to give my children Medised occasionally?

[Diziet]

Yes, I know it's labelled '6 years +' these days. But I used to get it when my eldest son (who is now 5) was a baby and he would have it when he had a cold. When both my boys got Chickenpox back in February they had it then (my youngest was 2 at the time, he is now 3). I KNOW the medicine itself hasn't changed, as I kept the old packaging to check. AAArgh!! Am I an Evil Mummy who should turn herself in??

YANBU. Medised has seen us through some tough times.

I know parents who regularly used Medised to aid their dcs sleep.

I bought a bottle once. Happened to mention it to my GP (who is also a paediatric registrar). He said not to use it as its effects on brain development in young children was unknown. I took the unopened bottle back to the chemist for disposal. Not long after that they raised the age it could be used for.

I first used Medised when ds1 was about a year and he had a heavy cold and had only managed to sleep for 10 mins at a time during the day, being woken by his cough or cold. We gave him a dose of it at bedtime and he slept peacefully. At this point the guidelines were 3 months +. After that, f he was poorly enough to require paracetamol I used to give him Calpol (cheaper non-Calpol version actually) and then Medised at bedtime. I started using it with ds2 until he went for his pre 1 year check and found out that morning that it had gone to 2years +, discussed it with my HV, and discovered it had actually gone to 6 years +. If you are happy and informed of the risks and reasons behind the change then it is up to you. We now use a plug in vapouriser thing when the boys have colds and it works a treat on them!

DS1 has had medised on advice of his GP in the past. He has suffered with horrendous colds and ear infections and trying to dry up mucous so that viruses don't end up as massive infections requiring antibiotics has been the aim. When we used it, it was licensed for 3months+ and has since been changed to 2yrs+ and now 6yrs+. I haven't used it in about 18months because I simply haven't had the need but should it be necessary next winter, I will have no hesitation in buying it.

all medication has its side effects and should be used appropriately with caution.

However, cannot get my head round sedating a child and DS2 has/is a poor sleeper and has never slept right through the night. He has never had medised since there has never been a medical need for it.

meant to add that for DS2, we use steamy bathroom with a large bowl of hot water with menthol crystals in the sink, paracetamol and karvol. He does not have problems with ear infections so we just treat the symptoms of the virus

You can get it on prescription for under 6s.

I would occasionally give it to my Ds who is 3, for colds that keep him awake as he is bunged up/ coughing.

Has anyone tried getting it from a GP?

If people are interested the product specification has some good info on how it works and the side-effects. www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/medicine/16737/SPC/Medised+for+Children/

avril i agree that pharmacists can occasions be less than helpful.
the rules about cold / cough remedies have changed since i had my first DC (although there is only a couple of years gap between my DCs) i went into the chemist asking for something for cough / cold for one of my DCs last winter as no one had had anything for a while and you'd think i'd have asked for crack! i was told to go away and give calpol (although the DC didnt' have a temp)
I appreciate the rules may have changed but for people who are unaware of this treating them like they are intending to harm their children isn't really helpful now, is it?

Hello again, original poster returns! I got desperate and gave him some last night.Although I have today purchased some eucalyptus oil and saline nasal drops.
The thing is... no 2 son has NEVER been a reliable sleeper... we've put it down to all sorts of things: teething... the heart medication...Lord knows!! So can you understand how, almost 3 and 1/2 years down the line and STILL no sign of him being a reliable sleeper, Mr Diziet & myself might get rather desperate sometimes?? Even when he is well we are lucky to get 1 good night out of every 7: and by 'good' I mean that he'll only shout out once or twice in the night. And yes, we do the Bedtime Routine: we've tried no nap, short naps, earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, dummy, no dummy... you name it! He also has a global development delay: he's more like an 18 month old: so he can't really TELL us why either! AAAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!

Ah, the old AMBU by stealth - my favourite.

Have you tried co-sleeping\or CC?
Surely there has to be a better way than drugging your child to sleep with a medication that has a less than glowing reputation?

Avril, if you start a thread about medised in AIBU, people will obviously assume that the you are using it inappropriately.

If the OP had wanted sensible advice, telling the whole story AND not putting it in AIBU would have been a good start.

Sorry, Seeker - I can kind of see your point. But can you see mine? I am a desperate woman.
@ AvrilHeytch: stupidly, I have never thought about asking my Health Visitor: mind you, told our son's paediatrician about it, they prescribed him a tablet (!!!! I Know!!! a tablet - for a 3 year old!!! In fact, he may have only been 2 at the time!) which was supposed to help him get off to sleep - even though we'd made it clear that it's not getting OFF to sleep that's the problem: it's staying asleep!!
@ FrameyMcFrame: I'm prepared to do Controlled Crying - but my husband is not. As for co-sleeping: well, he has on occasion: he may as well,as aforementioned husband buggers off downstairs to sleep when littleun kicks off. Needless to say, we are not planning on having any more kids...!

I'd also like to add that we don't do the medised thing EVERY night. It is always as a last resort.

If anyone's still interested... I tried the nasal drops & eucalyptus oil combo on DS2 last night, and he only shouted out twice - that's called sleeping through in our house!!! So not too bad. We'll see how it goes.

Thank goodness for that. Now please stop sedating your child especially given that he has a heart condition too!

ANd i speak as a parent of a 2.6 year old who slept for 40 - 60 mins at a time until he was 1.5 and still isn't sleeping thru and needing us to go to him several times in the night. I doubt that i would be so desperate that i would sedate my own child unless i had talked it thru with the GP.

I remember the time my son was really poorly with a stinker of a cold. I'd got medised instead of capol and he mutated in to an evil screaming hot sweaty ball of fury! Never again.

delusionofadequasy I read that link and it did make me laugh that they had to put in

"May cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery."

I can just imagine how disappointed some kids would be not being allowed to partake in such things after a few doses....

Made me laugh too, stealthpony. I do have to ask though: it mentions it can be used for teething pains... do children aged 6 or older GET teething pains?? My eldest is 5 and it was a long time ago that I was 6 years old myself...

So....does it work on grown ups?

Where are the people mentioned getting Phenagen from, I thought it was perscription only?