Calpol dosage

[Rarfy]

Hi

Can anyone just reassure me about calpol dosages please?

DD is 7 months and struggling with teething, we are using calpol and dentinox at the moment. I am trying not to give her too much calpol so tend to give her a 2.5ml dose even though I know she can have 5ml.

Am I right in thinking this can be taken four times per day and should be 4 - 6 hours between doses?

I think the box refers to twenty four hours which throws me because if they're on it more than a day or two do you track the twenty four hours from when they first have a dose or do you just class a day as 12 midnight till the following midnight?

I haven't done this but for example as an adult taking paracetamol I would take two every four hours, but I might half the dose taking just one tablet and then take another one two hours later therefore taking the same dosage in a 24hour period just more spaced out.

Can you do that with babies? E. G. Give her a 2.5 ml dose every 2-3 hours upto 8 times in a 24hour period rather than 4mls every 4-6 hours upto 4 times in a 24 hour period.

I appreciate I am probably massively over thinking this but did wonder.

Sorry that should read 'rather than 5mls'.

It’s 4 doses per 24hrs - so say from midnight to midnight so should be taken every 6hrs.

Why not give the full dose at intervals in the daytime and alternate with ibuprofen if required (think it's only 3 doses of that in 24hrs)

Brilliant, makes much more sense wrote simply like that!

I'm not concerned over what I've given dd as she has only had it 4 times and 3 of those were half a dose but it's good to know for definite incase she needs more which I suspect she might through the night.

Although I'd actually space it out during the daytime as I wouldn't wake to give it during the night

I usually track the 24 hours and make sure that I only ever give 4 doses in one 24 hour period. I have a child who can't have ibuprofen so I've often been sitting around waiting for the last hour to pass so that I can give the first doe of the next 24 hour period.

Tbh, I think you're shooting yourself in the foot by giving the lower dosage as it won't be as effective, even if you give it more often. Calpol works best when given in one dose, it kicks in within an hour and starts to trail off after 3-4 hours. So by giving the smaller dose, the pain relief won't be as good, and when you give it again after 2-3 hours, it still won't be as good iyswim.

I saw a gp two weeks ago when dd was ill with something else and he kind of erred on the side of caution with ibuprofen for baby saying it can cause more side effects than calpol so made me feel like calpol alone will be better if possible.

That being said I can't bare seeing her in pain so it might be something we do do if this continues. Sometimes she is just grisly but she seems to be waking herself up through the night by lieing on her tummy and knocking her gums on her dummy.

I havent thought about it like that tbh @FairyJuice but that makes complete sense.

I am wary of over medicating her if she doesn't really need it or if I have for it wrong and she isn't teething iyswim. Can tell this is PFB can't you?

This is some useful information about paracetamol.

www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-children/

I found ibuprofen was more effective than calpol and never had any side effects

You should give the full dose as on the box, a max of 4 times in 24hrs. If we're using it a lot I do one dose in morning, one after lunch and one at bedtime, reserving the last dose in case it's needed overnight. I use ibuprofen between the daytime doses (mid morning and late afternoon) if necessary and then again save the final dose for overnight.

If you're given drugs in hospital you have to have the full dose and can't split it. They also manage the doses on a rolling 24hr schedule so I mostly try to follow the same at home as there's a reason those are the dosage instructions.

Ibuprofen is harsher on the stomach but does deffo give better and longer lasting relief.

Thanks @Maxineputyourredshoeson that links really helpful.

you should give the full dose for her age.

I haven't doubled up the 2.5ml doses just wondered if you could. Going forward I will make sure I give a 5ml dose.

That's a good idea doing it like breakfast dinner and tea. I thought I had only given her 2 doses today (since 3am in the morning) but dp thinks I have given 3. Either way still not over the 4 and definitely not over the 20mls but it would be much easier to track it if stuck to that sort of schedule.

You just have to work it out on a rolling 24 hour schedule

Give the current dose for age.

And also try Nurofen, I found it much more effective for teething.

Thank you for all the advice. Really appreciated. Hopefully dd will get a good night's rest.

Will get some neurofuen in tomorrow. I wasn't expecting it to be this bad for the first few teeth. Poor dd. He nose is running like crazy too.

Paediatric nurse here. Ibuprofen is absolutely fine to use in babies over 3 Months. Unless they've got chicken pox or renal issues. It's often mire effective for pyrexia than paracetamol.

How much does he weigh? 2.5ml /60mg doesn't sound enough for a 7 month old.

Try anbasol liquid, best stuff we ever used for teething, you rub it on and it numbs the gums, but it actually works unlike bongella etc.

She's 16ln 13oz.

Tried anbesol a couple of days ago but she seemed to have a funny turn from it. When she woke up she was trying to cry but couldn't her arms were waving around this went on for about 15 seconds. Felt like a lot more. Never seen her do it before though so can only assume it was something to do with the anbasol.

She has woken up already, last had calpol at 9.30pm. We're in for a long one!

It might not be her teeth it might be a bug so it might not always be this bad! fwiw dd was an absolute nightmare with her first couple of teeth but after that she was better. I would 100% use ibuprofen.

Thank you. She ended up on our bed all night. Only way she can sleep is on her side as minute she is on her front she is waking herself up which is unusual as that's how she always sleeps.

Managed through the night with no medicine. Will give her calpol now then try some ibuprofen around lunchtime. Thank you.