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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to force feed my daughter calpol

100 replies

chickenmama · 11/01/2009 15:10

Her temperature is 39 degrees and has been high for several days now. I'm having to force feed her antibiotics too and the whole thing is extremely stressful for both of us. She's incredibly fussy and won't take her medicine any better than she eats new food. I literally have to squirt it to the back of her throat and hold her mouth shut
I've been giving her calpol each time her temp is up but she keeps telling me she's better now to try to convince me not to give it (she's 2 and a half). She actually seems ok right now, playing and dancing along to the TV, just hotter than she should be. She's got to the point when she screams just when I take her temp as she knows what might follow. I feel so awful and she just doesn't understand it's for her own good. I could cope with one or the other, but with both meds she's having 8 doses or more a day. And the thought of another 4 days of this til her antibiotics are gone...
So aibu to leave her with a raised temp for a bit and see how she does? Or is it vital she gets her calpol now?

OP posts:
mm22bys · 11/01/2009 16:35

It's not fun. I hope she gets better soon.

We have to give DS2 medication three times a day for a condition he has (so no end in sight) and every time we give it to him he screams and cries and pushes it out of his mouth. He's getting a bit more accepting of it now, but it's not nice to have to force it down (he's 2.2)!

I try to think positive though, at least it's only one medication three times a day, and it least I don't have to inject him with anything (not at the moment anyway..))

All the best,

Spockster · 11/01/2009 20:46

Let us know how you got on!
I don't own a thermometer, (and I'm a "reformed" GP!)as I think getting hung up on numbers is not the way to go; be led by how you child is, and if they are dancing round to Hi 5 with a temp of whatever, I wouldn't be too worried. Lots of fluids, usual measures to reduce temp and regular calpol or ibuprofen (if you can get it in!)usually does the trick. Chances are there is an ear infection or something and time...or maybe a change of antibiotics..will do the trick. Fingers crossed for you,

waspriceyp · 11/01/2009 21:06

But probably the most sensible thing! A couple of years ago my neighbour (who I had never met) knocked on our door at about 1am asking if she could borrow our digital thermometer (my other neighbour i knew had borrowed it and told her we had one). I opened the door (hair sticking up everywhere - no reason just sleepy) and handed it over. I asked her if she wanted me to come over and she said "erm yes please" (her DH was away). Off we trotted. Lovely baby was togged up to the nines, so I suggested we strip her off, give her some water and let her play for a bit in the cool. I sat there with my neighbour (who didn't know me - poor girl) for about 30mins and the baby's temp came down by 2 degrees. Then went back to bed happily. It turned out she did have an ear infection and the doc prescribed antibotics the next day.
Not sure the point of my story except that when they seem fine, they're not always fine! But sometimes asking another opinion helps! That was rubbish wasn't it!

OP How did you get one with your DD?

Original poster
chickenmama · 11/01/2009 21:10

Typical, they were running half an hour late, got prescription at 5pm so can't get suppositories until the morning!

Doc did demonstrate how to successfully clamp her jaw open and force her to take calpol. It really which wasn't nice to watch and I'm surprised dd didn't pee herself with fear, she looked terrified! I'm sure that hasn't helped with her dislike of medicine/doctors/men either!

I tried the penicillin in orange juice when we got back - she took one sip and refused so I then had to force her to take the lot - about 6 syringes full!

Can't wait til she's over this!

OP posts:
SlightlyMadScientist · 11/01/2009 21:16

The other thing that you can do with ABs (for future reference) is ask the Dr if they will prescribe the sronger version so that you only have to give her 2.5ml instead of 5ml. Depends whether there is a stronger suspension available - and on how friendly the Dr is feeling...but worth asking.

morningpaper · 11/01/2009 21:19

Hmm no one seems to have mentioned this but have you tried chocolate buttons or a similar treat of choice?

In my house ANY unpleasant medicine is swiftly followed by 2 chocolate buttons

Have you sat her down and explained the sitaution? She is old enough to understand

Say: "Look, this medicine will make you BETTER, yes it tastes shit but you HAVE to have it. When you've had it, you can have 2 chocolate buttons to take the taste away. Here's the syringe: Either you take it yourself or mummy has to make you take it? Which will it be?"

