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Original poster

To consider stocking up on medised for bump

32 replies

Reallytired · 15/11/2008 12:55

When my son was a baby (Ie. between 12 months and 18 months) Medised was fanastic. It helped him when he was teething badly, had a terrible cold and had a perforated ear drum. I did not use Medised to drug him to sleep, but to improve his quality of life when he was well and truely ill.

I think its unreasonable that Medised has been banned for under twos. It seems a pity that Medised cannot be made available on prescription for babies who really need it. It is safe if you follow the instructions carefully and are not stupid enough to give calpol as well.

I have just bought a bottle for my six year old son. He has ear ache and its really helping. Its best before date is in 2011. If bump has a horrendous ear infection and is over 12 months I will not hesitate to use Medised.

OP posts:
sleepycat · 15/11/2008 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

giddykipper · 15/11/2008 12:57

I didn't think the reason they banned it was because of the paracetamol, I thought it was the anti-histamine in it.

Original poster
Reallytired · 15/11/2008 13:09

Lots of parents used to use medised as a sleeping drug for babies.

A pharmatist won't sell medised for under twos. I didn't think you could get on prescription. If you can get it on prescription for babies then that would be fine.

OP posts:
belgo · 15/11/2008 13:13

They don't sell medised in Belgium where I live. Everyone manages just fine with paracetamol.

shootfromthehip · 15/11/2008 13:26

Think it is because of the reaction of the anti-histamine with something in cough mixture (or so my VERY jumped up chemist told me when I tried to buy some for my then 18mth old)?

I did buy some for DD (4) and have been giving it to DS (2 in Jan) recently. It's the only thing that stops their nose running so much.

Furball · 15/11/2008 13:27

just be aware that there was 2 sorts of medised - one from 3 months and one from 2 years. I switched ds when he was old enough and it didn't ease his colds the same as it has a different antihistaime in. So I would imagine they have discontinued the from 3 months one and only do the from 2 years one.

It would not be suitable for a small baby.

Original poster
Reallytired · 15/11/2008 13:33

The bottle I bought today has got has instructions on it on how to give it to a 3 month old baby!

Personally I would not have felt comfortable giving medised to a baby who was so young. However I am sure that type of medised I have got will be safe for a child over 12 months.

OP posts:
EllieG · 15/11/2008 13:40

Has medised been banned for under twos? I have been using it for DD's (she is 6 months) cold - it says is OK on bottle and pharmacist did not say otherwise - oh god have I done something wrong? I really didn't know about this [guilt guilt guilt emoticon]

DoNotAsfinishedXmasshopping · 15/11/2008 13:42

Furball. That is incorrect. It used to be suitable from 3m. The law changed in March/April and they had to change the packaging and it is now only available for 2yr+. It is the same thing. The regulations have changed though.

reallyTired. The companies have been allowed to sell in the earlier packaging (labelled 3m+) for a period of time to use up their stocks. I thought that was September though - so could be wrong. The pahrmacist should have given you a leaflet basically over-ruling the 3m dosing.

At the end of the day - it is up to you whether you want to stockipil;e and give to a youger baby. You have to remember though that the license was changed for a reason...and we are actually behind many countries in making that change.

IMO The license was changed for a reason. A medical reason. Unless you are a medical expert it is not for you to over-rule that judgement and if you do it is your responsibility for doing so (i,e, you can't claim it was someone elses fault if something goes wrong).

Paracetamol + ibuprofen will treat the pain of burst eardrum.

DoNotAsfinishedXmasshopping · 15/11/2008 13:43

Yes EllieG. It was banned in March/April this year

EllieG · 15/11/2008 13:46

Oh fuck - I didn't know at all. Sorry to swear. I have been using liberally over the past week because she's been so mucusy and it's really helped her breathing when lying down.
Am binning now.
How are they allowed to still sell? Is bad. Am looking up ban now on google but can't find info

needmorecoffee · 15/11/2008 13:49

use calpol for teething and earache. medised is to dry up secretions froma cold/snuffly nose.
I'm guessing they wouldn't ban it without a good reason.

artichokes · 15/11/2008 13:49

My GP prescribed it for my under two year old DD.

shootfromthehip · 15/11/2008 13:53

Think if you are giving it, then you shouldn't mix it with anything at all.

DoNotAsfinishedXmasshopping · 15/11/2008 13:55

here is the original press release

EllieG · 15/11/2008 13:57

When said using liberally obviously just figure of speech have been following label

AstroPup · 15/11/2008 13:58

Oh sugar - ive been giving medised along with benylin cough medicine since yesterday (2.8yo)
Can you really not give medised with cough medicine?

shootfromthehip · 15/11/2008 14:01

Not according to my chemist. There was a child that dies of an overdose a couple of years ago and it was as a result of giving the prescribed dose of several medications.

Furball · 15/11/2008 14:02

DoNotAsfinishedXmasshopping - my post is correct, I know the guidelines changed, but before that happened there were 2 sorts.

As I said my son didn't get the same ease of cold with the from 2 years one so I switched him back to the from 3 months - this was over 5 years ago

alicet · 15/11/2008 14:03

I have looked into this having been told by the pharmacist about this a few months ago when I went to buy it for my then 10 month old (who had been having it spordically prior to that as did his older brother at the same age)

The reason for the change is there have been a very small number of babies who have died after having cough and cold medicines. The few reports I read about this put it down to being as a result of combining medised with other medicines containing paracetamol without being aware that this is dangerous. So NOT the medised on its own but it's use in combinatin with other drugs leading to an inadvertan paracetamol od. The reason they have banned it in under 2's is because they are more vulnerable to this by virtue of their size.

Other resports have said that the antihistamine has been shown to make no difference to babies with colds and therefore it is not justified to give it. However (and I know this is not scientific) I know my boys are better on the medised than calpol when they have a cold.

On this basis I am going to continue to give it to my 1 year old. I think used alone for a cold it is no less safe than calpol.

If it's relevant I am a doctor (although not a paediatrician) so know a little of what I am on about

needmorecoffee · 15/11/2008 14:11

we gave it to dd aged 4 and it triggured seizures. So the antihistamine bit must go into the brain.
And antihistamines wouldn't affect colds. They are viruses.

alicet · 15/11/2008 14:19

Antihistamines actually can help with colds. You get a lot of inflammation in your nose, throat and upper airways. It will help to reduce this inflammation. Not the be all and end all and certainly won't make the cold get better soon but could help the unpleasant symptoms associated with a cold.

DoNotAsfinishedXmasshopping · 15/11/2008 14:19

It is also inadvertant decongestant oerdose. It is NOT JUST the paracetamol.

Anti-histamines will help widen airways though...so although it doesn't treat the casue of the codl it can help treat the symptoms in some (but not necessarily all) types of cold.

It is irrelavant for me though....it has no license in under 2's so I won't be giving it to an under 2 (not that I have any).

alicet · 15/11/2008 14:22

Either way though giving it on its own has not been shown o be unsafe.

I can completely understand why people would choose on this advice not to give to under 2's. I was just pointing out that if you understand the reasons and don't give it at the same time as any other medication it has not been shown to be unsafe.

So you can make your own educated decision as to whether you want to do this or not

perty · 15/11/2008 18:15

I still give it to my 1yr old but I don't, and never have, give any other kind of cough or cold medicine. I use nurofen in the daytime if necessary and medised at bedtime. That way they are getting nowhere near the daily max dose. I use it because it helps them breathe more easily and sleep better and I happen to think a good nights sleep is the best thing to help recover from being poorly.

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