Calpol!

[Poliosmolio123]

Why does everyone always jump to using Calpol straight away and it's always the first bit of advice they give?

Baby sad, ah must give them calpol
Baby teething Calpol!
Baby has a temperature raised by 0.2 of a degree, oh they need calpol
Baby not sleeping - give them Calpol!

Like, is it only me who just doesn't like the stuff or want to medicate my child willy nilly?

Its the first thing any of my family members do or say and it makes me feel like a shitty parent for not wanting to give it to them! Obviously I would if I was advised by a HC professional.

Is this totally unreasonable?

YABU - I use Calpol all the time
YANBU - I don't use it all the time

Don't get me started about anbesol.

Now Piriton does knock them out. I had really bad hayfever as a child and there wern't the range of non drowsy antihistamines available back then. Piriton used to totally knock me for six.

When ds had chicken pox at around 20 months old I gave him piriton on medical advice and my previously non sleeping baby slept!

People probably do the nighttime dosing because of the lack of products available now. Medised was the good shit, paracetamol For a thick head and some sort of antihistamine that dried up a snotty nose/cleared a cough and also had a sedative effect. They started upping the age limit over a decade ago and then finally made it unavailable in the U.K due to it being abused.

Parents in the UK do overuse Calpol, there was a documentary (by Dr's) about it a few years ago and are several articles if you Google it. My baby had bad trapped wind and luckily gripe water worked in the end, I tried Calpol once and it made him sleepy but obviously did nothing for the problem! Sometimes people don't know how to settle their baby so just give them Calpol but don't get to the route of the problem. I think if they are in obvious pain, other methods don't work, they have a fever obviously give it. But regularly giving it for little reason will just get them addicted and think how little their kidneys are!

@LemonPeonies and I'm sure whatever you watched was only focused on calpol whereas medicine in say, Spain is called something else!

People give their babies medicine if they are in pain or seem in pain. No one gives medicine willy nilly.

I use it for baby teething that's it. Obviously you wouldn't give a baby Calpol for trapped wind...

It doesn't make babies sleepy either. It's paracetamol. That's it.

You simply can’t say no one does.

And you can't say that everyone that uses Calpol mis-uses it and gives it to their children for every single thing, every single day which is what this thread implies.

It's really weird actually

In fact, I wonder about the calibre of people the op and others hang out with because I don't know a single person who would give medicine to a baby/child like that.

There was a documentary about calpol misuse, I don’t personally know anyone who does it but it does happen. I haven’t read every post but has anyone suggested that everyone who gives it misused it?

@LemonPeonies

Parents in the UK do overuse Calpol, there was a documentary (by Dr's) about it a few years ago and are several articles if you Google it. My baby had bad trapped wind and luckily gripe water worked in the end, I tried Calpol once and it made him sleepy but obviously did nothing for the problem! Sometimes people don't know how to settle their baby so just give them Calpol but don't get to the route of the problem. I think if they are in obvious pain, other methods don't work, they have a fever obviously give it. But regularly giving it for little reason will just get them addicted and think how little their kidneys are!

Calpol didn't make your baby sleepy, that's not how paracetamol works. Either your baby became sleepy after you gave it, or the calpol took away the pain that was stopping them from sleeping.

@horehound just because you don't doesn't mean others dont. There's multiple people on this thread stating they have seen the same as myself. It does happen!!

@horehound I have a mid bunch of people, some rarely ever use it, some use it every single day, some twice a day. I've stated already that giving it for a valid reason is absolutely acceptable. We have gone over the fact it doesnt make them sleepy so many times but that doesn't mean that people do not think it does and give it for that reason! No not always because they are in pain and it automatically eases it, literally just because they aren't sleeping and then get distraught that they haven't slept with a dose of Calpol when in fact they aren't even tired or upset or poorly! Not everyone is as sensible as some people on this thread!

Right but you said "Why does everyone always jump to using Calpol straight away and it's always the first bit of advice they give?"

Well, I don't and I know lots of others who don't. So....to answer your question- they don't.

You seem to be very against it, not sure why. I mean I've only given it at teething and once when he had a cold and likely had a headache. He was a lot happier once he had it so I knew there was definitely something wrong. So I don't know why you wouldn't give it in these circumstances instead of writing it off as a "leap"
There will be some occasions where your child probably does need pain relief but if you are so against it, at what point do you actually consider it? What's your line of your child's pain then?

Never used anbesol, infact hadn't heard of it til this thread but might get some. Use calpol quite a bit though..works very well for a few different kinds of pain, no idea why anyone would NOT want to give a child in pain some medication to ease it somewhat tbh

@horehound I've already explained that I wrote this in an angry moment and yes, i should of stated 'everyone I know' because that's all I can gauge it in, surely?

