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Original poster

2.5 year old with temperature - won't take calpol

17 replies

kayleigh · 24/10/2003 19:47

My ds2 has a cold and a bit of a temperature - it's 100.9 with is just over the normal top end range of 100.4 according to my thermometer. Have tried to give him calpol by spoon but he insists he won't have it. Tried to give it to him by syringe with dh holding him down and he just chokes it back up again to the point he was almost sick. He got in a real state about it so we tried to fool him and put it in his milk but he wouldn't drink it ( too smart for his own good !).

Any other ideas? If his temperature rises how else do i get it down if i can't get some calpol or medised inside him ?

OP posts:
coppertop · 24/10/2003 19:54

What about hiding it in a drink he's not quite so familiar with and sees as a treat? Then he wouldn't notice the different taste. Good luck in any case.

codswallop · 24/10/2003 19:56

we had exactly this and with medicine too. he grew out of it and still has to have squash in his hand before he will take it.

Suppose you have tried sweets as a bribe? def ditchthe stringe - we reckon in hindsight this was the prob. try medised of nurofen instead?

coppertop · 24/10/2003 19:58

Also try a tepid bath, a fan if you have one, or even just taking his clothes off.

littlerach · 24/10/2003 20:00

kayleigh, my dd was the same last time that she had a temp. It is so frustrating, but the more of an issue you make of it, the less likely they are to take it, and the next time. We stripped dd off to just her pants and vest, which is what they do if you take them to casualty. Also, a cool flannel on forehead or back of neck. A cold drink of water may help. Even a lukewarm bath if this does not work. Last resort, take them to emergency doctor. Maybe if you let him do it himself with the syringe? Good luck!!!!!!

doormat · 24/10/2003 20:01

hi kayleigh my 2 and a half year old has come down with a similar virus the last couple of days.

Phoned doc before to ask if there was a virus going around and she replied yes, one with a high temp.

Advice from her was plenty of fluids,calpol, cool baths or sponging down if he gets too hot. If it lasts a few days take up to docs to get checked out.
HTH

codswallop · 24/10/2003 20:03

btw if he needs antibiotics we discovered there is one beginning with an x that they only take 3 times

Original poster
kayleigh · 24/10/2003 20:43

Thanks for all your advice. I'm a mother so of course i tried sweets as a bribe I even went as far as hollowing out a malteser and sticking some calpol inside. But he wanted to put it in his mouth himself so all the calpol fell out and he got all upset as it went everywhere.

It's been a very traumatic evening
He's asleep now but if his temperature goes up will do the fan and cool sponge bath.

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 24/10/2003 22:20

There was a thread about this some time ago and it may be worth searching for it...anyway...my ds used to get high (104/105) temps with ear infections which he got with every cold, so we had lots of experience with getting calpol (which didn't work) and nurofen (which did) down him. We gave up on spoons very early on as they were too easy to spill. The syringes were great. We acted like he was getting a sweet and let him suck on the syringe rather than sqirting it out for him. We turned it into a game too(daddy pretending to drink it too, etc. etc.) and refilled the syringe many times with water after giving the medicine so that he could play at giving himself medicine. Once he was comfortable with the syringe awake (might even be worth trying it with sugar water when he's not sick so that he's used to it when there's not a panic on), it was easy to get him to suck on it in his sleep if we need to give him stuff in the middle of the night. This is also useful for cough medicine. Good luck.

Batters · 25/10/2003 18:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mears · 26/10/2003 01:36

kayleigh - try giving nurofen instead - it is a smaller dose than calpol and lasts longer. My children preferred Disprol when they were little - it wasn't as thick as Calpol.

robinw · 26/10/2003 05:42

message withdrawn

bluecow · 27/10/2003 13:05

Medised in a strawberry milkshake?

survivour · 29/10/2003 00:22

I have 3boys, the oldest who is 9years old, he will not take calpol at all. So the Doctor has prescribed paracetamol suppositries, he will not take any medicines, so whan he is laying down, he has them in his bottom. And it works very quickly. At 20months old he had a febrile convulsion, so I will take no chances with his health.

Tillysmummy · 29/10/2003 08:06

Hi Kayleigh, my dd has always had high temps since she was born whenever she gets a virus (2yrs old). The thing you must avoid is making them shiver because that causes the body to warm up (that's why we shiver) and the temperature rises. So just strip all clothes off and keep them in a cool but not cold room. In terms of taking the medicine. Can't really give you any better advice than you've had re how to get him to take the medicine. Good luck.

BigBird · 29/10/2003 09:30

was also going to mention paralink suppositories. Haven't used them myself but know lots of people who swear by them - takes all the mess out of administering paracetemol. You can get them over the counter here (Irl)....not sure where you are ?

Original poster
kayleigh · 30/10/2003 13:32

Thankfuly this time his temperature went down by itself. I am in the UK and I'll ask in my local chemist about the suppositories as would like to have something to hand if he gets a fever again.
Thanks so much

OP posts:
Blu · 30/10/2003 13:35

Kayleigh, LOL, picturing you filling a malteser...:0

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