Why won't they make formula milk flavour calpol for babies (just a rant)

[Mumoftwo1312]

Just that, really.

Yesterday DS had the jab that gives you a temperature (MenB I think it is), and it's lasting 24h, and the calpol is making him scream more than the jab did. He hates the taste of it. Before I give it to him he's calm (although with too high a temp) and then I give it to him and he's like wtf is this, why would you feed me this disgusting concoction. He barely ever cries ever! Only calpol makes him cry! Makes him scream for many minutes! And tbf it is a disgusting liquidised-fruit-gum faux strawberry flavour. Surely breastmilk flavour is not beyond the scope of big pharma? Just for pre-weaning babies, toddlers can have their strawberry flavour.

Just a rant really. Having a tough 24h

Do the own brand ones taste the same? My wish is that omeprazole tasted like calpol. Giving omeprazole is a battle every morning whereas mine cried when the calpol for the jabs was all gone! I am a sugar monster and hope I haven't created the same

Try nurofen?

I don't think they can do breastmilk flavour medicine. I think it's a step too far for them at the moment.

How old is your son? Both my kids have always loved calpol/nurofen, but they've had it from 8/12 weeks as allowed for all high temps, teething etc. We make a really big deal about how yummy it is etc, and they love it

The omeprazole battle is much worse than the calpol battle to be fair. You know you can get paracetamol suppositories prescribed? Ds would puke his calpol up until he was 3, we had to use the suppositories. I find it annoying you can't just buy them over the counter, or ibuprofen suppositories at all, in the UK - think you can in much of Europe.

Ah does your baby like calpol then! Haha both mine hated it as a baby so I assumed they all did.

Good tip about the own brand ones! I checked a few online just now and eg boots and asda ones are also strawberry.

If your baby likes the strawberry I guess maybe most do, that's why they make it!

I'm losing my mind slightly so I'll keep searching for other brands, that's a good tip

I'm not sure he's allowed nurofen as he's only 16w (it's the 16w jab he's had). In any case I myself am allergic to it so I'm afraid to give it to the kids

Calpol does a no flavour one. Ds hate sit as he wanted the strawberry one as usual. But it’s sugar free/ flavour free. No idea what it actually tastes like.

I didn't know this! I know they've got a colourless strawberry one (we've used that before but it tastes the same as the pink one).

Gonna try and find it online, thanks for the tip

Paracetamol has a bitter taste, I guess they are trying to cover that.

Because like most medicine the active ingredients taste vile, they need a strong flavour to mask that. Milk flavour won’t work.

@Mumoftwo1312 actually, maybe it was flavoured still? Just no colour? I don’t know, just Ds said it tasted horrid. We ran out of that after last fever so back to pink stuff

@Nov2023 did you know there are different brands of Omeprazole that must taste different. If I got the 1 brand I couldn't get a drop of it in either of my twins. But the other brand was still a battle but a little less so. I found which pharmacy's stocked the different brand then always got the prescriptions from there

Tesco own brand is a cherry flavour. My toddler is the same, hates calpol and always has. The cherry one she loves!

A temp in itself isn’t harmful. If he’s ok in himself don’t bother with Calpol. Light clothing, lukewarm baths to make him more comfortable etc.

mine would not take calpol. I didn’t bother in the end. Used nursing measures to make them more comfortable instead.

You give me hope lol! I too prefer cherry to strawberry so it stands to reason my baby will. Stands to reason

It’s worth a try!

You say formula milk then breastmilk, they don't taste the same! A breastfed baby would be unlikely to like the taste of formula at first. It also wouldn't cover the taste of the medication and could confuse the baby and put them off milk.

@Donimo I didn't realise there were different brands of omeprazole. I'll investigate before the next refill. Thanks!