Can I put food colouring in dd's medicine?

[MamaMimi]

I was always really pleased that dd took calpol so well (when she was younger she used to ask for it!)

When I want medicine to help alleviate cold symptoms/bad coughs/earache I always buy calpol products (eg, calprofen)as the flavour is the same and dd wouldn't have different flavour meds. Problem is because they don't have the pink colour of calpol my dd knows they are different and won't take them.

I have managed to get calpol for colds/coughs down her before now as I've given it to her at night when it's been dark enough for her not to see the colour, or she's too sleepy to notice. But usually she checks first that it is the calpol she likes before agreeing to take it.

So I was wondering if it would be ok to add a bit of red food colouring to clear or cloudy calpol products to 'fool' dd into thinking it is the original one.

I can't think that there would be a problem with this as calpol has colouring in to give it the pink colour anyway, but can I get some opinions on whether it's a good idea or not please?

Ooh I wouldn't - red food colour has nasty stuff in - get some strawberry squash from the supermarket instead or buy a bottle of calprofen and use the syringe because it hides the colour of the medicine and makes everything look orange!

I don't think I'd put colouring in tbh. I'm afraid, I have resorted to bribery in the past - would she take it if you offered her a smartie or similar to have afterwards

Sorry I mean neurofen not calprofen that comes with the syringe.

what's wrong with red food colouring? I made some lovely pink fairy cakes today with ds, the had 2 good glugs red in

It depends how much you need to put in to get the right colour.

Apart from the fact it's made of crushed up beetles? Well it's known to cause behavioural changes in children turning them into little shits challenging darlings.

I didn't get a syringe with the calprofen I bought, it came with a spoon(?)

The food colouring I have lists as ingredients; water, colours:E122,E110; citric acid, preservative:sodium benzoate.

Regular Calpol has E122 in it anyway as colouring, so would the other stuff in the food dye be any more of a problem?

I think it would only take a tiny amount of colouring to get the desired effect and to be honest at the times I would give it to dd she would be too unwell for it to affect her by making her hyper.

I also think the good effect of being able to get the medicine down her would far outweigh any neg. effects of the food dye. A few nights ago she was crying in agony with earache and some calprofen between the calpol doses would have been fantastic.

I would use a couple of drops in baking too woodenchair.

It's Neurofen for children - I have tons of them if you are desperate. But it may not fool a very astute child!

Sodium benzoate is carcinogenic in combination with vitamin c en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_benzoate and generally is pretty nasty anyway.

E122 - causes hyperactivity www.ukfoodguide.net/e122.htm

Ditto E110 www.ukfoodguide.net/e110.htm

How about a bit of strawberry jam mixed with the medicine? My daughter is a medicine-hater but goes wild for jam mixed with medicine. I know people worry about sugar but I'd rather give her something that's just fruit and sugar than something that's full of stuff you just don't know what it is.

Also, you know, jam is genuinely nice and calpol is minging.

Thanks for the suggestions but dd is just a bit wierd when it comes to fruity flavoured things - she loves fruit but doesn't like jam, or fruity sweets of any kind! and the flavour of calpol is just about the only thing 'fruity' tasting that she will have.

Hence I can't get other makes of medicine down her 'cos they might be orange or blackcurrant flavour etc.

29 - thanks for the info. but ref.the E122, as I said, regular calpol has this in it already. And yes, you're right, I think she would cotton on to the syringe thing!

i would contact calpol people (i know mummy brain, byt the pharmacy co) and ask, im sure martianbishop contacted them to ask if it was ok to mix calpol with yoghurt and they answered her

How about honey?

In Sainsbury's (and I assume other supermarkets) yOu can buy natural red food colouring, which uses a beetroot extract. Use it all the time to make pink icing! And it would be fine to add to Calpol etc. I hate chemical colours in medicine. My son is extremely sensitive to them.

was just going to say add natural food colouring, they have it in some health food shops too.

If a drop of food colouring avoids a big fight with a poorly and irrational small child, then I'd go for it! Pick your battles and all.

i usually have a drink lined up when giving nasty tasting medicine

not for me, i hasten to add

Thanks for the messages

Lurker - it's not the flavour she minds, she loves the taste of calpol, but I can't convince her that the clear ones are just the same as she's convinced they aren't. She is v.strong willed! And they probably do taste slightly different anyway but my thinking is once it's down it's done and she can have a drink of water afterwards to wash it down - obviously she doesn't see it that way.

By the same token sleepycat IME, with kids I've looked after as well as with my own, you will not get med down a child that is refusing to have it. Even if you get it in their mouth the likelihood is that it will be spit straight out again. I do say to her that if she won't have the med then the pain will stay and she will just have to put up with it, never changes her mind tho'! so I have to just leave it and watch her suffer - really frustrating when you kow that just a spoonful will help.

I'm inclined to go with those who have suggested using a natural food colouring, like mabanana says if it avoids the stress that's involved otherwise, it is probably worth it. DD's stress comes from getting worked up about not wanting to take it, mine comes from knowing she won't feel any better without it.

We had a very similar problem to you. DS wouldn't take antibiotics and no amount of bribery worked. Tried all sorts of daft ways of getting medicine in him until we resorted to adding red food colouring in a syringe to AB's and told him it was calpol. It worked!

Prior to this we had to ask doc for repeat prescription for AB's as DS just spat it out, if we managed to get it in his mouth.

I think you need to weigh the benefits of the medicine itself against the harm of the food colouring.

Thanks for that mummyineedyounow, I think you are right. Now I know it's been a definite success for someone else I'm gonna give it a go.