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Original poster

Temperature of 39, won't have calpol

49 replies

CalpolTim · 29/11/2022 23:40

DD is 4 and I think has the flu. We spent most of the day in bed, topped up with calpol, had a few naps, nothing too bad.

She is now completely refusing to take calpol but without it her temperature shoots up to 39. She did feel sick through the day and barely ate so I think she can't face anymore medicine inside her.

She just woke up in a rage, shouting, telling us to go away, crying, I can tell her body hurts. Her cheeks are burning hot to touch.

I've tried everything, she won't have calpol even though it would make her feel so much better. What can I do? Isn't a constant temperature of 39 so bad for her?

She also keeps covering herself with the duvet and blankets making herself hotter.

At her age if she has decided she doesn't want it she just won't swallow it no matter what I do. I'm desperately worried about her.

OP posts:

HollyJollyNovember · 01/12/2022 01:52

Calpol in yogurt? Or a special milkshake ? Just mix the calpol into it if you make it really really strong. Failing that;

Lie down and put her on your knee, put one leg over her legs, one arm pinning her arms and the other arm holding her forehead. DH squirts the calpol into the mouth towards the back by the gum, she won't be able to spit it out. Hold until she swallows. Not nice but necessary if she needs the medicine to sleep and take away the pain.

At some point you have to make the decision that she's 4 and doesn't get to decide she doesn't need medication. Get some wine for you for after!

greenfieldsblueskies · 01/12/2022 01:55

Hey OP you're not alone! My son is 12 and severely autistic. He has been up for two whole nights with blocked nose and coughing fits.

He only eats two foods and only ever drinks water. He is absolutely terrified of trying anything new and point blank refuses any kind of medication.

He is still awake now and been awake for nearly 45 hours. He has become violent and screams the house down when I ask him to even try medicine.

I'm just laying next to him worried sick incase he gets worse. I'd have to take him to A&E to get anything in to him if needs be.

I hope you're daughter gets well soon. It's so hard when you're tired yourself but also so worrying all at the same time

thejadefish · 01/12/2022 01:58

My daughter always refused calpol, turns out she hated the syringe thingy and will now take it if I put it on a spoon. I didn't know it came in other forms useful info thanks to pp who mentioned it. Hope your daughter improves and that you get some well deserved rest.

Interested in this thread?

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4 year olds General health

parsniiips · 01/12/2022 02:39

HollyJollyNovember · 01/12/2022 01:52

Calpol in yogurt? Or a special milkshake ? Just mix the calpol into it if you make it really really strong. Failing that;

At some point you have to make the decision that she's 4 and doesn't get to decide she doesn't need medication. Get some wine for you for after!

This.

It's not pleasant and I wouldn't do it unless absolutely necessary but sometimes decisions have to be made to ensure the comfort, health and well-being of the child.

My son has always been fine with calpol and ibuprofen but antibiotics aren't to his taste. I've had to pin him down and force it in the inside of his cheek and hold on till he has no option but to swallow.

I would say it's time to pull your big girl pants on and show her you are in charge here to make her feel more comfortable.

whataballbag · 01/12/2022 02:43

DS2 is a medicine refuser. And by that I mean even doctors and nurses couldn't pin him down to get meds in.

Once the GP realised that I had actually tried the holding him down and every other trick in the book we were prescribed suppositories. Still not pleasant to give but a hell of a lot harder to spit out and work quicker too, may be worth an ask!

Original poster

CalpolTim · 01/12/2022 20:46

Thanks all, just had another wake up and meltdown so I tried the method above to get some Calpol into her. I got kicked and scratched in the process and she still managed to spit most of it out. Let's hope the little bit she did swallow helps because I just cannot do this for a third night.

OP posts:

EUwannabe · 01/12/2022 20:58

Poor thing. It sounds awful for all of you. Could you make two calpol things (e.g in a drink or in a bit of custard / yogurt) and ask her to choose which one she’d like? She should at least be a bit more settled with having it.
what has she had to drink today? X

greenfieldsblueskies · 01/12/2022 20:59

Bless you OP you are trying your best! Hopefully the little bit you did get into her will help for a while.
I really hope she feels better soon. It's so draining.
My son is still not feeling well either.
We didn't end up getting to sleep until 4am this morning x

Original poster

CalpolTim · 01/12/2022 21:06

Thank you both, and sympathies @greenfieldsblueskies ! That sounds so rough!

So she had breakfast and lunch and water through the day as normal. Come 3pm, she started to flag (like the last 2 days), I made her favourite things for dinner but she still wouldn't touch them. She just kept crying that she wanted to go to sleep.

I have now put calpol in her water as she does wake asking for water so that's my next hope. Although she'll probably notice at the first sip and stop drinking I imagine...

I tried to explain to her when she was settled through the day that she is tired because she is ill and medicine will help her sleep better tonight and she was on board with the idea. Until 3pm hit and she just turned. Her cheeks are absolutely red hot to touch, I know she must feel so rubbish, I just wish she would trust me that medicine could solve all this!

