Four times A DAY

[questabellatreetop]

My DS has tonsillitis, he needs four doses of medicine a day. I take this to mean he needs four doses in a 24hour period, to me it's painstakingly obvious, DH says only during the day, I think that is absolutely ridiculous. Who is right?!

Ive always done 4 in waking hours. We recover best whilst asleep so i wouldnt want to risk waking and hindering that

Whenever ds has been hospitalised (a lot!) Upon discharge I have always been told not to wake for antibiotics because sleep is so important.

OPs DH isn't being silly at all.

Madness! I’ve never heard of anybody that would wake their child in the night. Would always spread it over waking hours.

I’m a pharmacist - don’t wake them up to give a dose. Space it out evenly throughout the day.

GP has always told us, that it is technically 4 times in 24 hours, but there is no need to wake child in the night, so last dose as they go to bed, first dose as soon as they get up, and space the other two.

you are right, but you don't have to dose it evenly

I wouldn’t appreciate being woken up in the night when I was ill so I wouldn’t be waking up a four year old!
Just space them during waking hours

I have always done waking hours

Having prescribed antibiotics more or less everyday for the last 20 years, the drug chart intervals are 8, 12, 17, 20 and possibly 22.

We do not wake people up in the middle of the night in hospital to give them antibiotics and neither should you at home

Pick 4 sensible intervals in waking hours.

I’m currently on penicillin for tonsillitis and have been just taking them during awake time, it didn’t occur to me that I should be setting my alarm to take them in the middle of the night.
That said, I’m on day 2 of taking them and don’t feel any better so maybe I am doing it wrong?

If antibiotics, they won't work otherwise

How so? I've always given DC (and taken) them in waking hours only and they've always worked

I'd do as pp's say, only during waking hours. Unless he wakes up anyway.

I'm guessing by meds you mean antibiotics and not pain killers?

If so I'd definitely give them during waking hours only. Painkillers you can alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen to give long and effective pain relief if necessary.

When meds like that are prescribed with the times written down like during hospital stays and in care homes IME its always been like you're DP has said. Eg. 8, 12, 4, 8.

Personally I space them out as much as possible with the DC, so 7, 12, 4.30, 9 for example, but I definitely wouldn't wake them in the night.

What Fufulina said in the first reply.
You'd be bonkers to wake a child to give them a dose of medicine!

Interesting

I administer medication on a daily basis. Your dp is correct, they are timings I use. I do not wake someone up to give medication unless specifically stated by a Dr.

Am I the only one who thought this thread was about something else entirely

Absolutely no need to wake her during the night for meds. Spread it over waking hours

I would listen to the GPs and Chemists posting on here, OP. You only need to give during waking hours. It's about keeping the level of medicine at a high enough dose in the body to fight the infection/pain and a gap at night won't cause them to drop too low.

DD is on 4 times a day, on an empty stomach! I'm waking her at 9pm for a dose but other than that no, evenly spaced through waking hours.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought the op was talking about "something else" .

Also it's 24 hours from first dose.

It does not reset again at midnight and start again! As one member of staff has asked!

It’s 4 doses in 24 hours . They need to be given as evenly spaced out as possible whilst avoiding disturbing sleep if possible .
Ideally 6,12,6 , 12 but that might not fit in with sleep so maybe change to give the last dose at 10 or 11pm . That’s what they do in hospital anyway ( for oral . IV would be given at exact intervals)

With paracetomol it's every 8 hours isn't it as isn't the idea not to overload the liver but with antibiotics it can be 4 times during the daylight hours? I'd check with the pharmacist to confirm what people are saying on here.