to not want to dose my kids with medicines when they have a cold

[RoadArt]

I am sick of being told to give my kids calpol, cough medicines, etc every time they get a cold. They dont work, other than mind over matter, they poison the body, they dont work and yet I am constantly pressured (by my family) to dose them up.

They get colds regularly so Im not talking once in a blue moon, Im talking on a regular basis, ie monthly, bi-monthly. They are constantly surrounded by other school kids with colds so the germs just keep being passed around.

I dont see the point of giving them medicines that dont make any difference.

Yeah, I can personally attest that paracetamol works on my headaches.

And I'm pretty sure I'm not unusual, because a few months ago, I had an ill, constantly crying baby. I gave him some calpol, and after half-an-hour, he was smiling again. He was still ill, obviously, but he wasn't in pain from it any more.

Tangentially, my mother is, literally, of the calpol-is-evil school, but she practically mainlines both over-the-counter medication and prescription painkillers. Pain is something everyone else should suffer through. Not her. A few years ago, she was complaining to the doctor of her mother (i.e. my grandmother), trying to get my grandmother's long-term prescription of painkillers stopped, for "her own good- they're addictive".

Since when have colds been painful?

headache, sinus pain, sore throat, aching joints, sore throat... ALL PAINFULL.

sore throat is SO PAINFULL I said it TWICE!

I notice when I take meds, though they dry my nose up a bit and help with headaches sinus pain.It takes longer for the cold to leave my system.so I don't bother anymore.

DS has a filthy cold - temp, runny eyes, snotty nose, sore throat, cough, pale, whiney, fed up screechy toddler. He's normally a happy little chap but keeps bursting into tears, and wants constant carrying around and cuddles, yet can't get comfy. I don't like giving meds either but tonight in desperation gave him Calpol and a glycerin and he visibly relaxed and is looking better already, and sleeping, thank goodness. I wish I'd given it sooner.
Miracle in a bottle, I say.

I've always gone homeopathic with DD and make sure she gets lots of Vit C and D and drinks lots of water. I never anything myself either. The last time I took a pain killer was two Tylenol when I was giving birth. I give DD Coryzalia as soon as she has a runny nose and Stodal for throat, and Oscillococcinum for fever, but she's only had one of those thank goodness. I give her green tea to drink and sweeten it with a little honey when she has a cough too.

You're not being unreasonable not to throw paracetamol or ibuprofen at your kids at the first sign of a virus. It's all relative and depends on the child. If they're playing happily then they don't need medicine - what are you trying to treat? Fever can be brought down with stripping to undies, cool flannels and fans (and may be beneficial in any case depending on how hot the child is). Headaches and sore throats - then I would give calpol especially if the throat was too sore to swallow fluids - but I would also consider giving ice blocks (fluids & pain relief in one go).

Not everything needs to be medicalised! (and I say that as a doctor!)

I give mine meds if there is something I am trying to treat (eg pain) or their fever is too high for my own comfort (in practice, over 39 or so).

I also use karvol as a decongestant if they need it.

Mine however have never had a febrile convulsion (despite regularly hitting the 40s with most of their bugs) - I imagine I would have a much lower threshold for meds if they ever had had one.

Antipyretics do not prevent febrile convulsions and the NICE guidelines don't recommend using them for that reason. Febrile convulsions are caused by the speed of the temperature rising not the height of the temperature.

Op, Yanbu. We give cuddles and hot water bottles for colds, olbas oil and steamy rooms to relieve stuffy noses and manuka honey for sore throats and coughs ( if they're over 1). I don't take paracetemol for colds either - I don't actually take it for much tbh. The last time was when I split my stitches walking up the stairs after having ds2 - that was sore!

I used to be totally against it, and then DS had a billion colds in a row that necessitated him waking everyone up four or five times every night and getting crabbier and crabbier because he was so exhausted...after a week of that the lot of us were gulping down Children's NyQuil like Charlie Sheen a day out of rehab.

But, erm, normally I do eucalyptus oil in a steamy shower for stuffiness and honey for coughs.

your kids have awful immunity, what a lot of colds

I give my ds Calpol when he has a cold/virus but I use it as a last resort and I find it works (and I'm anti-vaccines go figure)