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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:
PetiteRaleuse · 26/03/2013 20:46

French children are weighed at jab times and one or two more times during the first two years. Not excessive. If they remain on a curve you can guesstimate weight and round it down to nearest kg. If not then you go by the last weight you have. Paracetamol can be given from 3kg according to French instructions, ibuprofen from 3 months.

The syringes come with the drug logo or name on it so you can't mix them up.

And with smaller babies who find syringes difficult suppositories are wonderful, and actually seem to work much faster, though I don't know why that is.

oldraver · 26/03/2013 20:47

The hospital would of worked it out the correct way with ml per kg per day divided into doses. This isnt on the side of packets, I have always gone with the weight especially as DS was very little for age

FannyFifer · 26/03/2013 20:49

You can buy them in boots, expensive though or ask GP to put them on prescription.

Easy to use, not sure how impressed an older child would be though, might work as a threat to get them to take calpol. Grin

I've used then more when children are small, though did give one to DS at age 7 when he had v high temp and was spewing everywhere, he said that was ok though I did ask him, lol.

FannyFifer · 26/03/2013 20:52

Suppositories work much quicker as they are absorbed into blood stream due to loads of great blood vessels in rectum. Grin

Rootvegetables · 26/03/2013 20:57

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this but when the dose is worked out in hospital it's based on the child's weight but also the concentration of the drug. Different paracetamol suspensions ate different strengths so that 'Italian' one could of been a far higher concentration than our calpol. The new dose labels do go up in more increments now leaving a bit more room for manoeuvre. Paracetamol is very dangerous if children are being given too much.

Oblomov · 26/03/2013 20:59

8.2 ml? Not 8.3? Wink what a ridiculous amount. hie do you measure that on a 5ml spoon then. Are they going to keel over if you give them an extra ml? I get as much Calpol into my kids as I can when they are ill, and don't give the nearest ml a second thought.

BeaWheesht · 26/03/2013 21:06

Every time dc are really quite ill we get the docs to work out a weight based dosage. Eg dc is 2.5 and 19kg. She's had uncontrollable fevers this week and has been having 11ml calpol and 6.75ml nurofen 4 times in 24 hrs.

However, if they needed calpol for say, teething or pain of some kind I'd be very reluctant to give such high dosages and would just give what it said on the box.

Tbh though my kids only get it when they really need it but ALOT of people ime dose them up if they're grouchy.

I'm waffling but my point is that people should at least be made aware of this issue - we alwys have to mention it whilst HCPs are scratching their heads wondering why nothing is working.

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 21:08

Oblomov I've just disregarded the .2 and have been using 2 bloody syringes. Must say it has been fun convincing DS to take 2 syringes of the bloody stuff.

Fanny Thanks for that info, I will ask the GP the next time I see them. :)

OP posts:
myBOYSareBONKERS · 26/03/2013 21:08

I weigh mine once a year around their birthday. I also work out dosage by weight.

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 21:11

Bea That's exactly it, DS doesn't get it much either unless he needs it which is why we have found it frustrating when he really has needed it and it hasn't been working.

If we had at least known that he might be getting too little I could have asked the GP or HV at some point before it got to the point of rushing him out to A+E in the middle of night because we have no idea why nothing is working.

OP posts:
lottiegarbanzo · 26/03/2013 21:18

An obvious reason why we don't dose by weight in the UK is that people use either or both lb and kg and are liable to confuse them, especially when stressed and tired due to an unwell child.

Adult doses of paracetomol are not by weight either, an 8st woman and 16st man both take two tablets as one dose. It's approximate, it's safe, that's ok.

bruffin · 26/03/2013 21:22

Suppositories are ridiculously expensive in the UK. When i went to buy them about 10 years ago they were £20 for 2 days supply.
Even with 2 dc prone to febrile seizure i had to beg pediatrician for a prescription.

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 21:26

Christ... That's really expensive.

OP posts:
Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 21:29

Copied and pasted from BNF...

I can't believe they are so expensive.

^"Suppositories, paracetamol 60 mg, net price 10 = £9.96; 125 mg, 10 = £11.50; 250 mg, 10 = £23.00; 500 mg, 10 = £36.80; 1 g, 12 = £60.00. Label: 30

Brands include Alvedon®"^

OP posts:
FannyFifer · 26/03/2013 21:32

I'm sure it was around £12 i paid in Boots for a pack once, desperate times, have then on a repeat from GP now so can get them when I need them for free. Grin

bruffin · 26/03/2013 21:32

Apparently they are really cheap in Europe.

PetiteRaleuse · 26/03/2013 21:40

Shock a pack of ten suppositories costs me 3? in France

LittlePicnic · 26/03/2013 21:41

Didn't calpol just reduce the amounts given about a year ago? DC1 got more than DC2 does.

janek · 26/03/2013 21:42

rootveg the 'italian' calpol was identical in strength to the actual calpol we'd just finished. I wanted to give her the normal, english dose, dp made me give her what it said on the packet...

Original poster
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 26/03/2013 21:44

Little I don't know if it is just more concentrated now.

And yeah, that's the cost price to the NHS so buying them from a chemist would be even more expensive.

Madness!

OP posts:
bruffin · 27/03/2013 08:15

Its the same concentration as it has been since my ds 17 was little 120g/5ml for under 6 and 250g/5ml for 6+

Here is a dose calculator based on weight I was always told to alternate ibroprufen and paracetamol but NICE have stopped that advice because they think parents will get confused and overdose even though its more effective.

soontobeslendergirl · 27/03/2013 09:02

I always thought it was based on the maturity of their organs to deal with the medicine rather than the weight Confused

My boys seemed to have been blessed with really good health and have seldom needed medicine, but they are humungous so when they have had calpol they would be getting far too little. No2 son had a bad cold and temperature with a headache and sore throat last week. He is 11 but is 5' 4" and weighs 9 stone - so I am guessing that his 10 mls of Calpol didn't really help much?

KobayashiMaru · 27/03/2013 09:05

Don't all the kids medicines come with syringes now? They do here.

2 problems with your idea though: do most of us know what our kids weigh at any given time? and you lot aren't metric and its not a simple process for pounds and stones.

Sirzy · 27/03/2013 09:06

No every box of medicine I have brought has had a spoon with it. Thankfully I have a large supply of syringes from various hospital visits as syringes make much more sense for getting medicine into a child

soontobeslendergirl · 27/03/2013 09:07

Okay, according to the dosage calculator he should have had 34mls - so the best part of a bottle then!

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