Stubborn 3yo, high fever, miserable and will not take meds

[SnuggleBuggles]

Poor ds2 is sick. He's had a high fever since Sat. night. No real symptoms other than just feeling bad and occasional complaints of headache and such. I suspect flu. Anyway, we are failing at getting ibuprofen in him! He has taken to spitting the liquid stuff right out. We have some Tylenol meltaways that we got ok'ed and he took those yesterday and now he won't take them either. None of my old tricks are working to get meds in. I contemplated not treating his 103 fever but he is laying there whimpering.

I have tried swaddling him so he could not bat the dispenser away
I've tried giving options of the 2 meds
offered a treat
tried squirting in the whole dose at once
tried squirting in a tiny amount at a time
reasoning with him
putting the meltaway in his mouth

Ideas???

Beth

[JBaxter]

acetaminophen suppositories. Ask your pharmacist he has has them.

[crl]

You have probably already tried this

Lay him down flat. Pin his legs and arms. (much easier with a second adult). Squirt the medicine as far back in as you can. Hold him there until he swallows. We had to do that with ds for meds we deemed essential. After a couple of times of that we gave him a choice of cooperating and he started cooperating instead of being pinned down.

Catherine

[logan's mom]

I second the suppositories, and I would try a tepid (room temp) bath too. Mabye if he is a little more comfortable, then he would be a little more cooperative. sicks kids are no fun.

[JBaxter]

Originally Posted by crl

You have probably already tried this

Lay him down flat. Pin his legs and arms. (much easier with a second adult). Squirt the medicine as far back in as you can. Hold him there until he swallows. We had to do that with ds for meds we deemed essential. After a couple of times of that we gave him a choice of cooperating and he started cooperating instead of being pinned down.

Catherine

um not all kids give up thats how I discovered the suppositories.

[pinkmomagain]

My 5yo refused tylenol this winter when she had a high fever for days. She was miserable, but I didn't push it. Just tried to cool her down with wet compresses and encouraged her to drink and have ice pops. It wasn't fun and really she would felt so much better if she had taken it, but it didn't do her much harm. The dr wasn't too alarmed and encouraged whatever fluids I could get into her.

[TwoBees]

Use an oral syringe for dosing, squirt in the cheek and clamp the mouth shut.

Ok, in writing, that sounds awful.

Can you try a different flavor or mix it with something that will disguise the flavor, maybe cola syrup or chocolate syrup?

[mikeys_mom]

Suppositories are the only thing that works for DD1. Even if she is protesting, I can just hold her in place on the couch long enough to get it into her.

She spit out and/or gagged on liquids every time. Not fun.
Here (in Canada), we can get them OTC but the pharmacist often keeps them behond the counter and you need to ask for them. Don't know how it works in the US.

[wimama]

My DS can't handle the artificial dyes and flavors in the liquids. I give him adult Tylenol tablets, but do so by breaking the tablet into the correct size dosage. I break the pieces up pretty small and give it to him in chocolate ice cream. DS thinks I am some kind of hero for giving him ice cream medicine.

Of course, you need to be very careful figuring out the correct dosage. Your local pharmacist can help you figure out the dosing.

[mikeys_mom]

Originally Posted by JBaxter

um not all kids give up thats how I discovered the suppositories.

DD1 will gag on liquid medicine and will 100% refuse to take it in any form, even disguised in chocolate milk.
Squirting to the back of the mouth worked for DS, so it's not like I was doing it wrong with DD1. She would just gag it back up and refuse the next time.