Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

Calpol refuser! Help!

27 replies

Coleman93 · 08/12/2022 21:01

Hi all

My 10mo totally refuses any oral paracetamol / ibuprofen and I’m in desperate need of some tips!

He spikes regular fevers, and it got to the point a couple of months ago that he was really out of sorts, and his temp wasn’t coming down because he kept vomiting the Calpol (he didn’t have a tummy bug he just threw up every time we tried to give him the calpol), that he was admitted into our local childrens ward and prescribed paracetamol suppositories. I’ve got some more from our local GP since (he’s had numerous fevers since then!) but I really want to try and get him to take it orally and stop the suppositories (on the advice of our GP).

I only treat the fever when he’s miserable too, which unfortunately he usually is when he’s running a fever.

Couple of points

  • we’ve tried different flavours
  • its like a gag reflex as soon as he swallows it, it comes back up
  • on the occasions he has vomited it back up he’s not actually had a vomiting bug, it’s literally just the medicine
  • we’ve tried blow on his face to make him swallow trick (nurse in a&e idea not mine!)
  • we’ve tried laying him back (another nurse on the childrens ward - just resulted in vomit flying up and hitting him in the face!)
  • we’ve tried mixing it with yoghurt
  • we’ve tried giving it REALLY slowly in the side of his mouth - 50/50 success rate there but takes forever
Anyone out there with similar experience and any tips to get him to swallow the stuff and keep it down!?!
OP posts:
Nat6999 · 08/12/2022 21:06

I mixed it in milkshakes & smoothies, ds could detect it in yoghurt or other drinks, also had something like chocolate buttons as bribery. Have you tried mashing strawberries & mixing it in?

oceanbleu · 08/12/2022 21:08

Squirt on top of yoghurt and feed a spoon of it along with some yoghurt.

oceanbleu · 08/12/2022 21:10

Oh sorry just seen you tried yoghurt! Mine was a refuser until he got old enough to 'help' so he would push the syringe himself and that works for us.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

9-12 months old Babies & sleep Children's health Families
Picklewicklepickle · 08/12/2022 21:10

I went down the suppository route, an absolute game changer ! You can get prescribed or buy from an online pharmacy, they’re pricey but was worth it till my dc was a toddler and happy to take Calpol again. So much easier and no fuss.

Thisislifefornow · 08/12/2022 21:11

When my son was young he would refuse calpol also, it went on until he was around 5. Before he began to take it he had to be prescribed suppositories in paracetamol form. It wasn't nice for him but when he was having high temps and not well it was the only way to bring it down. Like I said , completely outgrown it now and will even take tablets.

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 08/12/2022 21:12

Mix it with jam (with/without toast)

Crabbi · 08/12/2022 21:13

Suppository will work if you can’t mix it with anything else.

reallyworriedjobhunter · 08/12/2022 21:14

Yeah, suppositories

PerfectPrepPrincess · 08/12/2022 21:15

Xx

Calpol refuser! Help!
Calpol refuser! Help!
PerfectPrepPrincess · 08/12/2022 21:18

We also mix it in with their milk.
I've also snuck it in via syringe every 2 mins when sucking from milk bottle...you have to be super fast though for sticking it in and putting back the bottle.

MGee123 · 08/12/2022 21:59

Put it in a bottle of milk

DrMarciaFieldstone · 08/12/2022 22:01

Why do you have to get off the suppositories?

They are very expensive, has the GP given any other reason?

DC was same… we stuck to suppositories until he was 2.5 and able to be bribed to swallow calpol for chocolate!

Bogablob92 · 08/12/2022 22:05

My daughter used to vom magnificently with calpol or nurofen too. It did help to do it very, very gradually and into the cheek rather than anywhere near the throat, like literally over a ten minute period. We also put a tiny amount on her dummy bit by bit, again over ten minutes or so. I wish I’d known suppositories were available!

QuiltedHippo · 08/12/2022 22:07

Just stick with the suppositories, if you're ever in France then stock up they're about 2 euros a box instead of 20 quid here.
Around 18 months our LO started been OK.with calpol and loves it now so do persevere occasionally, letting them feel in control can help so playing with the syringe, mine liked dipping it in a cup of water then you could plunge a little in at a time

Allsnotwell · 08/12/2022 22:09

Put it on a spoon and press the spoon on their tongue - they have to swallow it.

Try it on your self first to get the pressure right.

mrsappletree9 · 08/12/2022 22:16

If your child still takes a bottle, trying putting it in a bottle teet and letting them suck it out as they lay back watching coco melon or something!

herbaltea21 · 08/12/2022 22:37

Calpol sepositaries.
My 2 year old won't take any medicine and he always spikes a fever when unwell.
The sepositaries have literally been a life saver!

Twinklenoseblows · 08/12/2022 22:38

Have you tried the sugar version of Calpol? Only one mine will take.

leithreas · 08/12/2022 22:40

Did the gp give a reason you should stop the suppositories? It's really normal to use them where I live. Ds was a refuser who had febrile convulsions, it was the only way to get his temp down.

wibblewobbleball · 08/12/2022 22:43

Use half a calpol fast melt, grind it into a powder with a spoon and tip under his tongue like teething powder, or dissolve in an drink.

Original poster
Coleman93 · 09/12/2022 13:02

Thanks all!

I can definitely try some of these, jam might be a good shout I think that’ll overpower the medicine, and maybe some kind of drink - he’s BF but drinks water with meals so I’m sure I could make something flavoured with expressed BM.

I think I’ll also ask for some more info from the GP as to why they want us to avoid the suppository if we can. I’m not sure why it is, but everyone we’ve spoken to have said oral is much preferred.. maybe just the cost but I assumed there was a medical reason!

OP posts:
Original poster
Coleman93 · 29/12/2022 16:37

for anyone watching/reading this I have enquired with the GP about why they want us to move away from suppositories - because the dosages are different and apparently don’t always work as well (60mg is the dose he’s currently on which jumps up to 125mg at age 1, whereas you can increase dosage of oral paracetamol earlier and change it up or down easier).

Currently struggling to get any suppositories anywhere in our area so wish me luck for the next time he spikes a fever!

OP posts:
WeAllLikeVindaloo · 30/12/2022 21:10

Full sugar calpol. It’s so much sweeter.

NoliteTeBastardesCarborundorum · 31/12/2022 22:37

Just for hope, my daughter was the same but around 12m realized she loved it and went from battling the syringe to crying when I put the cap back on.

Same suggestions as above, but found more.luck with a spoon than a syringe and have heard good things about hiding in chocolate aero yoghurt.

Notanotherusername4321 · 31/12/2022 22:46

I gave up. It was too hard to estimate if she’d had any, if I should give more etc.

back to good nursing care and riding it out. Light clothing, a light blanket, on the sofa watching tv and dozing. Lukewarm baths.

fluids. As much as they’d take. Lucozade for sugar, chocolate milk/milk if they’d take it. Ice poles, ice chips. Whatever food they’d eat.

keep an eye on the temp -as long as it didn’t go over 40.

I never did get her to take liquid meds. I taught her to take tablets as soon as she was able.

Swipe left for the next trending thread