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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think this whole Night Nurse thread is bonkers?!

130 replies

FrillyPig · 27/01/2019 21:48

Googled “why is Night Nurse green” and stumbled on this very old MN thread - almost every reply is someone who seems to experience a reaction more akin to heroin rather than good old Night Nurse! People gripping the mattress, being knocked out on half a dose, too out of it THE NEXT DAY to look after their kids?! Recommending for only when dying of flu. I’ve got a cold and had some last night, as I always do when I have a cold because colds suck. I’ve never been off my face, never felt weird the next day etc - all I get is that I feel a bit more sleepy and my nose doesn’t wake me up 40 times a night. AIBU to think that maybe half these people were exaggerating......

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1053701-What-is-it-about-Night-Nurse

Ps the original question was wondering why someone was refused it - if anyone cares it’s becuase the cough suppressant can increase the risk of paracetamol related damage in alcoholics, so alcoholics really do need to stay clear and not because NN is some kind of green heroin Grin

OP posts:
MitziK · 27/01/2019 22:43

I'm guessing it's the same people who claim that a single Neurofen knocks them out - or a non drowsy antihistamine.

Mixture of mild sleepiness and placebo effect. They believe it's going to knock them out, so it does, especially as bad colds/flu make you tired anyway.

jasmine1971 · 27/01/2019 22:44

The stuff is lethal. If I ever can't sleep, I take half a cup of Night Nurse. Jobs a good one but I can't function the following day.

Chesneyhawkes1 · 27/01/2019 22:44

Love night nurse. Unfortunately I can't take it as if I do I can't do my job for 48 hours according to the on call medicine people.

However if I'm off work and ill, I have a big swig followed by a glass of wine and sleep like a log!

Butterfly84 · 27/01/2019 22:45

I've only tried the Aldi version and felt no effects. People have told me before 'take this particular medication when you're ill. It knocks you out' and it never does for me. I just must be very hardy.

MrsFezziwig · 27/01/2019 22:45

Would any of this stuff be useful to help me sleep on a plane? I find this really difficult and have a 9 hour flight coming up soon (from the USA and I love going to their pharmacies).

7yo7yo · 27/01/2019 22:45

Oh fuck I just took it. I’m at work in the morning 6am start. Why didn’t I see this thread first. And I’ve took 20 mls.

Ollivander84 · 27/01/2019 22:46

Does nothing for me. Mind you neither did 4 x 60mh dihydrocodeine, diazapam and morphine Blush
I spring awake from a GA and spend the next 2 days too wired to sleep

treaclesoda · 27/01/2019 22:47

I'm guessing it's the same people who claim that a single Neurofen knocks them out - or a non drowsy antihistamine.

Not at all, in my case. I'm always Hmm about people who say that a paracetamol makes them feel woozy or whatever. And the first time I took Night Nurse I had no idea that it was meant to help you sleep, I thought it was just a non caffiene version of Day Nurse, so I don't think it was mind over matter. But it knocked me right out.

I love it, on the rare occasion that I get sick it's the one medicine that I feel really helps.

PatricksRum · 27/01/2019 22:48

It's just promethazine
I take that every night on prescription a
Ngsah znx don't get drowsy Confused

Troels · 27/01/2019 22:48

Diphenhydramine is the stuff that knocks me out, I'm sure it's also in the US Benadryl I brought a giant jar of the pink tabs from Costco US and they put me out for the night if I'm having trouble sleeping. They keep me decogested at the same time win win.
Never tried Night nurse, but Nyquil scared the life out of me, I was totally out of it, even the Dayquil makes me weird.

treaclesoda · 27/01/2019 22:50

The other thing that unexpectedly made me really drowsy was travel sickness tablets. I took some for a three hour boat journey a couple of years ago and I fell asleep face down on a table with a coffee still in my hand, about three quarters of an hour into the crossing. Blush

ComfortablyGlum · 27/01/2019 22:51

Every time I visit the USA I bring home a caseload of their awesome meds. Night Nurse included.

Melatonin (for jet lag), ibruprofen PM (knock you out a treat but not as powerful as Night Nurse), big tubs of chewy indigestion tablets (taste amazing and so much better than our weedy chalky little Rennies) - oh and CVS own brand cold and flu (comes in day and night versions) - always clears a cold at the first sniffle - lord knows what’s in it !

Riotingbananas · 27/01/2019 22:52

Night Nurse is absolutely NOT ' just Day Nurse minus the caffeine

Very true and Day Nurse doent even have caffeine in it anyway!

Fstar · 27/01/2019 22:52

Night nurse is good but the best tablets to help sleep were syndol but they took the good stuff out of them now (antihistamines). I took one of my partners pain meds (i know i shouldnt take other peoples meds but was desperate). He takes 2 a day so i took one and went to bed an hour later i was off my face, couldnt walk without help, giggling like a child, slept for 3 hrs and woke up the same, i can remember it and was aware but my body jyst wasnt playing. Took 24hrs to feel normal again, was pretty funny to me but not dp. It took the pain away!

Aroundtheworldandback · 27/01/2019 22:57

Night nurse is a treat. Suffering from menopause insomnia and it knocks me out for the night so take it occasionally. Need a strong coffee in the morning to snap me out of it, then I’m good to go.

LonelyAmongUs · 27/01/2019 23:00

You sound just like me Ollivander84

However, midazolam and propofol make me an absolute psycho - I had to be restrained in recovery because I was so nasty and kept throwing punches.

MoonriseKingdom · 27/01/2019 23:07

I wonder if some people are more sensitive to sedating antihistamines. I’ve not had it as night nurse but was prescribed promethazine for pregnancy sickness and had to stop after a few days because I was sleeping until midday and slurring my speech. Annoyingly did nothing for the sickness. Don’t think I’d ever dare take it again!

Pinkbells · 27/01/2019 23:09

That stuff is brilliant if you are ill and can't sleep. I never had a problem waking up the next morning, though. Haven't had it for ages.

Drogosnextwife · 27/01/2019 23:14

I need to get some! Never tried it.

Ollivander84 · 27/01/2019 23:15

@LonelyAmongUs midazolam made me laugh a lot ConfusedGrin and I demanded pizza (nil by mouth)
I was still at work on the morphine/codeine/diazapam combo

MsPeachh · 27/01/2019 23:16

I only ever use the Day Nurse capsules in the pack to perk me up when I’ve got a cold. Clearly I’m missing out!

PopCakes · 27/01/2019 23:18

I've had regular English NN. It definitely has sleep medication in it - I would be groggy the next morning but OK after a coffee.

Coldilox · 27/01/2019 23:36

Has no affect on me at all. I wish it did!

April2020mom · 27/01/2019 23:49

How much does it cost to buy? I think that I’m developing a cold. Can you buy it from a pharmacy or not? What color is it.

Galwaydags · 27/01/2019 23:59

Night nurse is ace for if you’re really ill and can’t sleep with horrible cold symptoms. It clears your passage ways and would stun a pig.

My chemist used to stock some mad stuff called J Collis Browne that had dyhydrocodeine in it, and apart from causing giant constipation, got you off your tits in an opioid haze.