To not medicate my ds's cold.

[APixieInMyTea]

He's 19months and has a stinking cold. Struggling to eat because of his bunged up nose.

I've put some olbas oil on a reusable wipe and stuck it in his pillow case ready for his nap in a minute and just squirted some saline spray up his nose and sucked out a mountain of snot.

Someone has told me I'm being cruel for not giving him calpol. He hasn't got a temp or in pain so why do I need to give calpol?

I did give calpol once and found it just hid the symptoms rather than getting rid of them and they soon came back.

So AIBU to not give him calpol? Do you for a cold?

[badfairy]

If he's not got a temp and is not in pain YANBU if he is you are !

[Squitten]

I only give Calpol if DS has a temperature or is in some kind of pain

[jesuswhatnext]

no, not unreasonable or cruel BUT, the poor little fella must feel pretty bloody shitty, how about giving him a dose at sleep time so he can get a bit of a nap - sleep is always a good healer, ime!

[Teaandcakes]

what's wrong with hiding the symptoms? At least he'll feel a bit better!

[thighsmadeofcheddar]

do you take medication when you have a cold?

[FerminaUrbinoDaza]

Yup, paracetamol is for pain and fever not for mums convenience YANBU

[muggglewump]

Give him some, it'll make him feel loads better, he'll sleep better and that'll help him get over it.

[nickytwotimes]

If he is hot or sore, then yabu.

otherwise, yanbu.

[FerminaUrbinoDaza]

I take paracetamol when I have a cold with pain or fever, as intended.

[sapphireblue]

I wouldn't ususally give Calpol for a cold, however if DD2 was unsettled/crying/struggling to sleep with her cold I would give her a dose. She is only 9 months and if she was in pain she would be unable to tell me. I always get a headache and sore throat with a cold, so it's perfectly reasonable to assume that she would too IMO.

[AbsofCroissant]

YANBU. I'm of the hippie why medicate if there's no reason school of medicating. If there's no fever or pain, why give a child drugs? Support the immune system, make sure he's rested and warm, and you're fine.

[PandaNot]

I did when they were little only because most people get headachy when they have such a bad cold and they wouldn't be able to tell me so I'd rather give the medicine than have them in pain and not able to tell me. I take paracetamol if I have a cold.

[WowOoo]

I'm same as you and others.

Was told that if you give too much paracetamol or other pain killers when there is little pain to developing children the pain receptors won't work as well.They'll need more medicine for less pain. (My friend puts it soooo much better than me You know what I mean, I hope?

My sil gives calpol at every opportunity. She has given it 'incase he can't sleep later' What?! She's nuts.

[togarama]

YANBU. I think some people totally overmedicate their kids with Calpol etc.. It's great for v. high temps or obvious pain but seems overkill for a standard cold. Cuddles and nose-clearing help are probably just as useful right now.

DD is 21 months and we luckily haven't had to open our Calpol bottle yet. I had no over-the-counter painkillers til I was 17. (Parents did give me antibiotics and other medication as needed - it just isn't the norm to try and medicate every tiny discomfort in our family.)

[fel1x]

As long as you are sure he's not in pain then of course thats fine.
I usually take paracetemol with a cold because that bunged up nose and head feeling means quite painful sinuses.
Presumably he cant talk yet, so as long as he is cheerful and not unhappy (which would indicate he is feeling unwell) then of course YANBU

[capricorn76]

I never understand when people say they won't take cold and flu meds because they mask the symptoms? What's wrong with masking the symptoms? Why would anyone want to feel them if they didn't have to? Surely its better to be able to sleep and breath a bit?

[TattyDevine]

If he really needed Calpol it was probably in the early stage where you are coming down with the cold but before the snot arrives...you know when your throat feels really sore or when the roof of your mouth/soft palate where it meets your nose is really sore? That's when the painkillers do their job for me with a cold.

By the time my snot arrives that pain stage is generally over though if you are suffering sinus pain its useful.

There is a lot of pressure to medicate - my eyebrow threader told me my son "needed calpol" because he had a little bit of a runny nose from a cold about 2 weeks earlier.

Smile and nod, smile and nod.

If you think he's really suffering though it sometimes "worth a try" and if you see considerable improvement, great, and if not, you dont give any more.

[WowOoo]

Calpol won't help you breathe, will it?

[MollysChambers]

If he is in pain, or might be in pain, or has a fever YABU.
If not then YANBU.
If I'm not sure I'll give Calpol - why let them suffer?

[TattyDevine]

I medicate the hell out of illness if I have it, by the way. I will take Sudafed nasal spray for blocked nose (carefully, as got a bit dependent on it in the past through overuse), happily have Nurofen in the sore throat stage, and if I have the tickly or chesty cough that stops you sleeping I will up the ante with a bit of Codeine! Best ever cough suppressant, and allows sleep which is the best thing for actual recovery

If there were a safe product to help them breathe I'd give it. At this age though its the plug ins or the good old Olbas. I have a humidifier in DD's room which works wonders for a cough. DS wont have it though because apparently its a "scary robot".

If they had a really bad throat or head I reckon they'd be whingey enough that you'd know.

[APixieInMyTea]

Well he's still running around and up to his normal mischief so don't think he's too ill.

He's eaten a good chunk of his lunch, albeit with a lot more noise than normal.

I get the point about sleeping though so if he doesn't settle for his nap in a minute I might give him a dose if cuddles don't work

If I have a cold I use vicks nose spray if I'm bunged up and usually try to sweat it out in the bath. I don't take any medication if I can get away with it.

[FerminaUrbinoDaza]

IME (with myself and DC) is that masking symptoms with medication means one ends up doing too much / being to active / generally overstretching ones self. The cold ends up lasting longer and taking longer to get over. 'tis not worth it.

[Panzee]

I always have painkillers with a cold. The snot drips down the back of my throat and hurts like hell. But if he doesn't seem unhappy it's probably ok.

[POFAKKEDDthechair]

YANBU. Calpol largely overused, recent study links over use to childhood asthma. Should be used for high temps, yes, but otherwise no. Saline drops best thing for stuffed up nose.

[MollysChambers]

What is the definition of overuse Po?