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.

This is a truly bizarre thread

You called 111 because your daughter had a high temperature along with chicken pox which is the usual for anyone with chickenpox.. you were called back by a doctor who advised you to give her ibuprofen for the temperature.

Why would he need to examine her? Was there anything out of the ordinary happening to her? He is not going to tell you to come in and wait in the waiting room with other already sick kids or kids who are sicker than her who could get worse because of your daughters chickenpox all because she has a high temp if it can be solved with ibuprofen. If it says on the website to take only if advised by doctor then thats what you should do

The studies are pretty hit and miss on this but some health authorities have taken a very conservative line despite the lack of clear evidence. It’s still within perfectly normal reasonable practice to advise an NSAID.

I don’t know why you’re calling a number if you don’t accept the advice of anyone who hasn’t examined the child? That’s fine - I wouldn’t work for a service that requires me to give advice without seeing the patient - but then why call?

Also i would like to add that I assume he didnt tell you to keep giving it to her every 6 hours, maybe just a one off dose as a fever can be dangerous in itself so maybe to just keep her fever under control

This!

I gave both of my children ibrufen and calpol as they were so poorly I felt the risk was justified, discussed with my GP who agreed - it worked well; no issues.

Yes, you're over-reacting. Nothing to report.

I had no idea that new guidance was to not give ibuprofen.

@Isittimeformynapyet google will show nothing because it isn't true. Canadian run call centre 😂 what a load of bollocks.

111 services do employ Drs. If the bloke who phoned you introduced himself as a Dr then he would have been one. When you initially phone 111 you speak to a health advisor. If they can't help you eg arrange an appointment somewhere then you are referred on to a clinician. All 111 calls are recorded for audit purposes.

I work for a 111 service.

Thank you for confirming my suspicions.

It's like a game of Unbelievable Truth on here isn't it!

Do I win a point?

Your argument is that he shouldn't prescribe anything without seeing her... so there was no point to the call.

He either doesn't, because he shouldn't (in your opinion), so what did you hope to get out of the call???

OR he does, which goes against your gut, and you get upset.

Exactly why I was surprised he told me to give it to her. He claims he was a doctor but he could of been anyone.

So you ring 111.

A doctor rings you back and gives advice to give ibuprofen.

You're not happy because nhs website says not to unless advised by doctor.

But a doctor has advised you.

But the doctor you said is a doctor could actually have been anyone in your option so you aren't following the advice you rang up for.

What were you expecting and wanting?

@LucyMay33
What a load of absolute shite.

So he identified he is a doctor and then advises? Surely the outcome you want.

Canada has a great healthcare system anyway, dare I say if it was was a Canadian call centre we'd be infinitely better off.

This.

I expect Candian run is a typo for clinician run.

It was important to get the fever down so he suggested ibuprofen. A very high temperature is a much higher risk then the side effects from ibuprofen. Doctors have to make decisions like this all the time. He doesn’t have to see your child in order to make this decision.

Why bother even phoning if you know so much more than a trained doctor? Just follow the NHS website in future - but please don't come on MN whining that what it told you to do wasn't effective!

Doctors make decisions based on risk vs benefit all the time, at the time the temperature was the bigger concern than the chicken pox blisters and so he advised ibuprofen as calpol alone wasn't working. I've had doctors tell me to do things that go against guidance and that some people might think is dangerous (I was told to give my toddler stronger medicine in a smaller dose for example because she's a medicine refuser - worked out according to weight so please don't do that if you haven't been advised!). The guidance is there for parents with no medical knowledge - doctors have the benefit of knowing when the benefit outweighs the risk.

I totally understand where you’re coming from. When something awful happens like that, it stays with you.
I have an initial reaction about choking, having known a toddler choke and tragically die on a sausage. You can’t take emotion out of those rare things so I’m cautious about cutting up sausages, grapes and blueberries etc way beyond how long most people do it.

This is actually a quote from the Facebook page of an organisation called Care Champions which was republished in the Salisbury Journal on the day you’ve given.

So not exactly a definitive source, and an odd one to share.

Yes exactly and most medications come with risks and side effects - digitalis and warfarin for example are two medications that are highly poisonous.

here I suspect you rang because her temp was so high - paracetamol is not something you mess around with dosin unless under medical suervision d a high temp have serious consequences (DS having a febrile seizure at 7 was haunting - there he had liquid paracetamol (stronger that calpol) carefully managed by an Austrian doctor)

Why are you ringing 111 for chickenpox...
unless temperature is 39+, it is perfectly treatable with OTC medication and TLC...

I didn't realize that, there was similar ones that google mentioned about not using it s I just quoted this one.