How to get a 2yr old to take medicine - im so exhausted.....

Me and DH have had an awful 2 days.......DD temp up to 39 on Wed night. We encourage and offer her panadol - in a syringe, in a medicine cup, in a normal cup - but she refuses to take it (orally). I went to chemist yesterday and got supositries (sp?) in panadol and some ky jelly. DH and i psyched ourselves up for the task yesterday arvo, but she screamed the house down when she realised what daddy was doing. I tried it, no good. SO...ran up to chemist and bought another flavour in panadol - will taste this flavour, but its still a force and struggle with her.

4am this morn her temp 39.4 !!!! We were up till 6am this morn trying to get her to have the medicine - my god we were offering maltesers at this stage if she had her medicine.

We had to force it down her, and i know im tired, but its so heartwrenching when your little girl screams out 'mummy stop' like she's being hit or something. I was crying and DH was upset. She's due again in another hour for another dosage. I know kids in general dont like medicine (i didnt), but its so hard to reason with a 2yr old. In 30 seconds it will be all over and the medicine taken, but it ends up in a 2hr ordeal.

I took her to docs this morn. Temp was 38 - he said to keep giving panadol, keep fluids up.

Im exhausted - any tips????

Hi Mbear

You poor thing.

Most kids hate medicine as you are finding out. One tip is to make it not medicine. Try mixing it with something she likes to drink. Make a panadol milk shake. Add it to cordial.

Hope some of this helps.

Oh Mbear you poor thing. I put it into Ryley's drink when he wont have it. Thatt way, like Alan said, he has no idea.

HUGS to you

I'm not sure if these really work, but have you thought about those natural remedy lollipops? (maybe they are just rip offs, i don't know). My 18mth old DD will not take any kind of pain relief, and I have tried EVERY KIND (but i will not subject her to suppositories) and if you can get it in her mouth, she will throw it straight back up, which means I have to spend a night with a tepid sponge to reduce her fever. I feel for you both!!

cheers, sherieb

I have HUGE problems getting Hudson to take most medicines too. It usually takes two of us to hold him down and get it into his mouth, and then often it is spat back out at us. Panadol is one he will not take, however I bought some neurofen just recently when he was teething and have found he will actually take it, and even open his mouth willingly if I didn't get it all out of the syringe the first time. Obviously to him it just tastes nice so he is happy to have it, but this is the only medicine he will happily take. You may have already tried it, so if so just ignore, but just a suggestion in case you haven't, as neurofen is also meant to treat pain and fever. HTH.

Thanks for your advice - all of you.

DH went out for xmas drinks tonight, so i was left with the 'medicine ordeal'. It took 20 mins, and rather than promise her chocolate, or an iceblock, i said i would read her lots of books. Her eyes seemed to light up and after 20 mins, she took it in her hand, and slowly sipped it out of the syringe (i thought i was going to wet myself). I nearly jumped on her when i saw the syringe empty. Bed time was a bit later tonight, due to the book reading marathon, but i think it had to do with DH not being there ("if i dont take this medicine, who will i turn to for a cuddle" kind of thing) and i think the book promise worked.

Just out of interest SherieB, why no supositries (sp?). The whole notion afterwards made me feel ill, i would be interested in your thoughts.

X

When I was a kid, before they had 'children's' panadol, my Mum used to take a quarter (or half, depending on age) disprin and crush it to powder between two spoons then mix it in with a teaspoonful of strawberry jam. We'd just eat the jam off the spoon and wash it down with a drink of water.

Kerrie

Just a quick note

Disprin ( aspirin) is not reccomended for children under 2 years old.

Agreed, but is there any reason why this couldn't be done with a small quantity of panadol?

Kerrie

I think because of the mg dose, there is a possibility of overdosing with panadol & the results are awful aren't they? :-k

I also use the Brauer's homeopathic medicine for pain & fever relief, its put into diluted apple juice & Matilda LOVES it. I use it in the same syringe I put panadol if its needed so I alternate the homeopathic medicine & panadol & she doesn't often stop to notice the difference. HTH!

Hi Christy

You are rught overdosing on panadol can be very nasty and you dont need a lot more that the normal dose.
If anyone uses panadol I woulD suggest liquid panadol and not crushing tablets.

mbear,
I just couldn't bear the thought of putting it in, and like you I think I would feel ill for having to do it to her. I think at her age it would be a bit traumatic.

kerrie,
My Mum used to do the exact same thing (but with panadol)!

cheers, sherieb

Its terrible to see your little girl sick like that isnt it?

Well done on the book idea, I hadnt thought of that one. Sounds like she may be feeling better if she's interested in doing things again, when they are really sick they seem to just want to lay around and sleep.

Lucy was really ill with a fever & an ear infection not long ago, it was a mega battle to get the medicine into her, in teh end we could only do it by squirting a syringe of it in her mouth, with DH holding her down and me forcing her mouth open. i felt horrible doing it, but she would just clamp her mouth shut othewise and buck her legs and scream.

Hope your DD is feeling better soon!
xxxCaz