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.

@sauvignonblancplz She literally screamed because she wanted something she wasnt allowed to have I.e a knife she wanted to play with. I think if I'd let her play with it she may of needed the Calpol! So no, it wasn't in the best interests of my child, it was because she thought she was overly tired and needed a bit of Calpol to help her get off to sleep. Which we have firgued out many times over in this thread it doesn't do! Yet!!! A lot! Of people think it does. Not just because tbey scream in pain just because a child is slightly agitated.

YABU liquid paracetamol is used after babies have their vaccinations and for many medical things.

Why do you assume that mums just use it willy nilly?

@Therarestone I haven't denied anything. I haven't felt my daughter needed any. Just like other PP felt their children did?

@Wilko312 Because I have experienced FIRST hand exactly that, fgs.

@Thefab3the apparent is just that, apparently from articles I've read it can (no evidence hence the quotations). Exactly that, my daughter is very calm and hasn't needed it much or in my opinion been in pain much. Others obviously have! I consider myself lucky!

[quote Poliosmolio123]@sauvignonblancplz She literally screamed because she wanted something she wasnt allowed to have I.e a knife she wanted to play with. I think if I'd let her play with it she may of needed the Calpol! So no, it wasn't in the best interests of my child, it was because she thought she was overly tired and needed a bit of Calpol to help her get off to sleep. Which we have firgued out many times over in this thread it doesn't do! Yet!!! A lot! Of people think it does. Not just because tbey scream in pain just because a child is slightly agitated.[/quote]
I have never met anyone who thinks calpol helps children sleep. I think this is an isolated issue in your social circle that you're mistakenly extrapolated to wider society, as you can see from the reactions you've had to your super judgy thread.

Also, from the sounds of it, you have been incredibly lucky and ended up with a child who doesn't get sick or experience much teething pain. Your experience is not at all universal.

@Bitchinkitchen Yes. We have come to this conclusion lots on this thread that it is only me who has ever been sad enough to have this experience, but! My experience is still valid in the way of what I have seen and noticed from other parents I know and, I am not alone as others have also commented the same thing. Yes, I consider myself very lucky to have a very calm child who is rarely if ever sick and doesn't get extremely frustrated with her teeth. My experience is still valid though and so is my opinion, just like yours is!

@Ilovesandwiches

I think some adults are like this too though for themselves, relying so heavily on paracetamol xx

When I tore my shoulder tendon the GP told me that paracetamol is actually extremely safe to take at full dose over a long period of time. I'd said that I'd not really been taking much as I hadn't wanted to (I'm not averse to taking it, but I was in so much pain I knew I'd have to take the full dose every day, for a long time, which I wasn't sure about), and that was her reply to me.

I think that, actually, the average layperson doesn't understand paracetamol (I didn't until I was told!) and how much is actually safe to take, even over the longer term.

Yes some parents do use it and other medications in a very cavalier manner. That however is there call and for their HV or GP to consider.

Yes I have used it more with my last dd than the others BUT all my older children would fit violently with the smallest temperature increase until they were 6 or 7 so I was advised to pre-empt that my giving her a half dose if she was on the cusp of a fever but not quite there.

Tbh calpol is the least of the worries with some parents local to me.... I've watched their kids lick ant powder off the pavement thinking it was cocaine........

It doesn’t taste as nice as it did when I was a child, needs more sugar 😂

Sometimes I have a wee syringe of calpol.

It tastes really, really good 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think the example that you give is really odd, your mil suggesting capol when your child was overtired or having a fussy moment.
In that case you are obviously right , it’s bizarre to suggest pain relief when a child is simply being a child.
I studied a post grad in connection to special needs and I’ve never read a paper or article correlating paracetamol and adhd though, news to me ... you said “apparent” but you referenced it to make a point..

I think it tastes nice initially then has a bitter aftertaste

I'm a horrible mother - I've hardly ever given them calpol. If they are obviously in pain/fever - I give them a basic paracetamol (cut into the correct dose).

It tastes horrible so now they are older, mild illnesses go unmedicated. I know they are very poorly if they ask for analgesia.

@Minxmumma goodness! So, they legitimately thought it was cocaine, like, had an association to it? I get that, I really do. That wasn't even my main point that has been twisted out of context completely. There's obviously genuine reasons to give Calpol. My point was for people who use it completely unnecessarily like to feel like it would instantly get baby to asleep or instead of soothing a sad child which isn't always the case or works

@PablosHoney I agree, I lived off the stuff as a kid 😅

How do they even know what cocaine is the poor sprouts 😨

My issue just now is that my five year old fucking loves the taste of calpol. She hardly ever gets it (only because I fear if she gets it too often it’ll stop working) but now when she says her ear is sore or whatever I doubt she’s telling the truth I think she’s just after calpol!

@runninguphills

I'm a horrible mother - I've hardly ever given them calpol. If they are obviously in pain/fever - I give them a basic paracetamol (cut into the correct dose).

It tastes horrible so now they are older, mild illnesses go unmedicated. I know they are very poorly if they ask for analgesia.

Please don't do this - it's a choking hazard and a very inaccurate way to medicate children!

@runninguphills

I'm a horrible mother - I've hardly ever given them calpol. If they are obviously in pain/fever - I give them a basic paracetamol (cut into the correct dose).

It tastes horrible so now they are older, mild illnesses go unmedicated. I know they are very poorly if they ask for analgesia.

This is fucking weird. And dangerous.

My ds is 2.5, can count on my 2 hands how many times I've gave him calpol or anything similar

Not sure if it's already been asked but is your user name anything to do with your stance on baby analgesia?
Are you an anti vaxer too?

I never had a hope in hell getting Calpol down.my DD regardless of circumstances, she could smell it even in juice.

She's nearly 16 now and the only time she takes a painkiller is if she has cramps.

I feel the same OP. I know so many parents who give their child Calpol every time they cry! I honestly don’t understand how people can tell their babies are ‘teething’ and in pain. People were telling me my baby must be teething since she was about 3 months; she didn’t get her first tooth until a few days before she turned 1. The day before her first tooth came out she was frantically grabbing at anything and shoving it in her mouth and biting - I noticed the same the day before tooth 2. That was it!

For all those saying that Calpol doesn’t make children drowsy- on the odd occasion I have given my baby Calpol it has definitely sent her off to sleep. Maybe it has different effects on diff babies?

@maras2 Hey? Why would it be an anti vaccination user name? I can see why youd put not liking to give Calpol unnecessarily to anti vaccinations though.

@Bizawit thank you! I thought maybe I was reading it wrong from people and they just knew a one shout or whatever was a cry for medicine! My daughter has never been sad with teething, just like you say, biting at things! Don't get me wrong, she's been sad but never to a point I think she's needed a Calpol dose as she's settled with other things. But, I've seen others not try anythimg and just give Calpol to the point I think the child seeks mroe comfort (or associates this with comfort) from Calpol! A lot of people on here making me feel awful for even suggesting that parents shovel it down their kids throats which I have experienced first hand (and for some reason, they think I'm talking directly to them, which I'm not!)