Paracetamol suppository?

[Mummysgonecrazy]

Wondering what others experiences might be.

Baby is 8 months old and gags on / vomits up any form of oral paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Baby is full of cold and has a fever, which I’m finding it difficult to control. Have tried mixing paracetamol/ibuprofen with yoghurt, stringing in slowly, spoon feeding, squirting into cheek, etc and baby has gagged and sicked the dose out each time.

I phoned GP today to ask whether a suppository might be an option.

Long story short, GP telephone appointment resulted in me being referred to A&E where we saw a HCA who suggested that we just persevere as painkiller suppositories “aren’t available in England for children due to safeguarding concerns”.

Have others had this experience? Any advice?

Hey OP,
A&E do have paracetamol suppositories but it depends on the age of the child. My daughter is allergic to calpol and own brand paracetamol so has paracetamol suppositories. A&E gave her one as her fever was so high and she couldn't have more ibuprofen then refused to give anymore to take home and told me to go buy some over the counter instead and wouldn't do prescription. I told them I couldn't afford £25-30 for a box of 10 suppositories so I went to the GP who did a prescription but it took several pharmacies to find one who could get hold of it. You can buy them from boots but they're not cheap.
My daughter is 33/34months so not sure if if they're suitable for infants. I hope you can get something sorted.

You'll be cheaper flying to France and buying some from a local pharmacy than paying for them in the UK.

"saw a HCA who suggested that we just persevere as painkiller suppositories “aren’t available in England for children due to safeguarding concerns”.

WTF?!

We had similar issues giving oral paracetamol to DC when they were younger. We asked the GP to prescribe paracetamol suppositories and they did. The pharmacy had to order them in, but as it was an NHS prescription for a child, we didn't have to pay. Try asking your GP.

Otherwise, you can buy them OTC very easily in France, they are completely the norm. So if you know someone who lives there, get them to post you some! Or if you live near the south coast, hop on a ferry to France and stock up.

You need to know your child's weight so do check that.

Weird. I’ve not used them for about 7 years as my DC is older now, but we got them on prescription.

Complete rubbish. Check the NHS website, they can be used from 3 months and they list them for use in circumstances like yours.
There are a couple of on line pharmacies listing the Alvedon brand.
longer term complain about the H CA who is giving inappropriate advice.
sorry I’m really tired and can’t do the link but google nhs and paracetamol suppository

That’s mad! Do they think the French are all child abusers?
We got them from the GP when our baby had a tongue tie cut at a few weeks’ old, because I was precious about his virgin gut (he lives on things-in-breadcrumbs now: it didn’t last).
I think they’re probably better than calpol in absorption speed.

Not available over the counter generally. Used in hospital settings if the fever response is making children too miserable to drink such that they're looking dehydrated / can't take other needed medications, but in most circumstances it's felt that it's easier to leave the fever be (sounds as if the HCA was just flailing around and wasn't the best person to deal with the enquiry really).

That HCA was talking absolute rubbish.

My child was hospitalised with fever at 1. He threw up everything they got in him. I had to ask for a suppository and then get really pushy with the nurse who very reluctantly found a doctor who also wasn’t convinced. Eventually they gave it to him, it got his fever down, he was able to tolerate oral medicines from then on.

You can buy them from a pharmacy, but you’ll almost certainly have to order them in and they’re expensive. I’m told some Polish shops sell them as standard, but I haven’t investigated that to confirm it.

It's over the counter in Denmark. I brought them home as it was easier and cheap. Like £3 for a box of 10 /125 mg.

They do exist and it must be better than trying to syringe calpol into a hot, screaming, flailing baby who is spitting most of it out

Thanks everyone for your replies. Think I’ll try again with the GP in the morning

Paediatric nurse here, we use them occasionally. For children who are a nightmare to get medication down, or who are NIl by mouth. They work really well.