To not give Calpol/Nurofen for a fever in a 5yo?

[coffeepleeease]

5yo DD gets a high temp with every virus/illness, but will not take Calpol/Nurofen. Can't pin her down to get it in, nor a suppository. Offe it in squash but she only has a few sips. When her temp is high she vomits. I try to keep her as cool as possible and let her body do its job, but is there any danger in not bringing a fever down with meds? Her temps often hit 39.5, can reach 40, then gradually come down and sit at 38-38.5 until the fever goes.

If she had a condition that required daily medicine you would find a way, you couldn’t give in. Just treat this the same way

Just let the fever run if they are comfortable. It's not dangerous and an important part of a normal immune response.

One of my DC's gets super high fevers but copes well and I'll only give antipyretics if quite out of sorts.

God no, don’t hold her nose and pump it into her mouth. That’s a horrible thing to do, to whoever suggested that. Like the other person wrote, high temps are not dangerous in themselves. It’s the speed at which a child changed temp that can cause a convulsion. And that includes temps coming down too. Follow the NICE guidelines about temps, which is that they are not dangerous. It’s a misconception. You only need to give calpol if she is distressed and in pain.

I'm always under the impression of treat the child not the temperature. Not everyone has thermometers, some aren't accurate etc so I always go by how the child is.
For antibiotics etc that's a different kettle of fish and they need to complete the course etc

Some very uninformed people on this thread.

The degree of the fever does not correlate to the severity of the illness.

Having a fever of 39/40 doesn’t specifically put the child at risk of febrile convulsions- it’s actually the speed of onset/increase of the fever that risks febrile convulsions, alongside other factors. not just the number

A high (less than 40) temp where she's fine in herself? I wouldn't stress about medicine.

But you say it is so high it makes her vomit and you still won't give her anything? That's really not great.

@coffeepleeease calpol have brought out calpol melts so not a liquid you need to squirt in. They are age 6 plus so might be something to try once she is 6

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

If she had a condition that required daily medicine you would find a way, you couldn’t give in. Just treat this the same way

She does have a condition where she has to take daily meds actually, and over time has got used to these meds. Sometimes she still puts up a fight about taking them, difference is she's not unwell so is more interested in bribery. When she's unwell with a high temp and has been vomiting, the Calpol comes back up anyway on the occasions I have managed to pin her down.

@RoomOfRequirement

A high (less than 40) temp where she's fine in herself? I wouldn't stress about medicine.

But you say it is so high it makes her vomit and you still won't give her anything? That's really not great.

Not that I wont, believe me I've tried!

I will just say to all those saying "find a way", "be firm", etc, I am! She has had to be pinned down by 3 or 4 nurses for various hospital procedures- catheters, having blood taken, etc, and had to be sedated for a heart scan because she got herself that distressed she vomited everywhere and couldn't be pinned down. So if she doesn't want to be pinned down for Calpol, when there's only me to do it by myself, it's not happening!

@coffeepleeease my daughter’s a medicine refuser - I’ve syringed it down her throat and she’s brought it straight back up. The last time she had a high temp, the GP said just to keep her cool and make sure she had plenty of fluids. He was an older chap and said that everything goes in circles and that this was what they used to recommend when he was a young GP and that he was happy that they were being advised to recommend that treatment again.

[quote PaperMonster]@coffeepleeease my daughter’s a medicine refuser - I’ve syringed it down her throat and she’s brought it straight back up. The last time she had a high temp, the GP said just to keep her cool and make sure she had plenty of fluids. He was an older chap and said that everything goes in circles and that this was what they used to recommend when he was a young GP and that he was happy that they were being advised to recommend that treatment again.[/quote]
Thank you 😊

If she’s ok in herself then I wouldn’t force it in at that age. Both of mine have generally been quite unwell once they’ve hit 39.5 and my medicine refusing 2yo can be rationalised with that medicine will make her feel better. Yours might just cope better if she’s quite happy to deal with the fever rather than taking the medicine.

