Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can anyone help- desperate- giving medicine to 2 year old

64 replies

babygirlmummy2020 · 28/02/2022 20:22

My DD is two and an absolute nightmare to give medicine to.

She has a fever of around 38 and I would really like to give her some ibo or paracetamol so she has a good nights sleep.

She just hates the syringe and also the spoon. She's also refusing to drink milk.

We've had to force it slowly into her mouth by holding her down and she just shuts her mouth and screams and cries. Tonight we tried that again, as it's literally the only way and she threw up. Now I'm scared to try again. I got some paracetamol suppositories and tried to put them in. But that just freaked me out and she wasn't happy either.

Does anyone have any tips ?? The doctors / nurses have said I just have to force it into her sometimes and some children are just like this. But it's honestly a nightmare.

It's getting so bad that I just avoid giving her fever medicine now and let her ride the fever a bit more naturally. But it's not ideal. I know she'd have a better night if she just had some tonight.

OP posts:
TeddyTonks · 28/02/2022 20:23

Try putting it on the spoon and then sprinkling hundreds and thousands on top?

Awalkintime · 28/02/2022 20:26

Blow in her face hard and quickly, not gently. It'll take her breath away and she will swallow it.

Original poster
babygirlmummy2020 · 28/02/2022 20:26

I don't have those. She's also not really up for eating loads at the moment. She would eat chocolate cake probably. A sponge type thing, but I don't have any of that in the house at the moment m.

OP posts:
WhyMeLord · 28/02/2022 20:26

We bribe DS with Jelly Babies but he is a little bit older, do you think she'd take a bribe?

TiredbutTrying41 · 28/02/2022 20:27

Mix it into yogurt. That’s how I get my son to take antibiotics

Original poster
babygirlmummy2020 · 28/02/2022 20:27

@WhyMeLord

We bribe DS with Jelly Babies but he is a little bit older, do you think she'd take a bribe?
She doesn't understand bribing yet ! Haha
OP posts:
Littlemissprosecco · 28/02/2022 20:27

Ice cream??

Original poster
babygirlmummy2020 · 28/02/2022 20:28

@Littlemissprosecco

Ice cream??
That's a good shout. It has to be something she can't say no to.. ice cream she loves so much !
OP posts:
SmudgeRolls · 28/02/2022 20:29

Antibiotics i would be forceful

Medicine for a temperature of just 38,
I dont think i would tbh

Onlyforcake · 28/02/2022 20:30

I know she's 2 and it's not ideal but in some warm ribena or apple juice?

Flangeosaurus · 28/02/2022 20:30

Things that have worked for my Calpol refuser:
Jam sandwich
Smoothie
Yoghurt
Ice cream
Hot chocolate with marshmallows
Pinning him down and forcing him as a last resort. The trick to pinning them is to get their arms under control, I used to wrap DS tight in a towel then I’d need to squeeze him very tightly while another adult tilted his head and slowly but steadily did the syringe into the back of his cheek. It used to make him scream, choke and spit and it was absolutely awful but needs must. We’ve ended up in A&E 3 times because he will not have medicine and I couldn’t get his temp down. He’s 5 now and too big too pin down, I basically just hope for the best and can sometimes get him to accept it in a smoothie or whatever. If you give it in a drink make sure the drink isn’t too big so they’ll finish it. Good luck it’s awful.

BakedTattie · 28/02/2022 20:30

Mix it in Nutella?

You may just have to hold her and try again though. Like pp said, blow in her face hard. Then have something to distract her with instantly, like a sweety.

caoraich · 28/02/2022 20:30

Dissolve loads of icing sugar in the calpol and give it to her to lick off a spoon. Obviously not the best for the teeth but this has worked for us in getting it into them!

The sugar free stuff that is sold most places does taste yuck. I've found that I can still sometimes get full sugar calpol places like home bargains and honestly my now 3 year old takes it so much more easily. I see the reasoning for making it sugar free but unless kids are guzzling calpol all the time then I don't see the harm

AvocadoPlant · 28/02/2022 20:31

Chopped grapes on the spoon with the medicine underneath

Original poster
babygirlmummy2020 · 28/02/2022 20:32

@Onlyforcake

I know she's 2 and it's not ideal but in some warm ribena or apple juice?
Yeah it's weird. She doesn't drink juice at all. I've tried a few times and she's not interested. Would be ideal.
OP posts:
Original poster
babygirlmummy2020 · 28/02/2022 20:32

@Flangeosaurus

Things that have worked for my Calpol refuser: Jam sandwich Smoothie Yoghurt Ice cream Hot chocolate with marshmallows Pinning him down and forcing him as a last resort. The trick to pinning them is to get their arms under control, I used to wrap DS tight in a towel then I’d need to squeeze him very tightly while another adult tilted his head and slowly but steadily did the syringe into the back of his cheek. It used to make him scream, choke and spit and it was absolutely awful but needs must. We’ve ended up in A&E 3 times because he will not have medicine and I couldn’t get his temp down. He’s 5 now and too big too pin down, I basically just hope for the best and can sometimes get him to accept it in a smoothie or whatever. If you give it in a drink make sure the drink isn’t too big so they’ll finish it. Good luck it’s awful.
This sounds like a nightmare. Great suggestions thank you. I think ice cream is the best as she never says no.
OP posts:
changenametimeagain · 28/02/2022 20:33

Do you have fruit pouches?

TheBestForLast · 28/02/2022 20:33

My son is 8 and from being a baby would never take any medicine be it calpol or antibiotics. The only was to give it to him was inside a fruit shoot. Open the top, pour half out, put the dosage inside, shake and give it to your daughter. Watch closely and making sure she drinks it all.

Spaciet · 28/02/2022 20:34

Unless she's really uncomfortable or her temp keeps rising I'd leave it to be honest.

I got some paracetamol suppositories and tried to put them in. But that just freaked me out and she wasn't happy either.

What freaked you out about them? They're amazing.

Swifey40 · 28/02/2022 20:34

Hello there, I had one of these and was often covered in sticky calpol. Unfortunately the only way (its not nice but it works) is the hold them on your lap (their back o your front) hold their arms down with one of your arms and then hold their nose. They have to open their mouth then and pop the medicine in from a syringe and hold their nose until they swallow. It's brutal but it's how a paeds nurse told me how to do it. Sometimes needs must. Good luck

changenametimeagain · 28/02/2022 20:35

Even when our DD wouldn't drink milk (her total favourite) we managed to give her calpol in a fruit pouch. Open, sip a bit out, syringe the dose in then seal and thoroughly shake. Never failed!

Merryoldgoat · 28/02/2022 20:35

Yoghurts and mixed into weetabix which he’d always eat.

slems · 28/02/2022 20:36

I had this problem, none of the above worked (and actually made all new foods impossible too as she became very suspicious). Go continental and use suppositories, game changer! When they are older, calpol 6+fastmelts between two chocolate buttons are the answer, but at 2yo, these contain too much paracetamol.

AllAmericanGirl · 28/02/2022 20:36

We always mixed antibiotics into yoghurt. Things like Calpol they would take normally.

ThanksItHasPockets · 28/02/2022 20:37

If you can get over your squeamishness then suppositories really are so much easier. My German family think we’re all crackers for forcing oral medication down our children.