to be crying too trying to get DS to take some calpol

[Madmartigan]

Please give me tips! We ended up both in tears, Even wiht help from Grampa. He used to be okay but he has had two or three viruses on the trot and now he is just miserable. DS, not Grampa. He just gets distressed when he sees the syring coming. Spoon was a disaster.

[Madmartigan]

Back to say thanks, we got a prescription for suppositories, which none of the pharmacies had in the right dose. Gramps went on a mercy mish to a pharmacy across town that had them in half the dose. Unforch a 2 year old's bottom is too small for two at a time. He has guzzled a whole dose twice with ice cream now. So we have options. He just cries for a few hours without and if I can get it down him he his reasonably happy for a few hours.

[FakePlasticTrees]

children's nurofen comes in orange flavour - DS doesnt like calpol but will have nurofen, but only in the orange (had had some when hungover I had a slight headache and we were out of normal painkillers, it's really rather pleasant)

[SlightlyTubbyHali]

Indeed Lady. I forced down FOUR WEEKS of the evil fluclox, DD1 fought every dose. But calpol is not worth the distress.

[missalien]

Quick pin them down method is best for us, another one having had to deal with life threatening infections etc. Squeeze the cheeks together and put syringe to one side of cheek and rugation squirt . Over in seconds.

[onceamai]

Nothing worked with dd. In the end we resorted to suppositories. By three bribery and reason takes over. The orange flavour was more successful btw.

[pugsandseals]

We used to get suppositories for DD as she would always be sick after being given calpol! We did eventually work out that she would take tescos own orange flavour one, but only once she was old enough to reason with. For antihistamines, she would chew a biscuit, then pop a 1/4 of a piriton tablet in the mouth before swallowing. Would 1/4 of a paracetamol tablet work the same way if you really don't want to do suppositories? They really aren't all that bad if you cover with lots of vasalene!

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Disprol in diluted juice worked for us - but put less water in than usual. DD1 wouldn't take calpol as she had a similar coloured steroid which tasted foul. Our lovely pharmacist made us up some white coloured pineapple flavoured paracetamol syrup as well, which did the job. Might another flavour work?

[humanoctopus]

You need to go and get some paracetamol suppositories.

Not too nice to give/get, but you'll successful and it works very quickly.

I have found them to be a lifesaver.

[indiechick]

I'm in the holding down and forcing it in like they're doggies brigade. It's really quick, you know they've had it and it's over in seconds.
Mind you, just bribed dd1 with a piece of chocolate orange to have her antibiotics so maybe try that first.

[porcamiseria]

syringe, its tough mine is same, hold him down, give it and then give a choc button

they scream like you are killing them biut what can u do?

[SlightlyTubbyHali]

How about putting it in the teat of a bottle and giving it to him to suck?

Or getting teddy to give it to him?

Or putting it in a spoon of jam and giving him the jam to eat (all children love a spoon of jam).

Or put the syringe down the side of his cheek, squirt to the back corner of his mouth and then rub under his chin to make him swallow.

Although you might consider that if he is strong enough to fight he is probably well enough to not need calpol. That's probably where I would end up, and it is not as though calpol is necessary (like anti-bs or something).

[thumbplumpuddingwitch]

DS went off his calprofen in his last illness, unfortunately as it was something like an adenovirus that kept spiking his temp. I ended up mixing it with watered ginger ale to get it down him, he needed the fluids anyway.

Afterwards he had to have antibiotics for the ensuing chest infection, which was a pink suspension, so now he expects all his medicine to be pink. If he sees white calprofen, he gets all hissy about it; but I have now added some pink food colouring to the calprofen and he takes it no problem (in a syringe).

Re. squirting it straight in - someone on another thread said to do that slightly to the side, not straight to the back of the throat, to avoid the gag reflex.

[VickstaS]

We use the infacol pipette as the smaller volumes seem to go down better and less gets spat out.

[jellybeans]

I sympathise, we have been struggling with meds since DS3 was born! (He had them daily since 4 weeks). With calpol etc (he is 2) we put it in his thomas tank yoghurts. Also, look at the packs and buy the one where it is in the lowest amount to get down them, think we got Calprofen last time as getting 2.5ml down is alot easier

[Madmartigan]

Thanks everyone. Got to get ready for docs, I'll check in later. We're buying chocolate buttons while we're out.

[SheWillBeLoved]

Had this problem with DD when she had her first course of Antibiotics a couple of weeks ago. Thought she was mad, I loved the banana medicine when I was little but she screamed until her face was blotchy for the first two days.

In the end, I turned it into a game. I'd sit her on the kitchen work surface, pretend she had come to see Nurse Mummy, I'd insist she wore a hospital gown (babygro fastened round her neck to catch the spit out), and then I'd check her eyes, ears, nose etc and tell her that she must have the medicine otherwise I'd have to tickle her bug out of her. Then she'd help me put the medicine back into the fridge and pop the syringe into the sink.

[Madmartigan]

I like the ice cream idea. He loves ice cream. He has had a temperature on and off, just non-specific grizzly really. Rang NHS 24 and they said just keep going

Going to Granny and Gramps doctor in a bit, we're away from home.

[IhateSunday]

I'm afraid it's headlock time... we had to do it at that age with DD.. it was either that or she would end up on IV anti b's and sedation as she wouldn't keep IV in..

Headlock hold mouth open, squirt in, close mouth, rub neck, like you have to do with a dog! It's awful, and you will probably get bitten!
Good Luck, I feel for you, but try not to feel evil, lots of us have had to do it..

[ISNT]

Calpol will work mixed with food no probs. You don't have to take it on an empty stomach so it'll get mixed with food inside anyway!

Good luck madmartigan I hope your DS gets well soon

[follyfoot]

Have just found another suggestion - put it in a small amount of jelly and leave to set in a plastic cup?

[paddypoopants]

We've had to go the way of the paracetemol suppositries. Isn't as bad as it sounds and at least you know he's had the right dose. Ds tends to object and then spit it out or throw it up. You can phone your gp for a prescription as they are quite expensive or you can phone around the chemists - not all of them stock it. My ds is 2.3 and we have had a terrible night with him last night with a raging temperature and refusing calpol - so out came the trusty suppositries.By the time he knows whats happening its all over.

[Smithagain]

When you really need to give him some, hold his nose and squirt it in as fast as you can. No mucking about. Then a chocolate button afterwards to distract.

It feels harsh, but it gets it down them and if you are swift and business like it will be over so quickly he'll forget all about it. It worked for my calpol-hating DD2, anyway. And now she loves it, so doesn't appear to have been too traumatised!

[Lizcat]

Just seen age if reward is special enough eg. chocolate buttons, it worked on DD from 18months. I spent first three years of DDs life battling life threatening infections, hence my detailed knowledge if anyone was wondering.
Final trick if you use a dummy cut a hole in one load with calpol before noticed.