So because you, other people you know and other people on this thread may not, you are going to completely disregard mine and other people's on this threads experiences of seeing it over used?

Oh my goodness, I have already stated over and over, if you have a valid reason, bloody use it!! BUT people I have seen haven't had a valid reason and use it unnecessarily.

Because my daughter settled other ways? So I should just give her Calpol without trying to settle or calm her another way? Is this what you are trying to insinuate? That a baby is only ever sad because they need Calpol?

If I tried everything and she did not settle I would use it, but so far, everything I have done has settled her and she's been absolutely fine, no temperature and no need for teething as she uses other options?

@BatShite yup, I sit and listen to my child in pain and don't give it to her, please call child line!! 🙄

Umm yeah, didn't quite mean that. But calpol seems the easiest answer, and most effective for teething, temperature, headaches, stomach aches, almost everything. We have obviously attempted to sort illness without it before but it tends to come back to calpol so..yeah sometimes now its the go to option as otherwise you are trying stuff for hours, then end up medicating anyways.

Mind, am anything but anti medication..the amount of painkillers I am on is insane really..so maybe am more..'get the meds' than many others would be.

@BatShite Unfortunately, that's how your comment came across. In my experience, with my own child, I have tried other options to settle her and its worked and she's been okay, so in my opinion, she hasn't need it.

It's not like I've purposefully sat, listening to her crying and thought 'nah I'm so against Calpol I'm just going to neglect you by not using it!' she hasnt ever had a temperature, so she hasn't needed it for that reason, she is a very chilled, rarely unsettled child but obviously has her moments which coincide with a leap, growth spurt etc so I ease her in other ways. If not giving her Calpol when she cries is so bad then yeah, maybe she needs to be taken away🙄

I've been in your position, I've been on numerous amount of medication only to need other medication to ease side effects from the others, I hated it. So maybe that and being told 24/7 to give her Calpol for any slight reason like shouting because she isn't allowed to play with something that would harm her, or simply being over tired as I know her cues gets to me. I've seen it over used. That's your opinion and your child to do so with. You feel it's necessary. I'm not stating yoy shouldn't in that circumstance. I'm stating from people I have seen it is used completely unnecessarily before even trying anything or knowing at all if the child is even in pain.

Apologies then, I really did not mean it like that. There always seems to be an issue of tone online I think.

IF we had had a lot of success with calming other ways we would do that. But generally, as it always comes back to meds from experience with ours, thats our go to solution a lot of the time tbh.

give her Calpol for any slight reason like shouting because she isn't allowed to play with something that would harm her

Also this sounds crazy.

I would definitely not advise calpol in that circumstance! I can't believe anyone would actually..only for times they appear in pain.

@BatShite No, it's fine! I think I've read some of the comments wrong. If I'm honest, so I also apologise! Again, like you say, you know your child and their cues etc. My main point was for circumstances like i mentioned! I think like others have said it goes back to night Calpol and the other one with antihistamines that people automatically still assume it does the same tricks! My mother is this person and unfortunately has, fed it in the minds of the majority of our family also, my sister and one of my brothers are absolutely awful for it, my other brothers are similar to me but maybe, we just have calmer children or are less likely in pain, unsure really!

@Poliosmolio123 did you really think that you were the only "good parent" in the world who wasn't overmedicating your child?

It sounds to me like you think so little of these people that I'm surprised you're still spending time with them. It seems like you find them irresponsible and poor parents, so maybe it might be best for you to keep your child away from them, rather than bitching about them on the internet.

My mother still thinks calpol works as a sedative. Advises it when kids just won't settle. Obviously when its just paracetamol, it won't knock kids out (like it used to)..it only 'makes them sleep' if the reason they are not sleeping is pain, as when the pain goes they can finally sleep.

Apparently all parents used to use calpol if their kids wouldn't sleep, though I take that with a pinch of salt

I probably do overuse it sometimes in honesty. But not..every night or for silly reasons. Only ever when they are in pain/I suspect pain.

@bitchkitchen quite hard when they are family members. I think maybe the whole of mumsnet should come off then, as I see numerous posts per day hitching about someone or another! Not claiming I'm a good or perfect parent, not in the slightest 😜

[quote Poliosmolio123]@bitchkitchen quite hard when they are family members. I think maybe the whole of mumsnet should come off then, as I see numerous posts per day hitching about someone or another! Not claiming I'm a good or perfect parent, not in the slightest 😜[/quote]
If i had as low of an opinion of my family members as you do of yours, i wouldn't be allowing my child around them.

Is this what you are trying to insinuate? Clearly not since I've said I don't think people are stupid enough to Medicate for no reason and as I told you I only give it for teething or if I've exhausted all avenues and he seems out of sorts and in pain

I'm intrigued to know what you say to your friends or family members that do medicate for no reason...do you pull them up on it?