Following on from the other thread... why why why don't parents get the choice here whether they want to give liquid paracetamol or suppositories?

[emkana]

I just don't get it!!!

Hmm My doctor gave me suppositories

I tried it

but

they are

SUPPOSITORIES

It was a choice between a few E-numbers and shoving a bloody great squidgy plug up an Uncomfortable Place while DD squealed like a pig - frankly the E numbers did not seem so bad

I did it ONCE

why would you want a suppository when you have a choice of taking the medicine through the mouth!

Because with a baby/small child it's possible to give the suppository while they are sleeping without them even noticing

while I have never ever been able to get Calpol into my dd's because they screamed and shouted and spat it out if I just squirted it in

i have been asked if I wanted suppositories for dd. I said no.
why would you need them(honest question)

Pathetic as it sounds I don't think I could face giving DD a suppository!

And what about the middle of the night dose up whens he is ill, I can do a syringe in the mouth in the dark...not a good idea with a suppository.

I just don't understand why we need medicine with e numbers and shit in it. I always get the prescription paracetemol, it isn't pink so seems better than calpol (plus it's free...)

May I just quote martianbishop from the other thread

"emkana, we just don't have the 'history' in the UK of taking medicines via the rectal route.

It is very eaily absorbed via that route, and avoids the problems with children vomiting/ spitting the stuff out. It can also help to prevent tummy upsets, but the UK is very suppository-phobic"

It would just be optional, you know, you wouldn't have to give it that way.

But I would like to be able to choose without having to go to the GP first.

Though I have to say that,in the interest of ballence, poor dh was given them when he was very poorly and his view was , 'Never again, while I've still got breath in my body'

I wouldn't use them as an adult either.

And not on my dd's now, they are six and four

Just when they are very small

I think that offerening a choice would be a good thing. I'm not sure if the drug companies would do it though, given the resistance to the use of suppositories in the UK (No pun intended)

Not sure they would make enough money out of a small market

I had them for dd1 when she had a temp and was vomiting and she cried so much I couldn't do it.

Emkana, in Italy it's quite common to be given suppositories, both for children and adults. they work much faster. I used them when the dc were little, but now they've got used to have calpol.

My eldest son had suppositories for pain relief after an op as an infant and I found them very easy to use with a little dab of vaseline on the end.

Frankly, they really are the answer to kids medicine IMO.

Our pharmacy had to order them in and our family GP had to look them up in a big book before he could write the prescription.

and I'll come clean and say that when pg and constipated, the best answer was a glicerine suppository

My ds (severe ASD) was given suppositories in hospital because they couldn't get him to take medication and he was getting seriously unwell.

A friend of mine with an ASD son has been offered a course so she can be trained to give her ds suppositories if he needs them.

I would really hate the thought of having to give my ds suppositories BUT I know that neither I nor the hospital can get medication into him any other way. Thankfully he is a healthy lad and has only needed medication the 1 time (he is 6) If it is the best and only way of making my child well then I would use them for him.

mb actually lots of drugs are made as suppositaries as well as oral versions. As you say they are well absorbed and if you want to get into certain far East markets they have to be formulated as a suppositary as they think the same about oral meds as we do about suppositaries ...

actuall would have solved my problems getting medicine into DD3 - since having flucloxacillin combined with 12+ oral ulcers a few weeks ago she has a pathological hate of medicine....

We are uptight about putting things up our bottoms.

dd2 had suppostries when she was very ill with brocholitis. was very quick way to get her temperature down. i thought they were hospital issue only. if only i had known then we could get them, as calpol made her be sick every time.

It doesn't actually hurt the child unless you're a total ham at putting them in. I must admit to being a bit nervous the first time I used one on my DD who was only a few weeks old, but I didn't want to show myself up as an ignoramous in front of health professionals so got on with it and was surprised how easy it was. They're rather ergonomically shaped and slip in quite easily.

In Germany they're so cheap as well... less than a euro for 10...

I prefer suppositories.

You can easily pop one in when they sleep, when you change a nappy, if they have a tummy bug it wont come out with vomiting. You are certain the dose is correct, will not be spat out, it is easy to carry with you if you have to travel, it works faster. It simply is just much better. I always stock up when I am home.

Misdee (do you object to me calling you that?) we discovered on the other thread that they are expensive (£16 for 10 IIRC) when paid for so push for a prescription...

Yes, I do have a stock of Italian suppositories (paracetamol) as well...

We've used suppositories with dd in the past, who's very refluxy at the best of times. Once I'd got past the yuk factor of having to administer them I thought they were magic, as I could be guaranteed that her temp would come down very quickly, and there's no way that she could yak them back up. I agree emkana, I wish there was an over the counter choice.