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Original poster

Impossible to give medicine to - is there any point seeing GP?

43 replies

Thomcat · 21/02/2006 09:33

Lotbags is truly Snotbags.
She got a couple of weeks ago, I hoped it would clear up in half term, she always has a cold this time of year, it's jusy one of those things.

She then got a deep, loose chesty cough.
Seemed fine in herself.
Then on Sunday she was v hot and up most of night and teary.
Kept her at home yesterday. Took 2 adults to pin her down to give her calpol and baby nerofen.
Again seems fine in the day, bit tired obviuosly.
Again last night she was in with this by 2am and didn't really go back to sleep.
Seems fine again now, not really up for her usual breakfast but has eaten and is chatting and laughing.

She's 4 and has down's syndrome so can't have a conversation about how she feels.

If i take her to a gp he'll just prescribe antibiotics and I'll come home and for the next 3 days i'll try and get it down her but to no avail, no matter what we do. I might get 1/2 ml of the 5mls down her.

Is there any point?
Am I being a terrible mother not taking her to a gp?

I can get calpol down, eventually but have to reload the syringe 3 times to get about 5mls into her and we end up having to wrap a towel round her, hold her arms down and hold her nose till she opens her mouth. It's so upsetting and traumatic. I'm hard and I get it done as quickly and calmly as it's possible to do in this horrid situation but.....

OP posts:

chapsmum · 22/02/2006 20:59

I know shes four, but would she suck a dummy?
The med admin dummys are fab!

Also consider giving her a smaller amount of the higher dose syrup, you can actually get ones from america where she would only need to take one ml, but 2.5 of the 6+would be fine.

Would she drink a dispersible talet flavoured with juice??
Could work out the amount to give her if you think it would work, makes water fizzy so she might like it??

chapsmum · 22/02/2006 21:09

disprol do a 120mg dispersible tablet, might be worth a try, looks non medicine like and tastes like fizzy juice..
hth

chapsmum · 23/02/2006 11:53

Calpol also do the melt in the mouth tablets, They are six plus but I could work out the dose she could get for you if you feel it would help,

How are you getting on??

Original poster

Thomcat · 23/02/2006 19:52

Thanks for your posts Another horrid day really, poor little mite I took her to my mums for the day, thought the change of scenery would be good for her, curl up on her nanas sofa with mummy, nana etc but nooooooooooooooo!
She's sleeping now and if by the weekend this isn't over I think I'll have no choice but to see a GP. Hope it doesn't come to that - 5ml of anything 3 times a day is just not worth thinking about.

Chapsmum - higher dose medicine is worth a go.
When you talk about american medicines, how do you mean?
I suppose we could give the dummy a go, she's never had one as she never took to it. It might work as a one off but she'd wise up and blank it. Anyway she holds the medicine in her throat and won't swallow it so....!

Melt int he mouths...... well deffo worth a try. Can't see it working but anything is worth a shot. The stuff that dissolves in a drink didn't work, she took one sip and blanked it.

Thanks everyone.

Oh and btw 9 week old DD2 was burning up earlier! she's sleeping now though.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 23/02/2006 20:01

Aw, Thom! Most sincere empathy to you. DD1 will NOT take meds. At all. She also makes herself throw them up once we force them down.

Hope she gets better soon!

chapsmum · 23/02/2006 22:05

the dose of paracetamol for 1-5 year olds is 20 mg per kilogram every six hours.
A four year old of average weight would prob be ok to have 250 mg every six hours.
Standard dose for calpol is 120mg per 5 mls for the under six formulation
over six is 250 mg per 5 mls
some american doses will do 250 mg is 1-2 mls. Same dose smaller quantity. Think the melt in the mouths are 250 mg so one tab would be fine, but check with the pharmasist of the dose.

Pixel · 23/02/2006 22:34

Really feel for you Thomcat, it's horrible isn't it? Not only is it distressing but it's amazing the mess one small spoonful of Calpol can make!

We've tried everything to get antibiotics etc into ds but even with 2 of us we can't manage it. Even if we can pin him down he holds the stuff in his throat for ages. He won't eat anything 'wet' like yoghurt or fromage frais either . I've got to the stage where I don't even try but I live in dread of him having a serious illness. Still, I can keep the suppositories idea in reserve now can't I? .

Hope your poor littl'un feels better soon.

batters · 24/02/2006 08:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chapsmum · 24/02/2006 10:20

how was your night thomcat, The wee chap was up out of sympathy!

miabl2 · 24/02/2006 16:53

Didn't read whole thread but I give my 1 year old anibiotics using a small amount of fruit puree I keep the jar in the fridge so that it's freezing cold and he has no idea, he also can't taste anything cause its sooo cold and actually helps his throat if that's sore too. Checked with GP and he said this was absolutely fine and wouldn't alter the anibiotic in any way.

Original poster

Thomcat · 26/02/2006 09:54

Hi all, well Lot bags is back to her lully self just a horrid cough.
But spent Friday afternoon and evening in hospital with Eve.
Took her for her routine check and mentioned she had a bit of a temperature and it was 39.1 so they made me go straight to the hossie. 7 hours and some traumatic blood tests later we were back at home!

OP posts:

chapsmum · 26/02/2006 10:01

how aweful!!!
glad to hear shes on the mend. A cube of her fav jelly desolved in hot water will sort that cough out and she shouldn't argue about taking that!!!!

Original poster

Thomcat · 26/02/2006 22:06

Ohhhh well she's never had jelly but sounds like a fab idea, well done for a top tip and will try it tomorrow.

OP posts:

chapsmum · 26/02/2006 22:07

no probs hope you both get a break soon
X

chipmonkey · 26/02/2006 22:17

Thomcat! No real advice, just tea and sympathy!

Original poster

Thomcat · 26/02/2006 22:18

Thanks mate Lottie was really lovely today, she couldn 't have got any funnier and cheekier and Eve is still smiling and being generaly gorgeous so it really isn't all bad . It's just D and the man flu that is doing my head in!
Thanks for the jelly idea again, sounds really nice actually, worth trying just so i get to have a go

OP posts:

Sarahx2005 · 26/02/2006 22:23

She's probably just as well to fight it off herself. I've been reading that it's far better to let their own bodies fight off the bugs, it makes their immune system much stronger. It says we shouldn't try and suppress what the body is trying to do naturally by introducing interfering medicines.
Hope she's feeling better soon.
HUGS.
Sarah x

chapsmum · 26/02/2006 22:40

sarah as much as I agree with letting nature take its course. Not all children have such strong capable immune sysem, I belive what you should promote is a mother natural instic of how well their child is.
As I've said before a prolonged high temp is dangerous, be careful of what you read and the source you come from, it is not always thoughrouly medically investigated.

I agree that antibiotics for the cold are not the best course of action but sometimes are very neccessary.

I'm sure your comments were very well intended but every child is different, has different circumstances and things you read should allways be taken in the context they are read, they are not universally transferable

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