Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have been giving DS the wrong amounts of Calpol for months and think the amounts should be labeled better?

106 replies

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 14:23

Had to have DS up at Yorkhill the other night as he was ill. While trying to get his temperature down in a panic, I was told he should be getting 8.2ml for his weight and not 5ml.

I don't think it even has a time where it says 8ml on the box! Confused

So, AIBU to think that the boxes should be labelled correctly with amounts for weight? I've been complaining for ages that the stuff doesn't work well at all when actually I just haven't been giving him enough of it.

OP posts:
VisualiseAHorse · 26/03/2013 14:42

I have no idea how much my baby weighs....so I give him it according to his age (11 months).

SoupDreggon · 26/03/2013 14:44

maybe have a label as well saying do not exceed a certain amount if you don't know the weight.

there will always be some idiots people who think "Oh, I'm sure he/she is 10kg, it'll be fine." Difficult.

Do the French routinely weight their children more often I wonder?

Sirzy · 26/03/2013 14:45

The problem is not all parents know their weight so their is more chance that children will be overdosed that way. The amounts on the boxes are nowhere near the maximum amount that they can actually have.

My DS is 3 but I know the dose of the "6 plus" he can have based on his weight from when he has previously been in hospital and discharged on that but generally I give him the normal calpol at the normal doses.

The box I have says that for 2 - 6 year olds they can have 5 - 10ml of paracetamol

FannyFifer · 26/03/2013 14:50

For most regular illness the dosage by age is fine, I wouldn't always give the maximum dosage for their weight unless needed, but it's good to know weight & how much you can give if you need to.

AmandinePoulain · 26/03/2013 14:52

I wondered that Soup, dd1 hasn't been weighed since her preschool jabs 2 years ago so I've got no idea what she weighs. I'm a nurse and used to work it out by weight, but now I go by age. Dd1 gets weighed a bit more often as she's only 7mo but saying that she hasn't been since her 4 month injections because I can't be bothered to waste an afternoon in baby clinic

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 14:54

The suppository idea is much better too, it has been murder getting DS to take the medicine as we have been having to give 5ml of dioralyte every 5 minutes because he can't keep much down.

I realise that mistakes might be made but if the French can do it, why can't we?

Sirzy the box I have says 5ml for 6-24months and 7.5 for 2-4 years which means DS would be on a too low amount for years.

It just seems pointless to give it if it's not enough.

OP posts:
Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 14:56

Fanny Other times it hasn't been so bad but this time we really needed to give him the max. When we got him to the hospital his heartrate was making the machine go mad and his temp was 40.3 and we couldn't get it down despite him having been outside to get in to the hospital in just a short dressing gown and nappy.

Once he got the correct amount it made a massive difference.

OP posts:
SoupDreggon · 26/03/2013 14:57

if the French can do it, why can't we?

that's what makes me wonder if they routinely weigh children more often.

Sirzy · 26/03/2013 14:58

I don't use calpol so that is probably the difference.

You don't always need to take the maximum amounts though. I can have 2 iprobrufen tablets according to the box but I don't always do that as sometimes its not needed. I have been advice to take higher doses of OTC painkillers than the packets say before now but again I wouldn't do that all the time it depends on the problem.

For most things what is on the box is fine, if its anything more serious they will be seen by medics who can advice the best amount anyway.

silverangel · 26/03/2013 14:58

We had the French stuff too. Brilliant idea.

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 14:59

Maybe an option to weigh them in the chemist then would help?

OP posts:
Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 15:00

Sirzy Normally I try not to bother with medicines anyway and if I do I use the nurofen which works quite well. It was just this time we really could have done with knowing!

Ahk, I don't know. Confused

OP posts:
landofsoapandglory · 26/03/2013 15:03

What about adults? DH is about 6 stone heavier than me, we both take 2 Paracetamol. no wonder he is always moaning of a headache, backache, kneeache,face ache

DIYapprentice · 26/03/2013 15:03

Weighing them at the chemist would be a much more sensible idea. In Australia all the chemists have very accurate scales that you can use to weigh (for a small fee usually).

DIYapprentice · 26/03/2013 15:04

(Actually, probably not ALL, but a lot!!)

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 15:04

I really don't know...

OP posts:
Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 15:07

I would much rather a weighing system like that than having to visit the HV!

OP posts:
butterandbread157 · 26/03/2013 15:08

I was in a similar situation when my daughter was at Yorkill with v high temp.
Like you, she could get more than on the box.

BUT I don't think that the labels should change, it would vary too much, can you imagine the size of the label!!??

I think it would be too complicated, I think that it should be as simple as it can be, better to be safe than sorry....especially with paracetemol??

bruffin · 26/03/2013 15:10

DS had a lot of febrile convulsion and we always had both calpol and ibroprufen prescribed by weight. DS was a big boy and was on full adult dose at 10.

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 15:16

Butter I don't know that the label would be that big and if it was a syringe that thing like has been said that the French use I think it would be okay.

And better to be safe than sorry could go both ways really if you really need a temp down. :( This is why I am a bit confused, I honestly don't know what would be better.

OP posts:
FannyFifer · 26/03/2013 19:58

For high temps especially with vomiting I can't recommend highly enough Paralink suppositories for kids. Have been a lifesaver at times with my two, always have in my kit.

lyndie · 26/03/2013 20:11

Plenty of parents don't have thermometers let alone scales. I think they have to make it as easy as possible but yes doing it by weight is more accurate (for some drugs, depending on how they are metabolised.....). As paracetamol and ibuprofen can be bought in a supermarket or garage there's no way they would be weighing children and advising on doses.

Sokmonsta · 26/03/2013 20:26

Yanbu. Ds was hospitalised due to scary high temps (for us) at a year old. Hospital discharged us with paracetamol and ibuprofen, and a syringe for each marked with the exact amount he should be taking for his weight. This was in between 2.5 and 5mls so clearly we would never have got his temperature under control ourselves.

I can only assume the reason the uk doesn't go by weight for general sale is because if someone were to pick up for example the paracetamol syringe for ibuprofen, they could overdose a child.

Snowydrift · 26/03/2013 20:38

I think it's crazy. According to the box, my 8.5kg just turned 1 year old should get the same dose as my 19-20kg 3.3 year old Confused

I have a bottle of Algifor in the cupboard and that dosage is marked by weight. Makes much more sense.

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 20:42

Fanny Where would I get them? And do you have awful problems using them? DS doesn't even like taking the calpol at the best of times, I have no idea what he would be like with me trying to stick suppositories up his bum...

OP posts: