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Original poster

My 1 yo won’t accept calpol/Ibuprofen via syringe or spoon

28 replies

Smoochinator · 21/05/2023 11:20

my 1 yo gets a high fever over 39 degrees and cold like symptoms she is starting to not accept calpol/ibuprofen via syringe or spoon how can we get it in her? We got told by doctors that this is viral

OP posts:
Bunny2021 · 21/05/2023 11:25

Your GP (or 111 being a weekend) can prescribe paracetamol suppositories. We had to use those for a while.

It’s awful but the other option is to tilt their head back and force the syringe in. I hated doing that as our DS would then gag/choke on it but sometimes it was the only option.

Febb · 21/05/2023 11:27

Bribe with sweets! For stuff as important as medicine, anything goes to get them to take it. I found if I tried to force it down then my DD would cough and gag until she was sick so no point. She happily has it from a syringe now in exchange for a few haribo

MsSquiz · 21/05/2023 11:33

My oldest used to do this so we would mix it with a little fruit purée or yoghurt and give it "as a treat" and that worked for us

Careerdilemma · 21/05/2023 11:34

Have you tried the Calpol that has sugar in it? Lots will tolerate that one over the more readily available sugar free.

Mummy08m · 21/05/2023 11:38

There's a colourless one (instead of the pink one) that could be worth a try? I hate the look of the pink one myself, wouldn't want to swallow that!

When my dd went thru a phase of not accepting it, we just semi-forced it into her, not great I know. But as a last resort. We did it in tiny squirts at a time so she couldn't spit it out easily. Then lots of a treat drink afterwards, whatever that may be eg apple juice

BaggyJumpersandLeggings · 21/05/2023 11:53

I have to put something on the tv he likes or on his iPad, this distracts him enough for me to put the syringe in and lots of 'ooooohhhh yummyyyyyy, goooooood boyyyyyy' tends to do the trick

00100001 · 21/05/2023 11:53

Mix it into yogurt or whatever

modgepodge · 21/05/2023 11:55

I used to mix it up with a little bit of formula/milk at that age -like a calpol milkshake

DeclineandFall · 21/05/2023 11:59

Paracetemol suppositories. Magic things. I found them easy to use. DS vomited calpol/ibuprofen liquid until he was about 3.

Original poster
Smoochinator · 21/05/2023 12:27

No we haven’t but I don’t think my little one will try it as she will think it’s normal calpol

OP posts:
Original poster
Smoochinator · 21/05/2023 12:28

Thank you all for your advices much appreciated.

OP posts:
Thea91 · 21/05/2023 12:34

We use suppositories, they aren't actually that bad. We try do them when my son is asleep. He used to love Calpol but has refused it since he antibiotics forced in him .

Thea91 · 21/05/2023 12:34

We got them from a pharmacy.

Scoobydoobydoobydoo0987 · 21/05/2023 12:37

We mix it in with warm milk and give it a goos shake, seems to do the trick

LittleBlueBrioTrain · 21/05/2023 12:56

Mine doesn't. He's autistic and medication is a nightmare. He will happily eat a yoghurt laced with calpol/nurofen or mixed in strawberry milkshake.

If he's not eating/drinking then he is forced to take it as a medical necessity but once he tastes it, he's usually fine then

LudicrouslyCapaciousBag · 21/05/2023 20:46

Another vote for suppositories. You can buy them over the counter but the pharmacy may have to order them in for you. They are very much the norm in many parts of the world. My German friend thinks we are mad for forcing oral medicine down our babies!

dizzydizzydizzy · 21/05/2023 20:50

DD1 when aged 3 needed 3 adults in hospitalto give her a dose of calpol - 2 to hold her down and one to squirt it in her throat.

QuiltedHippo · 21/05/2023 20:51

Suppositories! They are amazing, and kick in so much quicker than oral meds. Pricey though, I used to buy from an online pharmacy for my baby for about £20 then got some in France for about 2 euros as they're the norm there.

Baby is now a toddler who LOVES calpol so it won't be forever

yeahscience · 21/05/2023 21:08

Do they use a dummy? If so try a medical dispenser dummy

Esjolaol · 21/05/2023 21:12

Suppositories are the way forward. Takes 2secs . Wish ABs were prescribed as suppositories in the uk . So less stressful for all concerned!

SaturdayGiraffe · 21/05/2023 21:34

I found that me ‘having’ some first would help. Why would a child want something that you yourself never model the behaviour of enjoying?
So randomly I would take the syringe out the drawer and obviously ‘treat’ myself to it and it was all taken on board and the refusal subsided.

SimilarToAClockShape · 21/05/2023 21:36
  1. Suppositories

Or 2. Would they lick it off your finger? Sounds gross, but this worked for one of my children with additional needs who absolutely refused medicine via anything in her mouth. Hold the calpol spoon up near mouth, dip your little finger in and let them lick it off. Do it drop by drop. Takes ages, but did the job.

Yellowdays · 21/05/2023 22:54

"My German friend thinks we are mad for forcing oral medicine down our babies"

I find it far offer to insert it anally. Seems dreadful with a toddler or small child. I'd never use it.

Tinkeytonkoldfruit · 21/05/2023 23:00

Can see others have suggested but came onto say suppositories. We used to stock up/have family stock up whenever went to Europe as our DD rejected Calpol etc as a baby/toddler. The suppositories were so easy and painless to insert, I know in the UK people are weird about it, but honestly she wouldn't even notice I was doing it, never any fuss or tears, or any sign of upset. I would just do it whilst she was having a nappy change so wasn't something out of the ordinary. She's 7 now and happily takes medicine orally so that's what we now use so hasn't stopped being able to go down that route as she's grown, think it was about 3/4yrs old when she moved onto these.

LudicrouslyCapaciousBag · 21/05/2023 23:08

Yellowdays · 21/05/2023 22:54

"My German friend thinks we are mad for forcing oral medicine down our babies"

I find it far offer to insert it anally. Seems dreadful with a toddler or small child. I'd never use it.

TBH you might want to examine why you are more horrified by the idea of a suppository than by a pp’s anecdote a few posts before yours about her child having to be forcibly restrained by three adults to administer oral Calpol 🤷🏻‍♀️