111 guy told me to give DD Ibuprofen with chickenpox wtf??

[ARRGHHHHHxxxxx]

Cut a long story short.

DD has severe chickenpox. Has temp, needed advice so called 111. Spots started showing Wednesday 2 days ago.

Spoke to a lady, who took details said another person was gonna call me. Another lady called and said my DD needs to be seen as she requested photos so I sent them. She said someone will call me to be seen. A guy rung and this part of the convo went like this.

111 guy: Have you given Calpol
Me: yes
111 guy: what about Ibuprofen
Me: ibuprofen?
111 guy: yes
Me: you can't give that to a child with chicken pox
111 guy: erm yes you can depends on the stage
Me: I'm not giving her ibuprofen I know not to give a child it for chickenpox, it states it on the NHS website.

Imagine if this was a first time mum not knowing what was right and what isn't. I'm fuming.

I can't believe people think Nuffsaidsam's post is serious ...

If you're concerned op then report it, it certainly won't do any harm. They might get back to you with clarification about why ibuprofen was advised. I wouldn't start suggesting that the doctor wasn't a doctor though, that's a bit bonkers.

Crap. I’m a call handler for 111, the first person you’d have spoken to. I don’t even have authority to tell someone to take paracetamol for a headache. The second person you spoke to who OP emailed the photos to would have been working on behalf of GP OOH. Then she would have spoken to an actual GP.

OP just FYI it's 'could/should have' not 'could/should of'.

You initially speak to a call handler but if your case is deemed more serious (but not so serious as to be sent straight to A&E) you are passed on to a clinician.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/urgent-emergency-care/nhs-111/accessing-nhs-111/

Its a criminal offence to impersonate a doctor so if he actually said he is a doctor like the op stated and all calls are recorded (which they are) then it would be pretty stupid to pretend he was if he wasn’t. Maybe people don’t agree with his medical opinion but the idea he was just some random sounds like fantasy.

@NuffSaidSam sorry I must have misread it! In my defence I'm knackered from having an anaesthetic a couple of days ago, so perhaps my comprehension isn't what it usually is 😂

This

Honestly people just want an excuse to be outraged now.

You put a pillow UNDER the cot mattress end to raise it to a slight incline. That’s probably what they meant.

Ive read your conversation and in no way was he saying you should give it anyway!?

From what you have written he seemed to be asking what you had given so far - so an over the phone assessment before providing medical advice.

Having been a first time mum I dont think this would have contributed to me making a wrong decision.

Please dont complain - it sounds like he was doing his job

It's quite funny how OP has now descended into conspiracy theories about whether the guy was or was not who he said he was.

If you call 111, and then a short while later (after being told that this will be the case) someone phones up telling you he's a Dr, I think you can put your mind at rest that there isn't some child murderer on the phones dishing out dodgy advice.

Hilarious, OP.

Honestly OP if you think that 111 have pretend doctors then that's extremely unlikely, and if happened then it would be a national scandal.

Or else you're implying that the lady passed you onto another call handler but that person took it on himself to pretend he was a doctor, again extremely unlikely.

If he said he was a doctor then I would say it is almost certain he was a doctor, not ruling out the tiny chance of some nutjob impersonating one.

But there is literally nothing to suggest that he wasn't a doctor, he advised ibuprofen which doctors can and do advise.

Absolutely this. It shouldn’t have been advised over the phone. I’ve seen the chaos that ibuprofen can cause a while who had chicken pox, it was awful.

Id be complaining OP, this is dangerous advice.

The medical article didn't conclude there was definitely a link. Correlation is not causation. Children who were sicker with chicken pox were more likely to have been given ibuprofen when Calpol or whatever did not relieve the symptoms. Those children being sicker were more likely to get a skin infection. Also maybe ibuprofen might have masked the symptoms causing parents to delay in getting medical help. Because it wouldn't be ethical to do double blind trials on children with chicken pox the advice is that the safest thing is not to use ibuprofen. There might be situations though when a doctor concludes that it is justified though the article suggests that it might help to be a senior clinician if they have to justify it. My son had chicken pox and was covered in spots but was otherwise fine and playing as usual. So he would be one of the children who didn't take ibuprofen and who didn't get a skin infection but he had no real risk of it to start with.

Well my take away from this thread is that in fact I CAN give ibuprofen for bad chicken pox if need be.

It did for me. I took it (not knowing you weren't meant to) and in the middle of the night my temperate soared to the point I passed out and had a small fit. I was ok afterwards and recovered quickly but wouldn't do it again.

@FloorWipes

I'd take a doctors advice tbh. I was 25 when I had chicken pox. Phoned GP to get it put on my record because it is a notifiable illness and she advised against using it.

From this thread, it seems that there may be some cases when exceptions can be made but doctors will be the best people to judge when benefits outweigh risks.

I don’t think that would be advised without medical say so…the case of a relative I saw who ended up in hospital was told it was because of the ibuprofen that things became so serious.

Have you never had a phone medical appointment before ever?! Do you query if they’re really who they say they are…?

Where does the guidance say it shouldn’t be prescribed over the phone? The doctor saw photos.

So a doctor then, because there is no way in hell someone on 111 would claim to be a doctor if they weren't.

As has been said already, ibuprofen is ok to use for chicken pox if advised by a doctor who is able to weigh up the balance of risks.

I appreciate it doesn’t, but I don’t think photos are the best assessment over other factors. Spots yes, but not on non-photographic issues.

As I say, I’ve seen the horrific damage so maybe I’m more cautious.

I’m assuming a doctor knows better than a layperson though. I’m not a medic. The guidance is clear it should be taken with advice from a doctor which OP got. She chose not to take that advice which is her right.

My dd had chicken pox so bad the dr seen her and said to take her hospital. The dr at the hosp said you can give ibuprofen and it was a scare myth that you can't

Yes I understand. I probably posted too hastily, just being reactive.