Paracetamol at secondary school

[LemonChiffon]

Do you think it's ok for students at secondary school to have a pack of paracetamol in their bags, and take some if needed? My daughter has been taking some into school to manage period pain. She's very sensible and good at taking pills. But do you think this is allowed? They sometimes search their bags apparently. I tried to look through the schools policies but I couldn't find anything specifically about this. I could ask them of course!

I have no idea if the school allow it or not, nor do I care. I’ve sent mine in with 1 cut out of the packet a few times over the years.

I used to carry some ibuprofen in my blazer pocket. It wasn't technically allowed but it was easier than having to go to matron every single time I needed one.

Yes that's exactly what we do and why too

Of course it’s ok - maybe a strip rather than a whole packet. I would imagine most girls carry them for period pain. I definitely did. If I’m completely honest my girls were given a couple of calpol meltlets in their pockets if they felt a bit off in the last couple of years of primary (not proper ill)! They know to wait 4 hours (lunchtime when younger).

DD is like a walking pharmacy at school, she has a dodgy stomach & a bit of health anxiety so has buscopan, Imodium & paracetamol in her bag, she doesn’t often use them but needs the reassurance, she is 15 & very sensible. They are kept in a wee purse along with period products.

I would only put 2 in the school bag incase they fell into the wrong hands, but otherwise think it’s fine. I remember having terrible period pains at school and unless I took a paracetamol quickly I couldn’t cope.

Not a good idea - we all like to believe that they're sensible, but there are so many who take more just a couple of hours after the last two or ask their friends for more because we've told them they can't. And there are still far too many hospitalisations of teenagers for either intentional or 'didn't think it mattered, it's only paracetamol' overdoses.

By the time youve posted on here and read and digested replies, you could have asked school.

My daughters' have one dose of ibuprofen and one of paracetamol hidden in their school bags for period pain.
Technically it's not allowed but they just take quietly when needed

My child is early secondary and not great with taking tablets so takes calpol melts if feeling under the weather.

I hadn’t even thought about checking school policies 🙈

DD is in year 8, and has paracetomol in her bag for period pain. Only 1 dose. Didn’t even cross my mind it wouldn’t be allowed. Off to check the policies now!

This seems the most sensible approach to me.

I’m at a loss to understand though how a school can impose a non negotiable medication ban. What about a diabetic or a severe asthma sufferer. If followed to the letter such a policy could kill someone.

Mine just used to carry a pack too. I agree that accidental double dosing by a medical professional is vanishingly unlikely, and if it was an actual problem could happen to any of us any time not just schoolchildren. Either they would just say they'd already had some or be unconscious and unable to take it anyway. Or so badly injured they'd need something far stronger.

My school has a policy that students aren’t supposed to carry their own tablets (unless inhaler or epipen), however I wouldn’t know as we don’t have bag checks. DD carries paracetamol when she has her period - just 2 to see her through the school day. We don’t have school nurses anymore and first aiders won’t administer painkillers. Periods suck enough without having no access to pain relief! DD carries her paracetamol in her lunch box to remind her to take it at lunch time.

I always told mine to take some with them if they weren’t feeling 100% but still well enough to go to school. Also my daughters if they were getting cramps. I didn’t really think about it. I used to take some with me as an older teen.

I would probably pop them in a small, opaque pouch - presumably she has one for other period bits, just shove a single sheet in there and then it won't fall out/be picked up in a quick bag check.

My DDs have paracetamol, ibuprofen and buscopan in their little washbags that also have pads, tampons, wipes and knickers in.

One DD has such horrendous pain that she needs to be able to take what she needs, when she needs it and I would fight tooth and nail for her to have access to her own supply. The delay caused if she had to go to the office and call me etc could lead to it taking hours to get on top of.

When they were year 7 I used fast melts and only enough for one dose as I was worried about the risk to others. But now they're older and their contemporaries are vaping and taking ketamine, I'm less cautious!

From my mum's perspective by that point I was trusted to self medicate at home so it made sense to do so at school. It never occured to me that there was a risk of another student getting hold of them and coming to harm. To be honest my teenage self would have thought it served them right for going through my blazer.

I guess there's a concern someone could be allergic and not know it and she hands it out. Or presumably someone could take the whole pack as an act of self harm? It wouldn't be enough to kill them but they could get sick. Not your daughter obviously but if someone mentally unwell happened upon them.

Just tell her don't tell people she has them and do not ever give them out to anyone.

Just give her one dose, no need for more.
My child has previously struggled with suicidal thoughts, everything at home is locked away and we informed school, but none of his friends knew. I wouldn't want his friends to be carrying full packs of painkillers when he was feeling like this.

It's not necessarily the whole pack. It could be asking for "just a couple - I'm on my period" from different people enough times to build up a store. Paracetamol is a surprisingly low dose to cause serious issues, considering you can buy it off the shelves.

That was why mine took ibroprofen and were strictly told that it wasn't given out to anyone.

My son is 15 and suffers with occasional migraines. He has a little pouch with 2 paracetamol, 2 ibuprofen and 2 pro plus (this combo is tried and tested, works a treat for him). I cut the pill packaging so you can see what it is but it’s no more than one dose - which is enough for him.

I wouldn’t send him with a whole packet of paracetamol or anything. It’s just not worth the risk / having the school’s safeguarding lead on the phone.

Thank you. Yeah that's good point. Someone could hoard them. Ibuprofen instead is a good idea. She could take paracetamol just before and after school?

Ibuprofen and paracetamol work in different ways on the body. Shutterstock
Read more: Why does my back get so sore when I'm sick? The connection between immunity and pain
Is one drug better than the other?
Because they each provide pain relief in different ways, paracetamol can be better at treating some types of pain, while ibuprofen is better at treating other types. But be wary of packaging that claims a medication is useful for targeting pain associated with a specific condition as these claims are not true.
Because it reduces inflammation, the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines state ibuprofen is the better choice for pain associated with osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, period pain, some types of headache, and for pain that comes from having an operation. Paracetamol does not reduce inflammation but it is a better choice when fever is associated with the pain, like when you have a cold or flu

My daughter has them in her bag