Child refusing medicine

[TeasndToast]

So I have 2 sick children at home. One of them, a two year old absolutely refuses to take Calpol, anti biotics, iboprofen etc.

I have tried mixing it in yoghurts, hiding it in milk shake, blavcurrant drinks, you name it. She KNOWS!

Trouble is we are now on day 5 and she’s still in bed burning up. I don’t want to go to the doc to be told “it’s just a virus it will clear” (I know it will) but I don’t know how to help her. Any suggestions?

Which Calpol are you using? Strawberry with sugar seems to be the most preferred.
Have you got another adult at home? Can you explain she needs it and she can do it herself, or mummy will do it?
If needed you might need to strong arm her with another adult. Point syringe at inside cheek.

Have choc buttons or something nice ready for afterwards. Go with bribery!!

Thanks London, I didn’t actually realise there was another flavour! What a great idea I may be able to hide that.

Her dad is home in the evening but I’ve taken the day off so on my own for now. That said, he’s not much use as he tried to strong arm her and she threw up all over him so no more forcing.

I shall definitely try a different flavour and bribery. I did have the ‘talk’ but she just screamed ‘noooo’ at me

Are you worried about her at all? Because if not, then just treat the fever with cool drinks and very light clothes and wait for it to pass. Sit her in a tepid bath to play and just wait for her body to do its job.

You can get paracetamol as a suppository but I’d imagine that at 2 years old you’d have as much of a fight with that as you would drinking the liquid! I had to give DD paracetamol suppositories as a baby. Now she’s 18 months I’m afraid I just have to do like PP said and strong arm it in. Sit her on my lap facing away, one arm around her to hold her arms down, the other to squirt the syringe into her cheek pouch. It’s not pleasant but if she needs medicine, she needs medicine.

I’m not worried as such. My husband is. I think it’s more the length of time it’s been going on. I know what it is as I’ve had the same. But adults just take paracetamol and get on with it. I think the suppositories would be last resort. She’s nearly 3 I don’t think she’d forgive and forget.

If she's had a fever for 5 days she should see a doctor as there could be an underlying infection.

I just reckon if they are feisty enough to fight you then they can manage without Calpol-but I'm pretty old school.........

Wouldn’t worry too much about the calpol. But the antibiotics are a worry.

They taste vile though. Maybe some sort of reward chart, or actual reward, for each dose?

She hasn’t been prescribed anti biotics but from previous experience, she won’t take them either so not sure much point going docs.

I agree with Bertrand Russel. She seems fine for some hours in the day, then back to burning up and miserable at other times. But she can run like the wind if she sees or hears the word ‘medicine’ so can’t be on deaths door.

I have to be honest and say I'm a bit firm with stuff like this. Hold them tightly, syringe of calpol/what ever in the cheek and towards the back, and blow in their face (which induces a swallow reflex)

It is very rare that a dose of Calpol is important enough to struggle physically with a child about.

yep what Scotinoz said I have done it a few times too they dont like it but its over in a few seconds and a nice bit of chocolate sorts it out after.