To think calpol is over used?

[crunchymint]

Calpol is used frequently by many parents. But it is basically paracetamol and should only be used for pain relief. NICE say it should not be used only to reduce fever. That is because unless very high, a certain amount of fever in ill children is a healthy response. But many staff will wrongly advise parents to give calpol when it is unnecessary.

jammie I did the same. Not criticising anyone here. It is what we were told to do. But now they are saying it does not prevent seizures.

Every generation seems to be told to over medicate or over treat a particular issue. When I was a kid it was whipping out tonsils. Kids would have tonsils whipped out after one bout of tonsillitis. Then they realised that was ridiculous and started having stricter criteria for the treatment. Calpol seems to have been the same.

Steeley I don't take pain relief unless I actually need it. So have been to A&E with sprained ankle because I needed crutches. Never took pain relief though as it really wasn't needed. The solution was not to walk on my ankle, not to take pain relief. Pain sometimes serves an actual purpose and masking it is not a good idea IMO.

I saw that programme the other day. The lady had a 23 month old and had accumulated about 25 calpol syringes I think? So basically going through a bottle a month.

OP, first thing a doctor will do if you say you are in pain is give pain relief. Why suffer when you don’t need to? Often, I give them simple analgesia, the pain goes and they go on their merry way a short time later absolutely fine. Utilise normal homely remedies!

Reducing a fever can reduce the risk of febrile convulsions. DD is 5...normally parents worry when their kid hits 40. I worry if her temp hits 38 because anything over can trigger a fit. It isn't pleasant to watch & it certainly isn't pleasant for her to experience. Should i leave her knowing that without help reducing her temp she is likely to fit? Hell no.

Steeley Because sometimes pain serves a purpose of telling you not to use an injured limb. In my case to walk on my sprained ankle. All I had to do was use crutches.
But then I tend to for myself, avoid taking medicine. I have seen too many adults - friends and relatives - develop complications from taking medicine long term. I didn't think like this in my twenties, but do now in my fifties. None of the complications were life threatening, but things like developing ongoing digestive problems from taking long term medication. So I am very wary. I do take things I really need because I know the impact of not taking them is too bad. But if I can get by without, then I do.

I was always told to use it for fever by GPs, health visitors, midwives, anybody. Where has this data come from? Do they have CCTV in parents' houses?

I always used it according to the packet instructions. Colds, fever, pain relief. If that is incorrect then they need to change the instructions.

DDs had a high temperature about twice each when they were little and it was fucking terrifying. I was so glad we had some Calpol, which worked.

They are saying calpol does not prevent a fever. If it did, of course you should give it. If it doesn't, there is no point.

The guidelines say not to give calpol for a fever on its own, it’s perfectly reasonable to give it for fever with distress/ rigors etc. There is no evidence that paracetamol will prevent a febrile convulsion, it is thought that the convulsion is cause by a sudden rise in body temperature so even if you noticed a temp and gave calpol, that can take 45 mins to an hour to reduce fever, in a child that is prone to fit, their temperature would rise quickly, before the calpol had a chance to work. If you watch the programme the paediatrician says on there that there is no evidence that regular paracetamol prevents a seizure.

Calpol does the job here to reduce temperature, it's our go to if she hits 38 or higher. Ibuprufen doesn't agree with her stomach so is avoided. There's a difference between preventing a fever & treating one tho surely? Not sure why you would give your child meds to prevent a fever on the off chance?

The instructions on calpol bottles should be changed.

That’s not how it works @crunchymint. If you use that logic, we should be leaving people with broken limbs without pain relief. Leaving a child feeling unwell when you can give them some paracetamol is cruel, we would get complaints and disciplined at work if we did that!

Is ‘fever’ the same as high temp? I got short shrift from my GP when asking about the finer details of temperature taking, he told me I’d know if the baby seemed hot and the thing to do was to literally cool it down. Presumably this doesn’t apply to a raging fever?

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg160/chapter/1-Recommendations#antipyretic-interventions-2

NICE guidelines on fever, same as the advice on the NHS website.

Meds do NOT prevent seizures.
Meds should NOT be given solely to reduce fever.

I knew the response to this thread would be "but you take paracetamol if you feel ill/have pain, why deny a child". That's not the point. Meds are for distress/pain. Sometimes the distress is related to the fever, yes. But an otherwise well child with a raised temp does not need their fever medicating.

It isnt new advice either. My eldest is 11 and it's been the same throughout her life.

I was not suggesting that philosophy for a child. I was simply saying as an adult that is what I do. I would not do that with a child.
I do think as adults we should be wary of taking too much medication. And as an adult I did not take pain relief when I broke a bone. I accept though I may be at the extreme end of this as I have also had small fillings without pain relief as I find the pain relief injection often worse than the pain of the drill.

We were told febrile convulsion was the body's way of 'resetting' itself temperature wise, because it can't cope with the temp increase, but it can apparently cause longer term issues depending on how long the fit lasts (taking this from our initial A&E visit when DD first fitted).

Paracetamol still is the relief we are directed to when she has a slightly raised temperature. If it doesn't work then there are medical professionals up & down the country (and abroad) giving out some very dodgy advice!

I personally try not to give it in the first instance (so if any of the DC have a temperature but seem ok then I wouldn't give any medicine).

I'd keep an eye, see if temp naturally reduces and see how their appetite is / how energy levels are / look out for other symptoms etc.

Any pain or discomfort then they have medicine.

As an adult I always take paracetemol or ibuprofen if I have a pain. I really do not understand people who don't. My (infrequent) headaches do not go away by themselves otherwise.

@mustbemad17 If it doesn't work then there are medical professionals up & down the country (and abroad) giving out some very dodgy advice!

Exactly the op's point.

My nieces both had febrile convulsions but their consultant always said there was no preventing them and advised naturally lowering a fever and keeping an environment cool rather than medicating solely for a fever. But then other HCPs would contradict this and question why my db and sil weren't medicating the slightest fever. It's bonkers. Actually, in DN1's case, meds made a fever more likely as bizarrely, she would shiver after Calpol and cause a spike anyway.

YANBU

And no, it does not stop seizures and NICE do not recommend it is given to try to do so.

Packet information clear says "to bring down fever".

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.6634.pdf

We had best get suing our doctors for a life time of shit advice 😱 have never had a GP, consultant or emergency dr give me alternative advice...and paracetamol works a treat here 🙈 will be interesting then to see how quickly the advice changes. Interestingly the advice in Germany was the same the last time we visited, so it isn't just us Brits

As an aside i don't understand anybody who refuses pain relief when in pain! Why would you 😱 i certainly wouldn't refuse my kids pain relief if it was clear they were suffering, that's like cruel & unusual punishment