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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Unflavoured infant paracetamol vs hens teeth.

81 replies

Lunafortheloveogod · 23/10/2019 15:58

Posting for traffic, as I’ve already waited 5 days for an answer from gp/pharmacist.

DS 7months is allergic to strawberries/citrus fruits and advised to avoid any similar fruits. He’s fine with banana, apple, peach, pear, prune and apricot so far. He’s got a cold, which he’s generally ok with just snotty and combined with his teeth coming through he gets the odd fever. Calpol is strawberry causes a rash and screaming.. haven’t tried orange (citrus) or cherry flavour yet (he hasnt had a drop of cherry anything so after having a near miss with kiwi I’m not the keenest to go bung it into him)

Anyhoo we’ve tried sugar free same reaction.. is there an unflavoured infant paracetamol syrup in existence? Or a banana/apple/pear one? According to my gp there isn’t but alas they also told me they could only get an sma milk for cmpa but paediatrician got a different version in.. so my faith in them isn’t the highest.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 23/10/2019 16:29

Could be a reaction to a different ingredient rather than the flavourings

rubyroot · 23/10/2019 16:32

List of ingredients here. It does mention that some I vredients can cause allergic reactuons. But no strawberry, I don't think

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/260/smpc

Original poster
Lunafortheloveogod · 23/10/2019 16:32

We have the cal cough stuff, anbesol and baby rub/olbas oil.. the plug in is banished until the blue light isn’t as fascinating to have conversations with at 3am Grin. The light is not his father but it’s “dada” for about an hour straight if he sees it.

I know it’s not front line for the cold but since it’s taken 5 days for them to shrug their shoulders and not give an answer I’d hate to be in the position of bringing down a much higher temp with a face cloth. I don’t think our pharmacies do compounding? Maybe they just don’t do it often.

I still haven’t even had the answer if it’s strawberry in it or if he’s allergic to something else in it. Figured flavour free/safe fruit would help rule that down.

I’ll try his dietician and paediatrics see if they’re used to more unusual children/have the ability to get compounded paracetamol or give over on the suppositories. And I’ll probably throw a bottle of cherry in a basket n dab him with a bit incase there’s been a ridiculously easy option sat in the shops.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 23/10/2019 16:33

It might be the benzoates as they commonly can cause reactions

Celebelly · 23/10/2019 16:37

Duct tape over the light!

Original poster
Lunafortheloveogod · 23/10/2019 16:37

@rubyroot we haven’t the foggiest to what all he’s allergic to so it could be a colouring/additive.. have tried the sugar n colour free one and still the same but I dare say there’s something in the sugar free that’ll be in the sugary one. They don’t seem to want to do any allergy testing either to help rule down what he can n can’t have.. even food wise.

OP posts:
Noloudnoises · 23/10/2019 16:38

It won't help now but you can buy the french suppositories online. Probably have to pay a lot for postage though. The brand is called doliprane and it goes by kg weight of the child.

Noloudnoises · 23/10/2019 16:39

It won't help now but you can buy the french suppositories online. Probably have to pay a lot for postage though. The brand is called doliprane and it goes by kg weight of the child.

I bought a stash in France on a holiday and have them as I have a calpol refusenik.

dementedpixie · 23/10/2019 16:40

E216 is apparently in it which is a benzoate banned in Europe. Wonder why it's still in there

GrandmaSharksDentures · 23/10/2019 16:42

Can you get a 500mg soluble tablet & dissolve it? We can then help you work out the correct amount to give

rubyroot · 23/10/2019 16:47

Or try liquid ibuprofen which is better for teething anyway. You can't use it too often though. But we used it for ours when he was teething

SofiaAmes · 23/10/2019 16:52

Rubyroot apparently there are different guidelines for babies who come from families with food allergies. I just checked and the current NHS guidelines are just the same as they were when my dc's were babies (except the advice on peanuts). They are very clear about checking with your GP and being extremely careful about what you feed a baby under 6 to 12 months. You clearly have not experienced a baby or a child exposed to something that they are severely allergic to. Monitoring for signs of reactions isn't enough. By the time you notice a reaction it may be too late to call an ambulance.
So sorry that you think my post is judgy but would rather have my child or the OP's child not go into anaphylactic shock. If there is a history of allergies extra care when introducing foods should be taken and clearly the OP was unaware of this advice before now.

lotsofoysters · 23/10/2019 16:53

Ask a pharmacist rather than a doctor, or try baby ibuprofen.
I wish they made calpol without all the added crap.

Re allergies - current research shows that introducing highly allergenic foods before 1, ideally around 6 months, reduces the risk of developing an allergy.

rubyroot · 23/10/2019 16:54

@SofiaAmes the post doesn't say anything about history of allergies in the family and I'm assuming she found that out by feeding her baby it. Hmm

dementedpixie · 23/10/2019 16:55

It doesnt say avoid strawberries or kiwi under 2 year though

dementedpixie · 23/10/2019 16:55

Sorry 1 year

rubyroot · 23/10/2019 16:59

@dementedpixie agree, I have never heard the advice and the NHS guidelines do not mention it!

Original poster
Lunafortheloveogod · 23/10/2019 17:08

I’ll add ibuprofen to the list of things.

@SofiaAmes no fascinating secret family allergies, only intolerance is lactose and well farting at cheese isn’t much of an issue for anyone besides dp sharing a room with me. The booklet I stated earlier is the NHS guidelines at the moment. So I do know the guidelines, and he still had a serious reaction.. blue/purple face, swollen lips and mouth, screaming (which is good as shows airways are open), full body rash etc been instructed to go straight for 999 next time managed to strip him and flush most of it off of him before anyone got here last time. The only guidelines concerning fruit are for early weaning before 6months and are to do with acidic fruit upsetting stomachs. At least that’s the Scottish books version.

I don’t get why baby medicine is loaded with crap either.. just makes allergies harder to work out. Going to check his box and see what E numbers are in calpol and everything else too.. incase there’s even a few that cross over to help narrow the maybes.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 23/10/2019 17:11

My dh was told to avoid benzoates especially sodium benzoate as he got an oral reaction to them

rubyroot · 23/10/2019 17:21

Check out the link above, it's pretty comprehensive

SoyDora · 23/10/2019 17:38

Most importantly Why are you giving strawberries and Kiwis to your baby who is under 12 months. Or have the guidelines changed since my DC were babies?

The guidelines do not say not to give strawberry or kiwi to babies under 1. I have three children, 5, 4 and 9 months, and it hasn’t been the guidance for any of them.
My 9 month old loves strawberries.

pikapikachu · 23/10/2019 17:49

Can't your gp prescribe a suppository?

pikapikachu · 23/10/2019 17:52

Sorry read the thread and see that they won't prescribe it. Can you buy them from an online pharmacy?

Nousernameforme · 23/10/2019 18:05

@dementedpixie I looked that up as well. That is quite worrying and if it's in something as widely used for the smallest of people as calpol.

Passthecherrycoke · 23/10/2019 18:15

Boots own brand ibruprofen is orange flavour if that helps