medised?

[pamelat]

I have not used this yet.

I am aware that the rules changed last year and that it should not be used for babies under 2.

My GP friend has told me that this is largely because parents were abusing it and using it more as a sedative to get babies to sleep through the night even though they were not poorly

My DD is 12 months. She has had a cough seriously for 3 months. My actual GP's are not bothered (I have been 4 times about it). She is full of cold, teething and if she feels anything like me (also full of cold) she feels miserable.

I went to the pharmacist and said I had a 6 year old and bought medised. I know thats wrong.

However, I dare not use it as I am so scared that it could harm her. However, my GP mummy friend says that it will not and she uses it on her 12 month old. Obviously no GP or pharmacist is going to tell me this officially.

So to use or not to use?

I need to relieve her symptons and it seems sad that nothing is working (tried calpol/nurofen etc etc) I know that medised must never be used with calpol etc.

What do you think?

use it

I've always used it.

instinct does tell me to use it.

i would. have been using medised on both mine from about 6 months when ill. Fine as long as not overused imo.

Use it - I did with 1 yr old dd when she had a very bad cough and needed to get some sleep. Use the smallest advised dose - she cannot possibly be harmed.

Use it, your not stupid and your not using it to 'sedate' you lo.

i used it with my two under2 but before the rules came in, i found it a godsend, especially as you can put it in their milk.

but only you can make a decision about giving a now unlicenced medication to your child

in your circs, I would use it.

I've used it since a pharmicist recommended it for DS1 - when he was about 4 months (he is now 7 and I've used on the younger ones as well)

I have used Calpol Night (similar to medised) for dd when she is really congested. I'm not sure it'll help the cough though ?

Has it got the correct dosage for a 12 month old on it? If not see if someone has an old pack with the correct dosage on.
Other than that, up to you.

Use it. It sounds like your DD needs a good nights sleep.

at the stoopid parents who doped their kids with it

Use it - honestly.

There is no medical reason for upping the age limit to 2 from 3 months. I'm sure it is because too many parents were using it on a nightly basis to get their children to sleep or just on the off chance that they'd woken up because they were unwell.

One thing to watch out for is that it doesn't suit all children. DS is fine if he has it in the evening but if I give him some in the middle of the night he is unbearable the next day, very bad tempered and out of sorts.

Have you tried any of the night time cough medicines? Not sure what age they are appropriate for but Benylin nighttime does wonders for DS.

Use it.
I have an 11 month old and used it for the 1st time last month (have never used it on my older child). The GP said to me 'go next door to the pharmacist and use whatever they say' as DS had more or less the same as your DD.
Pharmacist said use it, as long as only when DS very bunged up/coughing/poorly and stop as soon as he gets better. TBH I think she only said that as I wanted something for both boys and DS1 is 3yrs so old enough to have it.. she might not have given it to me just for DS2. She DID say use on both though and that its only changed to over 2's due to misuse.

If you are not misusing it, then no harm!
A few of my friends still have bottles for their younger children saying from 3 months on them that they bought before guidlines changed and were told to take them by GP/pharmacist at theat point.

IIWY I would use it - I hadn't discovered it when DS was tiny but certainly used it on DD before she was 2 - nothing beats it for clearing the snot enough for them to get some proper sleep.

As others have said, it is your decision, though.

I do advise only very occasional use though, apparently it is more effective that way in any case. From my aging bottle the smallest dose advised for 12 months would be half 5 ml spoonful.

The "old" dosages were:
Under 12 months: half to one 5ml spoonful 3-4 times a day
12 months to 6 years: one to two 5ml spoonfuls 3-4 times a day
at least 4 hours beteen doses, no more than 4 doses in 24 hours.
Each 5ml spoon contains:
paracetamol 120mg
diphenhydramine Hydrochloride 12.5mg

THe only thing I would say against using it is that with my two, when they have a cough and take medised or similar, it makes their cough worse (while clearing the blocked nose). I don't know whether it is because in drying out the nose, it makes their throats drier, or why it happens, but that has been my experience.

I've had the same with the plug-in vapour things - they make my children cough.

I would be tempted to use calpol or preferably ibuprofen (if you can) and to rub vicks vapo rub on the soles of your dd's feet. Again - thought was absolutely crazy until I tried it, and for some reason it seemed to reduce the cough while acting as decongestant.

Also highly recommended is a humidifier or a wet towel draped on a radiator to increase the moisture levels in the room.

Saying all of the above, I used medised with both mine when they were under 2 (pre-guidelines changing) with no ill effect (if only a bunged up nose rather than a cough).

IIRC correctly, medised is the same as calpol in every way but includes a antihistamine which just acts as a decongestant and helps sleep ...

I have used medised on both of my children when they were under 2 years of age - as long as you aren't abusing it, there shouldn't be any harm in it ...

Thank you, will only give her 2.5ml then and see how we go.

Its encouraging to see that pharmacists have told people to use it.

It was quite sad when I was able to buy lots of cold/cough remedies for me and then only calpol (which is not working) for her.

Use it. i did with ds1 before he was 2 (before the recommendations changed) and couldn't see why I shouldn't for ds2 (now 16 months) for the same problems especially as it is not a problem with the medised itself but misuse.

The dose in terms of mls is the same as for Calpol at the same age. So from 12 months you can give 5-10mls.

I also agree with poster who talked about watching the time you give it. I only give it before about 1am as otherwise he is really grogy and miserable in the am. If its after that I give normal calpol or nurofen

I also buy it by saying its for ds1 so you're not the only one! Sure this is what anyone who needs it does too!

I use it, I kept an old box for the dosages. Remember it counts as a dose of paracetamol (calpol) and don't use it with any other antihistamine containing medication.

There's nothing unsafe about it as long as you follow those rules. The new rules came in because people were combining it with other cough and cold medications inappropriately or not counting it as a dose of paracetamol.

i only found out about about the 'sedative ' effect of medised a few months back! My dd is 6, and tbh i would have welcomed it.

What was more worrying tho, was after i found out, i was in my local pharmacy, and the assistant there ( been there ages) didn't realsie it has that part in it and told me it was the same as calpol, or medinol . So she must have been, up to that point reccomending it to all ages!

Have you not thought that your dd could have asthma? It can take the form of night time coughing in tinies. my dd coughed every night for 3 yrs. Has your gp not tested her.

Use it! Your DC is teething and has a cold which is exactly what it is meant to be for!

Do NOT use as a sedative ! It always me when people proudly say they do!