to not want to force feed my daughter calpol

[chickenmama]

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?

what's the alternative korma?

"im not having a go honestly im not but my friend sees lots of children who have aspirated this way in hospital every week"

I've never heard of this or been told it is dangerous - it is how mine have been administered to in hospital too - have you got a source?

chickenmama when I was little (born early seventies) it was possible to buy some sort of medicine that was like sweeties. However I believe it was taken off the market many years ago due to the risk of overdose as the tablets were far too attractive to children.

In case no one else has suggested this (I have read the thread, but quickly) try the calpol that is NOT sugar free. The pharmacist ime will automatically offer you the sugar free and according to my dd it tastes worse. I think that the proper nurofen brand also tastes better than calpol or other ibuprofen brands.

Is she old enough to hold her nose while swallowing the medicine? This worked recently with my dd who had sudafed (horrid) and I jokingly told her it would work. (it does help a bit I think) Your dd might not be quite old enough to understand this?

does she like yoghurts? try mixing it with similar flavoured yoghurt (out of sight of DD) Its a bit hit and miss but can work.

yah korma I would be interested in evidence that suggests it is unsafe due to respiratory risk

I know you are supposed to go for cheek rather than back-of-throat but otherwise I've always been advised to basically force it down

I've been advised: one shot (2.5ml) to side of mouth/cheek, then hold chin closed to swallow: if THAT doesn't work then hold nose closed at the same time

It takes less than 2 seconds

We used to mix any medicine with a Petit Filou yogurt. Just mix it lightly at the top of the yogurt, so she gets it within the first two or three teaspoons.

It was suggested (on MN) that this might some how interfer with the medicine working - did it bollox!

I have tried to find stuff on internet but everywhere seems to recommend that technique!

Doodle2U I would imagine that the only time this tip might interfere with the medicine working was if one did not follow directions on the medicine. e.g. if calpol stated "do not take with food" for example. Imo there is no difference to doing what you do, or the child eating a yogurt just before or just after.

afaik one runs into problems if one breaks a capsule open (for example) and puts it into food, or crushes a tablet that is enteric-coated or slow release. None of these things apply to basic calpol or nurofen of course.

Doodle- depends on the meds. Some have to be taken on an empty stomach. Some can't be taken with acids (like fruit juice etc).

For others you could mix it with shit (to please MP ) and it would be fine.

hmm korma I am not sceptical, just interested, as it is contrary to the advice I have always received

And yes - you should never break open capsules or cut up/crush tablets - the coating they have is there for a reason.

Would yogurt work with penicillin? I'm tempted to try but also worried about wasting doses when she's supposted to take a set amount. If it goes in the yogurt, she HAS to eat it, and thats a tough one to get in a syringe if she wont!

Is it amoxycillin? Amoxy is fine with food AFAIK.

We used the yogurt trick with Calpol, nurofen and antibiotics (normally amoxicillin (sp?)) and they all worked fine.

I guess none of those demand an empty stomach, which lines up with OPofBS and SMS's posts.

A petit filous in a syringe?

Sorry, I know that your situation is stressful but I had a little chuckle at the thought of you sucking the dregs of an apricot yogurt up a syringe and (if it was me anyway) crying with frustration.

Hmmm the nearest detailed description I can find is this from some American paediatrics site:

"a young child may have to be overpowered by his parents and the medicine squirted into their mouths with a medicine syringe. When squirting it in, you have to allow only a small amount in a time and squirt directly into the side of the mouth into the inner cheek pouch. You then firmly and gently push the chin up thus putting the lips together and the child will swallow."

I dont know what the answer is but in the past I have had trouble given my DS his medication (Omeprazole) as its not available in a nice(ish) tasting pediatric version.. the best Ive got is a liquid version that tasted so foul both me and the pharmisist wretched. On doing some research I found that in the US they have a whole range of flavourings for medicines... I havn't a clue why they arn't available here