OP posts:

EUwannabe · 01/12/2022 21:13

Do you have any ibuprofen for kids? It is supposed to last up to 8 hrs x

Notanotherwindow · 01/12/2022 21:14

Would she take a tablet? 6 year old DN is a calpol hater but will swallow half a regular paracetamol tablet if I give her one.

Ask if she wants to try grown up medicine instead. That's what I did. Just said if you don't want calpol, do you want to try grown up paracetamol? She said yes so I broke a tablet in half, gave it to her and said to wash it down with juice because it tastes rank.

She seemed to like the idea that she was grown up enough to take the bitter tasting tablet instead of the childrens syrup.

3luckystars · 01/12/2022 21:20

Could she have tonsillitis and it’s hurting her to swallow?

id wrap her up in a towel like a burrito and hold her while someone else using a syringe to get it into her.

alternatively, you can get suppositories (nurofen and parading)

Searchingforsunshine · 01/12/2022 21:20

Put calpol in petit filous

3luckystars · 01/12/2022 21:20

Paralink

Original poster

CalpolTim · 01/12/2022 21:22

@greenfieldsblueskies sorry I read the messages in the daze of last night and didn't take all the details in, I have just realised you mentioned your son didn't sleep for 45 hours, how incredibly tough for you. I hope his temperature has at least come down a little to ease the worry side of things. I am really wishing for some sleep for you tonight 🌸and will be on here if you need to offload!

OP posts:

3luckystars · 01/12/2022 21:24

But have you thought about what is causing the temperature, could she have an infection somewhere? Can you bring her to a doctor?

Original poster

CalpolTim · 01/12/2022 21:27

@Notanotherwindow @3luckystars some PPs mentioned suppositories and chewable tablets a couple of days ago when this started and I have somehow failed to get them in all this time, so I can only blame myself really. Where she has been right as rain during the day I've sort of almost forgotten this is an issue until it starts again in the evening. I'm an idiot.

I do think her throat hurts as I've had the virus (caught from her sibling) and did get a sore throat, but for most of the day she can eat and drink OK.

OP posts:

MamaFirst · 01/12/2022 21:30

How would she respond to tough love? Could you try telling her off in a way, as harsh as that seems it might shock her into compliance?

EUwannabe · 01/12/2022 21:31

@CalpolTim this isn’t much help now but tomorrow, maybe giver her ibuprofen about 2 ish as it should be effective until bedtime when you can give her Calpol with hopefully less fuss as she will still be ‘on’ ibuprofen.

Notanotherwindow · 01/12/2022 21:32

I just mean run of the mill, swallow with water paracetamol like the kind you take. Half a tablet is about the same dose as she'd get in calpol. Kids like feeling grown up.

Jeelypieces20storeys · 01/12/2022 21:39

My wee boy won't take Calpol because of sensory issues he has with his autism. You can also get paracetamol suppositories which have been an absolute game changer for us.

mummabubs · 01/12/2022 21:49

Thanks @CalpolTim. Last night was horrendous for us to be honest, he woke at 2am with a temp of 40.1. I then spent a whole hour trying to reason with him about meds, saying that it's not something he could choose not to do and why. I even ended up calling 111 at 3am to ask what to do (I wouldn't recommend it. Took 30 mins to answer all their Qs, then the handler said a Dr would call back soon so I should wait incase they said to go to hospital). I then frankly lost my shit a bit with DS and pretty much forced some ibuprofen into him (horrible experience but at least it got his temp down!) He fell asleep straight away and I was then so exhausted that I fell asleep. Just as well really as a Dr never called me back. I then got a message at 10am from 111 saying the case had been assessed and the resulting advice was to take DS to a pharmacy (with flu?!) where they could prescribe him liquid ibuprofen or calpol for his sore throat. Honestly I despaired. He's lost his advent pocket treat for today, but has reluctantly taken a dose of ibru when needed, so that's a plus. My DH didn't cope well with the anxiety of the situation last night at all and in a state of panic ended up telling DS he could die if he didn't take the medicine. I don't recommend that either. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Really hope tonight goes better for you!

mummabubs · 01/12/2022 21:52

Also to add the only way I got ibuprofen into DS today (calpol does nothing for his temps) was to mix it with two heaped spoonfuls of hot chocolate powder in a cup and mix it with a small amount of milk (not enough to make a big drink but enough to have in a few sips) and I told him it was a chocolate strawberry drink. Worth a try? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster

CalpolTim · 01/12/2022 22:18

@mummabubs how stressful for you both. I'm so glad that he did end up taking ibuprofen and that it took the edge off so you could sleep.

DH is quite chilled out but that usually means he can sleep through all the shouting, screaming and crying. It's like a supernatural ability! I woke him up at 5am to take over so I got a solid 3 hours.

I have tried 111 before and got the call back 2 days later once everything was fine. So frustrating when you are desperate for help.

Hope your DS is sleeping peacefully now.

OP posts:

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