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Original poster

Any tips for getting Calpol into 2yr old - desperate!

21 replies

Flippetyflip · 18/02/2018 10:23

Hi all, any tips for getting Calpol or ibuprofen into a very resistant 2yr old. He usually takes it ok but has a very sore throat so isn't eating anything and is only occasionally having small amounts of milk or sips of water. We have tried pinning him down and although we got a bit into him on one occasion it just let to choking and then vomiting. He's not drinking enough to mix it in with a drink. We've had an awful night and we're now stuck in front of Peppa pig with him intermittently crying and holding his mouth. Any bright ideas would be really appreciated!

OP posts:
Chifi · 18/02/2018 10:26

Use a suppository. My little one would just spit out medicine in his mouth. Suppositories are brilliant.

Desmondo2016 · 18/02/2018 10:33

We use suppositories. Expensive to buy in this country (17 pound for a pack of 6 doses) but we get them on prescription when desperate but mainly get friends and family to buy them abroad at every opportunity (about 1 pound for 6 doses)

insancerre · 18/02/2018 10:35

Pinch his nose
Then when he opens his motuh to breathe, syringe it in to his cheek

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DunnoWhy · 18/02/2018 10:41

A small squirt of Calpol followed by a bit of water.
His favourite teddy or dog soft toy takes one pretend squirt at the same time. If his teddy does it first, he hopefully want to do it too?

Bribing with a favourite drink with it or after?

After you managed to give one little squirt if you hold his nose for a short while, he'll quickly swallow it as an automatic reflex, without gagging. It takes a little practice but it works. Having said that it's the last resort as nobody likes their nose being blocked even if it's only for three seconds.
Good luck.

By the way our GP suggested that we can give anything to make a child drink when he has to drink. I know your problem is not dehydration but when dd had an awful cold and sore throat and stopped eating, drinking our GP suggested that we she can have Mini Milk ice cream sticks to bribe her or ice lollies. Even with sore throat and a cold. After all, Mini Milk ice cream sticks have very good percentage of milk. So really not at all bad.

ShovingLeopard · 18/02/2018 10:41

Does he understand if you explain the consequences of not doing it? My 2.6 month old is the same, but recently had to have a blood test. Unfortunately this was very traumatic for her, but it does mean we can now explain she might have to go to hospital if she doesn't take it. She now swallows the medicine, and then we let her have some apple juice afterwards to take the taste away. Feels a bit mean, but if the alternative is a 40 degree + temp and agony, it seems a fair trade-off.

Nightfall1983 · 18/02/2018 10:44

Will he take a bottle? I have to give 2 year old DD all meds through a bottle teat otherwise they get spat - no amount of cheeky syringing or nose holding will make a difference.

user1471546359 · 18/02/2018 11:56

Sometimes they drink it off a spoon if not through the syringe? Otherwise bribe with a treat after?

user1471546359 · 18/02/2018 11:57

Or find the Peppa episode where they all get a cough and have to drink some medicine... then get one of his teddies to be Dr Brown Bear to give him the medicine?

WitchDancer · 18/02/2018 12:01

Squirt it into the cheek rather than down the throat and hold their nose until they swallow. It never failed me and I had one that spat it out until I learned the technique.

I also agree to ice lollies to get liquid into them, plus it will help smooth the throat.

Original poster
Flippetyflip · 18/02/2018 12:17

Hi everyone, first chance I've had to respond. Thanks for all the tips. I didnt realise you could get the suppositories without prescription, so that is really useful to know. We tried some of the gentler techniques with teddies etc but he was in too much of a state for anything to work. We tried explaining to him why he needed it, didn't work. We offered him a mini milk, milk, water, all of which he refused. He was in such a state, drooling, refusing all drinks DH decided to force again. We squirted into his cheek (as we have tried previously) but this time we managed to get 2/3rd of a dose of calpol and no vomiting. I guess this really helped to take the edge off the pain as after a while he willing took the rest of the dose and has since had a bottle of milk and is now napping- phew! I think we'll need to keep him regularly dosed up to prevent him getting in such a state again. Thanks again for all the tips. May have to get some of the suppositories for the next emergency!

OP posts:
HollyBollyBooBoo · 18/02/2018 12:26

So shocked by the use of force to get medicine into a child! Poor kid will be scared for life!

ShovingLeopard · 18/02/2018 12:40

So what do you suggest if all the gentler methods have failed, Holly?

BeeMyBaby · 18/02/2018 13:12

Also a wee bit of chocolate button sometimes helps, as they don't want to spit out the chocolate bit even if they have the medicine.

insancerre · 18/02/2018 13:53

Holly
Scarred for life?
Hardly
My 29 year old has just loaded the dishwasher, tidied the kitchen and swept the floor, ' so I don't have to"
This is despite me forcing him to take his medicine as a toddler

Original poster
Flippetyflip · 18/02/2018 15:33

holly forcing a toddler to take medicine is only the same thing as me 'forcing' him to hold my hand when we cross the road, or 'forcing' him to wear a sun hat or indeed sunscreen. He has tantrums about all of the above, but as his parent and 34yrs his senior I deem it my responsibility to do what is in his best interests!

OP posts:
Situp · 18/02/2018 15:36

Does he use a dummy? You can get dummies with a chamber for meds which they then suck. It put them in control and also means if they drop it or refuse it, the meds don't end up all over the floor.

Neither of my older 2 had dummies but both took meds with them.

LilyWasThere · 18/02/2018 15:42

Dip the syringe into water then sugar so it's coated. They're so busy getting to the sugar that the medicine goes in before they notice.

Have a very resistant antibiotic taking 2 year old & figured that getting the medicine in took priority over how we got it in there!

nicknamehelp · 18/02/2018 15:51

Not sure how u work it out but in hospital my dd had six plus calpol but a reduced amount so it meant she didnt have to have so much.

NameChange30 · 18/02/2018 15:53

Another vote for suppositories. You can get paracetamol suppositories on prescription from the GP. Ibuprofen is harder to get hold of but in Ireland you can buy Nurofen suppositories over the counter, so if you know anyone who lives there or is going, you could ask them to buy some for you.

MacaroniPenguin · 18/02/2018 16:31

Probably no good for tonight but some pharmacies sell cherry flavour paracetamol syrup which my calpol hater loved. Lloyds and asda used to have it but I'm out of date.

You can also try mixing it with like 1 oz of strong ribena. The sugar idea sounds like a great idea. Hope he is better soon OP.

ShovingLeopard · 18/02/2018 16:53

Ooh, the sugar-coated syringe and the getting the older syrup are both genius ideas!!

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