The only time I’ve seen medics be wary of the actual number was when my 2yo was hitting 41 despite calpol. They were actively treating the fever in A&E then and not just the symptoms.

DD1 was a medicine refuser, moved tablets as soon as possible and she was fine with them. I've never felt as vindicated as when she was sick over the incredibly smug nurse who told me I wasn't forceful enough in getting medicine down her.

When's she's 6 she can have calpol fast melts - game changers

@coffeepleeease can she explain to you what her issue is with calpol?

I used to think dd was just being silly til she was old enough to explain that the flavour made her feel sick. We buy the version that is cherry flavoured now and she will happily take that.

Calpol also do a tablet that melts in their mouth if she doesn't like the stuff being squirted into her mouth do you think she may consider the tablet?

Essentially there is nothing wrong with letting the fever just run it's course, however there is a risk that the fever could cause more dangerous issues is febrile seizures. No one wants to feel ill, so there has to be something more to it if she is choosing to feel ill over taking some calpol

It's not the high temp in itself that causes fitting. It's a very quick rise in temperature.

[quote Terminallysleepdeprived]@coffeepleeease can she explain to you what her issue is with calpol?

I used to think dd was just being silly til she was old enough to explain that the flavour made her feel sick. We buy the version that is cherry flavoured now and she will happily take that.

Calpol also do a tablet that melts in their mouth if she doesn't like the stuff being squirted into her mouth do you think she may consider the tablet?

Essentially there is nothing wrong with letting the fever just run it's course, however there is a risk that the fever could cause more dangerous issues is febrile seizures. No one wants to feel ill, so there has to be something more to it if she is choosing to feel ill over taking some calpol[/quote]
No she doesn't tell me when I've asked but she does have sensory issues and a sensitive gag reflex - if she doesn't like the taste or texture of something she gags. She hasn't actually told me it's the taste or texture though. I do wonder if it's just because she's had lots of medical procedures and hospital stays and ultimately just gets distressed about doing something/having something she doesn't want.

It's been a while since I used Calpol but doesn't it say on the box that it's not too be used for fevers only?

I agree try Calpol fastmelts

Ask GP if you could give half a fastmelt tablet (half since she’s not 6 yet)

I hated all liquid medicine as a child, DM had to plead with the GP to prescribe pills which I was fine with

@coffeepleeease ah the age old exacting control over something...we know that we'll here too. In our case it is food, dd will literally starve herself rather than eat something she perceives as unsafe.

I wouldn't force her, whilst I totally understand why others have suggested it, and there was a time I would have too, she needs to know you are her safe person. The one who will always have her back. And unfortunately that sometimes means we have to let them find out in their own time that their choices aren't always the right ones.

There is nothing wrong with coaxing, having a conversation about it will help her feel a bit better, try ones that have different flavours or hide in her favourite drink (milkshake, cola etc) if you can, but sometimes where their own health and body autonomy is concerned we have to let them have the final say.

I only give Calpol if my kids are actually unwell and want medicine. If they're fine in themselves they don't take medication. Same as me - I don't treat a fever for the sake of a fever, I take paracetamol because I feel crap.

If you’d mentioned the sensory issues you may have been given some more useful advice from the beginning

“She has had to be pinned down by 3 or 4 nurses for various hospital procedures- catheters, having blood taken, etc, and had to be sedated for a heart scan because she got herself that distressed she vomited everywhere and couldn't be pinned down.”

Bloody hell! This might also have been pertinent info to include from the start. She sounds like she has been thoroughly traumatised from all the medical interventions she has endured so far in her short life. And it’s no wonder she doesn’t trust you. I don’t know how you can go about regaining that trust. Ideally she could maybe see an older sibling or cousin perhaps having calpol? It is yummy stuff.

I would not hold her down. At 5 she is old enough to be spoken to and follow instructions.