in losing sympathy with my unwell DD who is refusing to have any medicine?

[mckenzie]

She is 3, nearly 4. Any other time she would bite my hand off for a spoonful of calpol or nurofen. She's really really poorly though now and has been refusing totally to have any medicine. She has a temperature, a hideous cough and cold, all red and blotchy in her face. She knows I'm sure that medicine will make her feel better. I have offered her ice cream afterwards, jelly, all sorts of treats but she still refuses saying she doesn't like it . She's currently asleep on the sofa.

I had a mate with the same kind of problem, but she solved it by making a game using the syringe instead.

She'd say her daughters teddy was feeling poorly too and pretend to syringe the medicine into her. Her daughter was then quite happy to take her medicine

Hope she feels better soon, i had to collect my 5yo from school a couple of days ago when he decided to paint the table a lovely shade of vom!

thanks for the reply Ashantai but I tried a variation of that trick and DD wasn't interested at all.

Is she drinking? It could be that her throat is sore and she doesn't want to swallow because it will hurt.

could you mix it into a bit of yoghurt?

She is drinking quite well tkband3. I thought the same as you which is why I offered ice cream (which she lapped up yesterday afternoon) to soothe her throat. She looks awful . I'm torn between being upset for her and being so cross and angry that she won't take the medicine to help herself.

Oh god, I have been there...it is so frustrating when you know that it will help. Maybe she'll feel a little better when she wakes up, and more cooperative!

What about a different flavour nurofen? Don't they do a strawberry one as well as the orange one?

When it got to this stage and my dc really did to take the medicene,dh would get a big bath towel and wrap her up tight,hold her under one arm (like a rugy ball) while i gave her the meds,sounds cruel,but she needed it.

thanks for the replies. I have offered nurofen and calpol, so different flavours but she has had them in the past and loved them! I'm torn between seeing if I can get a doctors appt for this afternoon or just letting her deal with it in her way. Trouble is of course, I was up half the night with her last night and it will be the same tonight won't it if she still won't take any medicine? DS's school friend has a paediatric doctor for a mum - I'll see her at the school in just over 1 hours time. Would it be really cheeky of me to ask her opinion??

yep. if you know she really really needs it or she's going to go downhill rapidly. or her temp is sky high. you gotta put it in food/drink.

or pin her down and syringe it down back of throat.

had to do this with ds once when he had a terrible temp. no amount of games or briding or pleading would get him to allow anything to pass his lips. we were at stage where if he didn't start getting better and his temp come down and he start taking food/liquid he was going to end up in a&e dehydrated with fever.

however. if her temp is not too bad. and she's still eating and drinking why not let her ride it out and see if she changes her mind later.

Put it IN the icecream and stir it around.

thanks again for the replies and advice. She's dozing again and her temperature is reading 39 with the ear thermo thing. She hasn't eaten anything since ice cream yesterday afternoon (even though she asked for cereal this morning and we tried three different types she ended up eating none of them) but she is sipping water quite often.
When she wakes I will try he ice cream / medicine mix and see how that goes down.

could also melt down some chocolate buttons. stir them in and then let it harden in ice cube tray if you dont have any ice cream.

thanks for the tip RubyRioja (and jumpingbeans), I have just wrapped her up in her blanket and managed to get a spoonful of nurofen inside her. I've offered her some ice cream but she's turned it down and has asked for some tv (High School Musical) instead. And now it's started raining just in time for the school run- oh what a great day this is turning out to be. I want to go to my bed!!!!

well the nurofen got us through school pick up, DS having two friends over for tea (they have now gone to Beavers) and DD eating a little tea. She's now having 10 mins TV time before we try and get another spoonful in her (I've got the blanket ready ) and then off to bed. Fingers crossed she and I both get a better night than last night.

Thanks again for all the replies and tips.

Sounds exactly like my DD last week. She's 4.3 and thankfully someone who was in the queue with me at the chemist and had all 3 of his kids down with it, recommended Benylin Childrens Night Time Cough syrup. It did take some getting down her (she usually won't take medicine) but it's quite pleasant, and she slept through after having it two nights running which knocked the worst of her symptoms on the head.

Am now taking some of it at night myself as I've caught it!

Good luck!

I was advised to forget the cough medicine and just to give calpol etc (by the school mum friend who is a paed consultant). Last night was better. DD took more medicine during the night but woke again about 3am and decided she wasn't tired any more {shock]. I had 90 mins of in bed/out of bed to deal with but then she slept again and is a different child today. And just like you HollyCherry, I'm now coughing and feeling rubbish so I guess DD has kindly passed her germs my way - she's always been a generous child

I remember being so horrible at some points with my mum when she had to give me medecine that she oncwe asked the neighbour to have a try at giving it to me. It worked like a treat. But that said there is not a lot of chances that I would go to such lengh with my own DCs.

Hope she will be better really soon, and you as well BTW.

its awful isnt it when you just cant get it into them but you know it will make them better.hope she is well soon.and you!

thanks guys. DD really is a different child today with just those few spoonfuls of nurofen . She's flagging a bit now which is understandable, and still coughing and sniffing but so much better than yesterday (she even asked for some lunch!). Thankfully our weather today is glorious (cold but lots of sunshine) so we've been outside all morning in the fresh air and i think that has helped both of us feel better. I'm saving the next spoonful of nurofen for bedtime and trying my hardest to keep her awake today. I really don't want a re-run of last night's wakefulness if i can help it.

DH and i were supposed to be going out tonight but we've cancelled as I'll probably fall asleep over my main course!! That's if I haven't coughed my false teeth into my soup . These last two nights have been worse I think than nights with a new born - or is that just my memory is fading??

My DD was like that at the same age. She preferred tablets so used to give her half a calpol melt( I know 6+ but have always dosed by weight)
Also as both my dc's have a bad history febrile convulsions, begged the paediatrician for paracetamol suppositories, they are ridiculously expensive to buy.

When they agree to sell them to you. I have to aske my sister to send me supposotories from Switzeland when I run out. I find them much more practical and less armfull for stomac.

interesting you say that about harmful for stomach Gorionine (is your H key playing up by the way? ). DD has upset tummy now and I was just wondering if the medicine on an empty stomach could have caused it.

Christywhisty - how are your DCs with having the suppositories inserted?