teething since 3 months, cannot get ds to swallow calpol, please help new mum

[alibo]

I am a new mum and ds I think has been teething since 3 months, now 4.5. Tried 2.5 dose of calpol but cannot get him to swallow it, just spits it all out. Today tried eezimed dummy type dispenser, but still gagged and spat whole lot out. Tried three times and in end he was red faced inconsolable crying he'd got himself in such a state. Have already tried spoon and syringe, but same happens. Please help, does anyone have an easier way if he needs calpol!!

you can get sachets of powder for teething from Boots (camomilla), which will just dissolve.

Have you tried a medicine syringe? Your pharmacy should have them.

another vote for syringes.

Agree teething powders are very effective although can be difficult to put in mouth, i used to put DD's powders on her dummy but Ds takes his off the spoon.

R.E Calpol, put it in with her milk if bottle feeding, if not mix with a little boiled water and offer her it in a bottle. Thats how i got DD to take medicine and still have to do this aged 2. I found the syringes usless she just spat them out and the medicine dummy didnt work either. Good Luck

Syringe while they're asleep. That's how I gave ds2 his last dose of antibiotics all last week. Do it slowly and they just suck it like they think it's a bottle.

Sorry didnt spit the syringe out, just spat the medicine out.

Your DS may be too young but have you tried paracetamol suppositories? My DD used to make herself vomit when I gave her calpol but the suppositories worked a treat. Ask the doctor as you can get them on prescription - very expensive otherwise - £20 for 12

Thanks for replies, have tried syringe, but still spits it all out-beginning to think I am doing it wrong!! Bought the powders and anbesol to try, as gels were not doing anything.

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My DS will not take calpol, I've said before, cause it's pink. Speak to your HV to see if he can have Calprofen (ibuprofen, says from 6 months but worth the ask). Also try calgel or his teething gel on his dummy if he'll take one. Works a treat with DS.
HTH

My ds2 prefers Medised - he won't take Calpol. It's paracetomol based and can be used from 3 months.

good luck

I seriously doubt if its teething altough if he's unwell then you still need the same info. Anyone and everyone is willing to tell you that your baby is teething when they are very small. If nothing has come through in a month and a half it probably wasn't teething at all. Of course, teeth will come through (just before 5 mos for my DD which I thought was quite early) so those who claim its teething will, one day, be vindicated. If he's got a temp then obviously unwell but if its just crying, that's what babies do sometimes Maybe try some other calming techniques, massage, music etc? Also maybe try cranial osteopathy (lots of threads on MN).

My little girl spits anything like that out too. So I have to, and this isn't eactly nice, get her dad to hold hown her arms, tip her back slightly and syrringe it in. Sometimes that means having to kind of headlock her and semi pinch her nose! God that sounds awful! She doesn';t like it but the second we've finished she's all smiles agin so hopefully not scarring her for life!

I do sympathise it's the bane of my life as she has to take medicene a lot for her digestive system etc.

No Thomcat - we've done it too - anything to get the calpol in when necessary. We dripped it down the side of ds2's mouth so he has to swallow and lean him back just a bit - not flat! He actually now though will take it off the spoon and seems to quite like it. (still hates gripe water though)!

I've used a product called Disprol, which is soluble paracetamol stuff, with dd1 who wouldn't take it any other way but in a bottle with water. I found the trick with the syringe (with dd2 who wouldn't take a bottle!) was to get it in the side of the mouth right at the back (near where her back teeth would be if there were any) and put it in just a little at a time. She always spat it if I put in too much but would get it down eventually if I did it like that. I know its hard to do this when they're so little, but the only way I could do this was to sit on the ground, lie her on the ground with her head between my legs so I could hold her still with my legs so I could use both hands to get the syringe in the right spot. HTH

Mine got through teething largely on Dentinox gel and I kept the Calpol etc for when they really were distressed by it or otherwise unwell. Suppositories work well as an alternative and they are absorbed pretty quickly. Agree with Davros that it is unlikely to just be teething over such a long period and so young.

A 5 months my son cut 3 teeth in 3 days. He's still only on the boob so doesn't take kindly to the strange taste/sensation of Calpol either. Tried the homeopathic granules from Boots and strangely enough he opens his little mouth and lets me sprinkle them in then grins - go figure??

Our DD was exactly the same. I can remember at one stage having to wrap her in a towel (similar to what you have to with a cat sometimes!) to stop her spitting and thrashing around. Doesn't calpol stick to everything so much? - I wish that someone would invent a better top for it! Anyway that was 5 years ago and just to say that after a period of time she got to like the taste and now loves it big time- especially as it's pink!! Hang in there, I'm sure that it will improve.

LIZS beat me to it! I was also going to suggest suppositories if you have real problems.

My dd loves the taste of Nurofen, and since we changed to full-fat Calpol, we haven't looked back- the sugar-free stuff is vile- I wouldn't drink it!

nelsons 'teetha' has worked for my ds (homeopathic granules) similar to kiwicath - my ds2 also sticks his tongue and waits for them.
my ds2 also is immediately soothed when i give him an ice lolly - you can make your own with lolly moulds - water and fresh juice. make sure they're quite slushy to reduce choking hazard

I'd second the syringe technique xoz described. Aim for inside the cheek and slightly towards the back.

So pleased to hear that some of you guys go to the length I do to get medicine down. LOL at wrapping child in towel much the same as giving the cat a worming tablet - been there and one that!

We do the stringe in our house too, dh calls it his 'Victorian Method'. Hate doing it but she always licks her lips afterwards.

I have found that dd is used to Calpol being pink and when we try anything that is clear (Nurofen, Mediced) she won't have it.

Try a generic paracetamol syrup as they come in different flavours. DS1 never liked calpol but like Boots' orange flavoured one. I think Lloyds is cherry, Boots do orange and strawberry flavours and can't remember what flavour Tescos is.