Any tips to get 3 year old to take nurofen?!

[cantthinkofaname2021]

Hello! My 3 year old had a cold/cough last 2 days, during the day he's okay, but when he's sleeping nap/during the night it rises to 39.3 and just now it's 39.7, nurofen did bring it down yesterday but he's refusing to take it now, any tricks or tips please?! Getting worried about this temperature

Ask at the pharmacy for paracetamol suppositories.

Sometimes I have to put sprinkles on it to get my daughter to take it. Seems to work

If you want to be nice then you could put it in a drink.

I had to take the view that it had to get in so, once bribery and pleading failed, DC was pinned to the floor with nose pinched so they opened their mouth to breath, it was administered and chin held so their mouth was closed & it had to be swallowed.

A colleague recently had a paediatrician hold her writhing, screaming DC in a vice like grip whilst instructing ‘just do it’ & administer the child’s nasal flu.

Needs must sometimes for a child’s health.

I’ve done the nose pinch thing once or twice. It’s horrible but sometimes it’s the only way if the medicine is really needed.

Either mixed into a bit of yogurt/drink or the nose pinch, syringe into the side of their cheek, hold mouth closed thing.

@PinkEll

Sometimes I have to put sprinkles on it to get my daughter to take it. Seems to work

Was going to say the same, let them add sprinkles to it works every time!

Syringe to the inside of the cheek and a small sweetly as a reward after

Chocolate button/smarties/sweet of choice placed in full view with promise of having it after the medicine is gone. Get child to pinch nose before taking it.

Get a different flavour.

Try the chewable Nurofen tablets for children.

Alternatively get some paracetamol in a different flavour.

Panadol suppositories, aka Clackerdol, are an option too.

Put it in a small yogurt?

My DD prefers it off the spoon. That seems to be the latest novelty.

I thought current advice is only to medicate if they are acting poorly or in pain. The temperature is their immune system working. You are just delaying the recovery.

Sprinkles here too!

You are just delaying the recovery

I think you’re going to have to provide a source for that assertion. NHS advice for children with a temperature is to give paracetamol

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

If they are upset and feeling unwell then I’d try to get suppositories tomorrow if you can, either paracetamol or ibuprofen. They were a life saver for me when my youngest wouldn’t take the liquid.
The GP also prescribed 6+ calpol so I didn’t have to give so much volume when she was 18 months.
Worth trying bribery as others have said.

Another vote for paracetamol suppositories. I have no idea why they are not more used in the UK for babies and toddlers

Chocolate - my 2.5 year old will take it from a syringe if he gets a Freddo Frog and can eat it straight away!

Syringe the calpol version to the back of the mouth so it has to be swallowed. Then if necessary, an immediate sweet to distract from trying to spit it out/cry.

@BestZebbie

Syringe the calpol version to the back of the mouth so it has to be swallowed. Then if necessary, an immediate sweet to distract from trying to spit it out/cry.

Sometimes this has worked for me but a couple of times it made them vomit, so I gave up trying that way.

Agree with others that the temperature alone does not need lowering if the child is not distressed or unwell. Even Divebar's post actually supports this, as do NICE guidelines.

However, if she is ill with it, I've had to do the down the side of the cheek, arms pinned thing. A nurse did the same with DS when he was ill in hospital with pneumonia and he lay there after an initial fight with the medicine in his mouth, waited a beat and spat it out like a fountain. Next the consultant tried. They then tried to find a vein to do it intravenously. He was the most stubborn baby!

Hope she's better soon op.

Orange nurofen mixed in an orange fruit shoot. It only worked because it was a treat, before I get pilloried

A temperature on its own isn't something to worry about, even one that's 39°. Generally temperatures go up when kids are asleep. As long as they're ok in themselves monitoring at home is fine. The longest any of mine have had a temperature over 39° is 5 days (yes I was worried).

The comment about it being best not to treat fevers comes from research that shows in minor illness treatment of the fever may actually prolong the illness as fever is one of the bodies mechanisms for killing (or making reproduction harder for) bacteria and viruses. BUT it isn't generally accepted that medication to increase comfort should be withheld so if your DC is uncomfortable then give them the drugs.

Orange Nurofen mixed with full-fat coke and a bit of water. (And make sure it's less than half a small cup in total otherwise it might just be too much to drink). My 3 year chugs it down like the best cocktail in the world

@AppleBlueberryPie

Orange Nurofen mixed with full-fat coke and a bit of water. (And make sure it's less than half a small cup in total otherwise it might just be too much to drink). My 3 year chugs it down like the best cocktail in the world

That sounds amazing! Will have to give that a try 🤪

Thank you all for the replies! I only have big snowflake sprinkles so need to get some tomorrow for future too
Managed to slowly get him to have it, he's poorly with it and not himself, so I'm only giving it because of that I do try to not give it willy nilly! He was spiting it out when I was putting it in the side of the cheek. I did offer sweets but he said no, so I knew that he's not well 😔 but I've got a chocolate lolly now next to the spoon if I need it
Thank you for all the helpful replies 💓