Problems with calpol for babies? Alternatives?

[Gingle1]

Hi all,

Our lo has just had his 8 week immunisations and as recommended by the nurse, we gave him some calpol to prevent him developing a fever. However he absolutely screamed and was inconsolable after being given it.

I appreciate this could have been a delayed response to the immunizations but he kept making a choking noise which was making him scream after each time it happened. I don't know if it was because the calpol was pretty syrupy and agitated his throat/stomach.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Are there any alternatives to calpol we could use for his 12 week injections (if we need it)?

My dd1 always screamed and choked on the sugar free one, I think it has a more bitter taste than the full sugar one. Do you think it might be something like this or could it have been that you squirted it in too quickly, which might have made her choke a bit?

Actual branded calpol is very thick and gloopy. Boots do a sugar free one that's pink in colour and much easier to swallow? It's cheaper too, about £2.50 a bottle.

You can get paracetamol suppositories (bum tablets).

We had a sick toddler on holiday, went to the village pharmacy to get some calpol and came out with suppositories. We were initially grossed out by the idea of them, but my goodness - for the first time ever we could get medicine in her without having to pin her down,spit it out, choke on it, etc. They do sell them in pharmacies in the UK, but its about 10x more expensive than calpol, so we now stock up whenever we go abroad it may have been the deciding factor in better or not to go to France for a long weekend once

That's interesting to hear. Yeah he was making the choking noises and then crying on and off for a good hour and a half or 2 hours afterwards, which didn't seem like it would be caused by the immunizations. Will definitely check out the boots version then. Is the nurofen one the same?

I second the suppositories if you are brave, as they are very handy if a child is vomiting or rejecting any spoon of anything, but still needs a painkiller to take down a temperature.

My DS was like this - definitely get some suppositories. They're invaluable when they won't keep a thing down and won't swallow calpol

Get them on prescription BTW

You don't give calpol normally at the 12 week ones as they don't give the Menengitis B at that one. Next one is 16 weeks. My DD cried really strangely after her 8 week one see the NHS website unusual crying is normal. Just had the 16 week one today and all is good so far. Hopefully the alternatives suggested by people on here will work fine.

Boots paracetamol and ibuprofen are different to the calpol and nurofen brands

The boots ones are by far my sons favourites

Like PPs have said, you can get Paracetamol suppositories. They're absorbed MUCH quicker than oral too