Throwing up Calpol!

[NotQuiteCockney]

DS2, 5.5m, exclusively breastfed, has some sort of a cold. He's been pretty crabby for the last 24 hours or so, and had a bit of a temperature (37 or 38).

So I've tried ggiving calpol. Getting it down him is a real struggle, as he seems to just dribble it back out. The two times he's taken it today, he's thrown it all back up five or ten minutes later. It does seem to be helping, his temperature has dropped.

Can calpol get absorbed that quickly? This isn't an allergy, is it? He's not swelling up or getting a rash or anything. He does seem to have the runs, a bit, too. He is a pretty pukey baby, generally, so vomiting isn't that surprising, but this seems so ... targetted ...

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, he's got a gurgly throat too, although he seems to be breathing ok. When do I to the GP? He is still drinking, and peeing nice and clear.

[KathH]

cant really help but my 5 month old has exactly the same - he's a puker as well, he has reflux, so am not sure whether its usual sick or poorly sick. has had runs for couple of days. no temp yet but dd2 has pretty nasty bug which i'm really hoping he's not caught - am going to gp tomorrow.

[Caribbeanqueen]

Hi NQC, my dd had a similar problem when she was tiny. A couple of times we gave her baby Nurofen just after she had been fed (breastfed) and she threw it back up straight away with all the milk as well. We stopped giving her medicines straight after milk and she was fine then.

A month or so ago she had some Calpol and Nurofen after her afternoon milk (she's 23 mths now) and she threw the lot up. Just to be on the safe side, I checked with NHS Direct and they said that even though the whole lot came back up, it was best not to give anymore until the required time had passed for giving another dose, just in case.

Sorry, this doesn't answer your question about whether it could be an allergy, just thought I'd mention about our experience in case it is similar and let you know about next doses.

[flic23]

hi my DS 13 months had really bad cold with throat infection. He had little appetite for anything other than milk and yogurt but when he had his bedtime bottle he was sick and i mean the projectile variety (why does it treble in volume when it comes up)it took three nights of this to realise it was the calpol after his bottle that caused it. He had had calpol before with no probs so i think it was a combination between it and the cold, what with all the coughing and phlghem it was too much for his little tummy

[Easy]

Just to let you know, my ds (now aged 5) always chucked up after Calpol, just didn't get on with it at all (and according to our HV, that's not terribly unusual)

He was fine with junior nurofen tho'. I wouldn't give any medicines just after a feed tho, esp if you're giving it by syringe (the only way ds would have medecine)

[Prufrock]

IT just means he doesn't like a viscous liquid in his tummy when he's already full ogf snot. You should be able to paracetomol suppositories from your local pharmacy (call first though because they seomtimes don't have them in stock). It is very easy to shove them up their bums, doesn't hurt at all - my 2 don't even notice, and the drugs get to work even quicker when given rectally.

[psychomum5]

My DD3 used to have that prob with calpol...but then she had bad reflux, so didn't help.
The advice I was given then was this....

If she throws up immediately, then give half a dose more, or try nurofen as that can be given in conjuction with calpol without harm.
If she threw up more than 5mns later, then she would have absorbed some, so more can be given until the 4hrs are up.
It takes 20-30mins for calpol to work, so don't panic if temp doesn't come down immediately.

If you are still worried, go to the docs, or phone NHS direct.

My DD3 was given suppositries (SP?), and they worked really well, once you get over the idea of sticking it up their bum (took me a while on that!).

On the allergy front...DD3 is also now allergic to the calpol that is the chemists own (not the actual branded one), and the signs are itchy lips and tongue.

hope this helps...xxxx

[psychomum5]

sorry...should spell check

meant that no more can be given until required 4hrs are up

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, it's good to hear that other people have had the same problem, even if nobody knows why!

He's mostly had calpol before feeds, because after a feed, he's asleep, so it's not a full tummy thing.

Suppositories are worth considering if it gets worse, certainly. I'm not bothered by the idea, whatever works. I'll probably get some, just in case he starts getting a proper fever at some point.

I'm ok with doses, as I'm only giving him 2.5ml at a time, rather than the full 5m. Can't give iboprofen yet, as that's only from 6 months, I think.

It's weird how different kids are. DS1 never gets fever, and never throws up, so we're in entirely new territory for us!