Then, worst case scenario, pin down, inject, hand over choccy buttons

morningpaper · 11/01/2009 21:20

oh. don't say 'shit'

say 'horrid'

Katiestar · 11/01/2009 21:25

I can totally relate to this.My nearly 4 YO has just had flu and her temperature was up to 41 and she spits any medicine out.I rang out of hours GP and they didn't seem too worried about it at all.They said as long as she was still alert,no pain and it was possible to get a smile out of her and she kept hydrated she would be OK.to just try and cool her down a bit by stripping her off

stoppinattwo · 11/01/2009 21:30

soo MP what does shit taste like

morningpaper · 11/01/2009 21:35

sugar-free calpol

kormachameleon · 11/01/2009 21:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

princessmel · 11/01/2009 21:38

Lol at MP's shit!

Good plan tho MP. We do that here, for really yukky stuff (like the worm one) When he needs to have medicine Ds says, 'it's not the worm one is it mummy?' It's really gross.

The dc's are good with calpol , AB's etc though.

Original poster
chickenmama · 11/01/2009 21:45

MP - I've tried that but not even her beloved choc helps. NOTHING can convince her to take medicine!

OP posts:
LucyEllensmummy · 11/01/2009 21:47

why why WHY Don't the medicine manufacturers get this - they have GOT to make the meds taste nicer. Its surely not impossible, i know the active ingredients probably make it incredably bitter, but we have such trouble with DD and have often had to give up, despite temps of 39 and over . I would be concerned about aspiration too, but is that a significant issue? no korma, im not stalking you .

We always go for the full fat full colour, full sugar calpol, my DD wont have anything else. Have managed to get foul meds into orange juice, but more often than not she cottons on to it. I can't imagine being able to do suppositories on a 3 year old and tbh i wouldn't be surprised if they dont poo them straight out - i know i used to when i had them for something or other (horrid).

Original poster
chickenmama · 11/01/2009 21:47

korma - how else am I meant to get her to take it? the doc says she HAS to take ALL of her penicillin, if i didn't hold her down there's no way on earth she'd take it...

SMS - thanks for the tip on ABs, I'll remember that one too

OP posts:
Notbig · 11/01/2009 21:50

I used to give it my son in a small amount of milk just to get it down him. Perhaps you should ring nhs 24 and find out what exactly is cause for concern tempreture wise.

SlightlyMadScientist · 11/01/2009 21:51

Lucy - they don't tend to pooh them straight out. They are absorbed really really quickly (the veins in teh rectum are actually an excellent place to absorb drugs - better than oral. The ones you poo'd straight out were probably glycerine suppositories which are supposed to induce poo-ing (for constipation).

As it happens - places like in teh far east like Japan won't readily take oral meds....the drug companies have to reformulate it into a supposiary for them...so many (but no means all) drugs are available as a suppositary form - whether they are all available as a suppositary in the UK I don't know.

LucyEllensmummy · 11/01/2009 21:51

you know, i would much rather give my child an injection than go through the hell of trying to get her to take meds. A quick spike in the bum and done, its not that difficult to give injections - surely this sort of thing should be available to parents when things like vital ABs are needed and it is virtually impossible to give orally.

christywhisty · 11/01/2009 21:52

Febrile convulsions are usually caused by the temperature shooting up rapidly, not by the high temperature.

SlightlyMadScientist · 11/01/2009 21:53

But ABs are not good as intra-muscular stabs in teh bum. They are intra-venous (into a vein) - which requires medical training and skill...so not applicable for parents to do.

LucyEllensmummy · 11/01/2009 21:53

I take your point SMS as mine were glycerine and microlax - lol

Original poster
chickenmama · 11/01/2009 21:53

LucyEllensmummy u have a very good point there! Surely they could do something. Sweet form like the jelly vitamins would be fab!

And I'm gonna make sure I buy sugar calpol next time, she has a sweet tooth anyway so it might help a bit.

OP posts:
kormachameleon · 11/01/2009 21:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LucyEllensmummy · 11/01/2009 21:56

Another good point SMS i certainly wouldnt want to be giving a child IV injections and im an ex vet nurse. Scrap that idea then

Original poster
chickenmama · 11/01/2009 21:58

no, i totally understand, i thought my reply might have sounded a bit funny... it's just i honestly don't know how i would get her to take them otherwise...

and then i just thought, the doctor actually demonstrated this to me in the hospital earlier... i didn't ask him to and he didnt tell me he was going to, he just held her down, FORCED her mouth open and squirted it in. I do very small amounts, he did a whole 2.5ml in 2 shots... is that right?

OP posts: