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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to think Abidec is disgusting?

83 replies

VitaminDb12etc · 25/04/2018 09:36

My 2 ds2 & ds4 hate the stuff, currently giving forcing 10ml each per day down them. They’re good with other medicines but it seems they think this stuff is is poison! Is there a better tasting, easier to administer alternative? (HV says this is the best as it has the highest VitD) It’s also £4 a bottle and with the two of them having it a bottle is gone in a week. Obviously it’s for their health so I’m happy to suck up the cost if necessary but I feel so bad when it’s medicine time Sad

OP posts:
SoyDora · 25/04/2018 16:31

My 4 and 2 year olds have the 3+ chewable ones too.

megletthesecond · 25/04/2018 16:38

Mine had Wellkid . IIRC it was like treacle, they were fine with it.

SoxonFeet · 25/04/2018 16:42

Abidec is so disgusting that I've never known anyone give it to a child without medical reason. My son loved it (it was prescribed as the only fat soluble vitamin for babies) but I was relieved when we switched to tablets as the smell was foul.

Cutesbabasmummy · 25/04/2018 16:43

It's vile. My son is 3 and has the Haliborange chewy ones - we call it his special sweetie! He also has the milk with added vitamins as he can be a fussy eater.

DappledThings · 25/04/2018 16:47

10 millilitres is the correct dose Jolly. Not sure if 10mL means something else.

OP my DS loves Abidec and has always has it in the bath. Not sure if connecting it to being in the bath, which he loves, makes it easier

JollyGiraffe · 25/04/2018 16:50

Dose is here, and also in the BNFc (I'm a paediatric pharmacist)

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/3914/smpc

SoyDora · 25/04/2018 16:52

JollyGiraffe I believe there are drops (like you’ve linked to above) but also a larger bottle which is more of a ‘medicine’ consistency.

DappledThings · 25/04/2018 16:53

Ah, that's the drops. I'm talking about the syrup and assumed OP was. But maybe not! It's definitely 10 mill of the syrup

Buglife · 25/04/2018 16:54

I give the gummy multivitamin because of the vitamin D really as try as we may most people in th U.K. are deficient after the winter months and it is recommended that a supplement should be taken. DS does get time outside but as he’s also very very pale he wears high factor sun tan lotion. I’m happy with his diet as he eats fruit and veg. There are Vit D drops alone but as he thinks the bears are a treat I’m happy to give them!

Katyb1310 · 25/04/2018 16:58

It's FOUL. My very premature DD had to have it as a baby but I stopped it before she was a year old. She's 8 now and really healthy without anything x

Meckity1 · 25/04/2018 17:03

They used to give Abidec to the monkeys at Chester Zoo

MongerTruffle · 25/04/2018 17:06

Why are you still seeing a HV for a 2 and 4 yo?

DS2 and DS4 mean second and fourth son. A four-year-old son is DS (4).

sleepylittlebunnies · 25/04/2018 17:10

My 3 are 6, 8 and 10 and all breast fed for around 2 years, exclusively for 5-6 months. Supplementing with vitamins was never mentioned to me with any of them even when we had to trial a dairy free diet for one of them for several months.

I was watching a GP programme this morning and the GP was explaining that it’s a good idea for people with darker pigmentation to have vitamin D supplements all year round and light pigmented skinned people should have it between October and April. He mentioned that only 20 minutes outside is enough from April to October to get enough from the sun.

My kids play out a lot and eat a varied diet but I do want to look into this more before I decide whether to give it.

sleepylittlebunnies · 25/04/2018 17:31

I did take pregnancy multivitamins though ttc, pregnancy and breastfeeding but I don’t know if enough will have gone into my milk once the DC were born.

Looking at the NHS site I’m a bit reassured as my kids have fortified cereal, red meat, salmon, sardines and eggs regularly although not daily. Pity our bodies can’t keep stores of it from the sun for the winter.

It does say that formula fed babies don’t need supplements until they are on less than a pint of infant formula a day.

SheepyFun · 25/04/2018 17:38

The Abidec drops are equally vile. DD ate a very restricted diet until she was about 4 (it's still pretty restricted, but she'll tolerate some fruit and veg now). We used toddler formula rather than cows milk, as the toddler formula is fortified with vitamins. She was much more enthusiastic about the formula milk than the vitamin drops!

NHS advice is vitamins from weaning until 5: www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/vitamins-for-children/

Original poster
VitaminDb12etc · 25/04/2018 18:44

Melissasummerfield, youngest recent had his 2 year check up, it was done by the HV.

Tbh, I’d started giving it on their advice ages ago and had sort of just got out of the habit but when she mentioned it again recently I felt bad that I had stopped so that’s why I’ve been giving it to them again.

OP posts:
BlurryFace · 25/04/2018 18:52

I couldn't find a liquid one my kids would accept once they got to about 2, even in milk, so I gave up until they accepted gummy vitamins. (Both took a while to accept that gummy bears/jelly babies etc were food, much to the Dr's consternation as thats what she bribes kids with.)

sothisisspring · 25/04/2018 18:54

If your youngest is already 2 then why not switch both to the chewy vitamins. They look and taste like sweets. DS2 tried abidec once, at the time he was underweight due to a medical problem, however he refused it repeatedly, so I spoke to pharmacist who said only reason he couldn't have the chewy ones is the choking risk. As a younger sibling he had had sweets before so not a problem for him.

SoyDora · 25/04/2018 18:56

My 2.9 year old has been having the chewy ones since she turned 2. No way she’d tolerate the liquid!

TomPinch · 25/04/2018 19:41

Which experts recommend these things?

sueelleker · 25/04/2018 19:42

You could try the drops-the dose is only 0.6 mL.

Poshsausage · 25/04/2018 19:48

I give my son the drops as he has. Restricted diet and multiple Allergies it stinks but I mix it with cocoa power and xylitol and oat milk for hot chocolate don’t know if this is effective or not ! Poor lad needs the vitamins though and don’t want to give the sweetie ones due to teeth problems hope I’m doing the right thing

MizCracker · 25/04/2018 20:38

My daughter, the weirdo, loved Abidec orange. Ironic, since she's a VERY VERY fussy eater - main reason we make her take the damn stuff.

My son wouldn't. Nor Wellkid or any other version. Gave up with him.

Original poster
VitaminDb12etc · 25/04/2018 20:46

Jolly, it’s okay, I’m using the syrup! I’ve seen the drops though, are they suitable up to 5 years? As many have suggested I could disguise a few drops in their food!

Monger, I did actually make that mistake, my sons are aged 4 and 2. I knew as soon as I posted that it wasn’t right! Blush

Mekity1, did they? Haha Smile

I’m actually veering towards getting them some ‘sweeties’ Wink

Thanks all

OP posts:
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