To be baffled by British attitudes towards suppositories?

[AnotherGirlsParadise]

I spent a few years living in Paris, where suppositories are pretty much favoured over oral medications - they work FAST, even for a sore throat, and you don't have to deal with your DC spitting out a load of Calpol and not getting any better in the process. I recently brought a haul of children's paracetamol suppositories home after a visit, and the response I've had from other parents here has been frankly quite upsetting, ranging from 'inappropriate' to 'surely that's abuse?'

So, AIBU to think people should be a little more openminded? And for the record, a suppository is easily popped in, involves no more touching than using a wipe does, and doesn't distress the child in any way. It just seems to me that because it goes through the 'other end', it's all WRONG WRONG WRONG to some.

"I said "I can't use those, I'm British""

I think they are brilliant! Toddler dd with raging ear infection + total refusal to take any kind of medication = utter misery. I asked my GP for paracetamol suppositories and instantly all the problems disappeared. Granted, DD looked mildly surprised the first time I popped one up but it was a total breeze compared with the hell that went before.

People who think it's abuse/are weirded out by the whole thing are a bit odd and lily-livered, I think. I would much rather have a child given relief during their illness.

therein

Do you know anyone in France who could buy some for you? The dosage is based on the weight of the child. One of the really well known brands is Doliprane. They are so much cheaper over there.

I use Doliprane too :) You can get them over here, £3.00 for 10, but agreed they're MUCH cheaper in France!

I have no children so I can't comment on administering them but I will say that on a night a good few years ago when I was in agony with gall stone pain the emergency Doctor gave me one to put in myself. I was in so much pain I'd whipped off my knickers before he had left the room. It certainly did the trick.

Revolting - because no child nowadays should be pinned down and forcibly guven oral medicine.

Then how do you get antibiotics into a 3-year-old, who is willing to fight you to the death, to avoid swallowing?

My DD has severe epilepsy. She would not be here today if I did not administer medication rectally when needed.

I have only ever once administered suppositories to myself though when I was severely constipated. Have to say I didn't find it particularly pleasant. The sell glycerin and dulcolax suppositories in the supermarket in this country (UK) so more people must use them than will own up to it.

I was prescribed them as a child while on holiday in Spain when I had a chest infection. My mum told me how they were administered but I didn't believe her at first. I soon did though

I used them for my DC in France when they were tiny as it is what the doctors always prescribed. Switched to oral medicine from when they were potty trained. Same with thermometers with my eldest but splashed out on a ear one when baby 2 came along as it seemed more hygienic!

Out of interest, how long do the effects take to kick in compared to calpol?

they're totally great. I was given them once when puking my guts up with some virus, as a great introduction to my corridor mates, 2 days after moving into uni halls. Obviously nil by mouth, and not very conscious. Doctor was called to scrape me off the bathroom floor, and took the opportunity while i was out of it to shove some prochlorperazine maleate up there. Magic.

suppositories, like any other (e.g. buccal) medicines that you're putting on a mucous membrane next to a vein, work on a timescale of the dose getting across into the bloodstream. In my experience the same dose of prochlorperazine maleate (sorry, have never taken paracetamol any way other than orally) taken anally works in under 10 minutes, buccally takes about half an hour, and orally can take more than an hour if you don't puke it out on the way...

Bums and death.

Two things the Brits really don't handle at all well

I lived in Belgium for a decade and use them for both my kids (4yo and 2yo). Work much faster than oral meds. Also use a rectal thermometer on them as it is much more accurate than other ones. And I can second the praise for Voltarol suppositories after childbirth.....amazing pain relief.

Voltarol supp after birth WIN, best thing that ever happened to me.

Anusol suppositories are the best thing ever for piles! Fact.

They are brilliant (I grew up in Greece and live in France where they are very common). I had them after my CS, very fast and effective and use them for the kids. It is much easier to insert a suppository in a baby's bottom, especially at night when you can do it almost without waking them up, and certainly easier than getting them to drink a liquid. DD is 3yo and gets to chose whether she wants the suppository or the liquid - I couldn't care either way. For myself I prefer suppositories as I can't swallow pills easily.

DementedMa - try proctosedyl ones (on prescription)

YANBU. I used them on my babies and still do if they are vomming and have a fever. Also, as babies when they were trusted not to wriggle too much I took their temperature that way too. It is more accurate than any other method.

Friends and family in the UK took the piss, and were even very but they are effective and painless.

I have no idea why so many people in the UK freak out over it.

That said when I first arrived in France as an au pair I was astounded when the 10yo in my care, when she saw me come towards her with a thermometer, stripped off and bent over. I had to ask the housekeeper wtf was going on

We give them to dd (11m) as she can't tolerate calpol when has tonsillitis and are going to stick up when go to France next.

I don't understand British reticence to suppositories either.

I had never heard of such a thing until iwas instructed to administer them as a teenage au pair in France.

It was easy enough to do though once I got the initial . It's funny how they're not at all popular here. We're the weirdos, clearly.

x-post with Petite. I thought the French were seriously odd

It is really bizarre that they are not more available in the UK. When DS was 4 he got scarlet fever - high temp & really bad strep throat. He would not swallow anything (we had to drip water into him with a syringe). The doc was going to prescribe us oral antibiotics & oral paracetamol - absolutely no way DS was going to take them! I had to ask for suppositories....and the doc then asked if I was medically trained!? Nope - I had lived in France for a bit where they are prescribed all the time.

DS didn't bother a bit about the suppository. I think he quite liked the novelty and when he was better he used to occasionally ask if we could give him the calpol "up his botty".

I lived in Paris for 3 years and do not get suppositories. I proudly announced I have never experienced one. Or taken my temp by sticking a thermometer up my bum. Neither have I squired alone solution up my DCs noses to clear their airways.