AIBU to give so much teething medication?

[Excited0803]

6 month old dribbling up a storm, high pink cheek spots every night, pawing at his jaw (back teeth) some nights or chewing fingers at the front (mostly bottom) would-be-teeth. Dentinox and Ashton & Parsons each work for about 20 minutes; if he's eaten enough early then that's enough time to get to sleep. The last few weeks though an occasional baby nurofen dose on a bad night has moved up to 5 days in 7 getting one 2.5ml dose so that he stops fiddling with his jaw and crying; then apart from one night the pain was worse than ever he has always had a full breastmilk feed 10-15 minutes later and off to sleep. I'm worried that I'm reaching for pain relief too quickly so it won't help him in months to come when teething pain is even worse. I'm worried that he expects it, likes the sweetness and knows the triggers to get it (pulling at jaw crying and refusing his feed). Or that I'm not giving it early enough in the evening to just let him get in with feed and sleep without pain. Am I giving him way too much by giving it this often? Is it just "whatever works" and this is ok? Should I just reach for the nurofen when I can see from the pink spots that he's suffering before he cries that he needs it it?

DD wasn't that bad but if she had been I would have given the pain relief. Maybe switching to a supermarket one if I was suspicious she liked the taste but I'm not sure if 6 months is old enough to do that anyway.
Have you tried brush baby finger tooth wipes? The pressure on the gums help and they have something in that is meant to soothe

Thanks, I can try them! The chew toys work well in the daytimes, it's just at bedtime when he can't seem to cope and also needs his milk, so anything that will dull the gum pain is work looking at.

*worth not work

You could try suppositories if you're worried he likes the sweet taste? They work much faster than oral gels too. Some people are about using them with small babies, but it couldn't be easier. Just pop in up and it'll start working immediately (whereas gels have to wait till they're in the small intestine to start being absorbed). Good luck! It's a tough time and I'm sure you're doing a good job :)

Personally I would continue to give pain relief as and when needed.
Tooth pain is the worst and I know when I'm in pain I take medication to stop it so why should my children have to suffer.
I remember my wisdom teeth coming through and it was horrendous!

Also we found bonjela helped too, especially in-between Calpol/ibrufen (when ds' was cutting 5 teeth at once poor boy)

What are the suppositories, ibuprofen? I've never even heard of that as an option. That would resolve in my mind the "he likes the sweet stuff / it's becoming a habit" issue for me.

I had been thinking of trying bonjela, to see if it lasts any longer than dentinox or ashton & parsons. Thanks for the reminder.

Dentinox, bonjela, powders -tried them all and nothing seemed to soothe my baby for more than a few minutes.

Then a friend told me about Anbesol. It's amazing!

They do both a liquid and a gel. It's the liquid that you need. You just put a bit on a clean finger and rub it on the gum. Works like a charm.

www.boots.com/anbesol-liquid-15ml

Yes, we've got Nurofen ones, though I've also heard they're not so common in the UK.

Also, be wary about the side effects of benzocaine. The US FDA has issued a warning about the risks and asked companies to stop producing products containing it.

Second Anbesol liquid. Much better than the rest. If he's that much in pain you can give nurofen and calpol alternately. BTW I don't think teething pain gets worse as the months go by. It's the teeth pushing up through the bones that hurt xx

Thanks all.

@AlmostAlwyn - thanks, I'll ask a pharmacist about the suppositories. That was a worrying read about benzocaine, is that in anbesol liquid as well as gel?

Third the anbesol liquid!! Amazing stuff and deffo the liquid u want not the gel x

Anbesol liquid contains lidocaine, which I think is very similar to benzocaine and has also been warned against by the US FDA.