analgesia.
If you can't buy paracetamol suppositories my advice is to wrap him up and hold him firm then squirt a tiny bit of cal pol at a time into the back of his cheek. Make sure he swallows it before the next little bit. You will need to do this anyway to get fluids into him.

Phone around your local chemists and find one that has paracetamol suppositories. They aren’t prescription only. But some chemists are unfamiliar with them.

Where are you @Hogu. I'm in NI and can buy them OTC in ROI

You can definitely buy them at pharmacies - I bought some last week as haven't yet registered the baby with the doctor since moving. They're a godsend as she gags and vomits with liquid meds