Calpol overdose 😩

[Mummiessss]

my child is allergic to ibuprofen so I cannot give him that but I am abit thick and I am not sure if I overdosed him. It says 4 doses in 24 hours. Did I still follow that
Calpol 17:15 yesterday 19/02/2025
at night 3am? 20/02/2025
12:32 calpol morning 20/02/2025
20;00 calpol evening 20/02/2025
1am calpol 21/02/2025

As @PoopingAllTheWay2 said,

“For everyone else… Please have Empathy for the OP
She’s poorly, dealing with a poorly child, its nearly 2am and thinks she has overdosed her child”

Some of you could be kinder.

the OP is ill, her little one is ill, she’s sleep deprived and worried.
she’s asked for reassurance; what’s wrong with that?

You didn’t make any mistake with the dosage OP. Please don’t worry about that.

If it helps, my midwife told me that a healthy child could pretty much drink a bottle of Calpol and be absolutely fine. I can't remember the context for that - none of my children have tried to prove it

No, love. You didn't overdose him. You can safely give a dose every 6 hours around the clock, so his next doses are due at
7am
1pm
7pm
1am

When we've got a sick little one we set the medication and a piece of paper & pen out on a worktop. When you give a dose, write down the time the next dose is due (just add 6 hours). Then when the time comes cross that one out and write out the next time. I always write the dosage amount clearly at the top of the paper so I don't have to keep checking the label.

Another option is to set a timer on your phone for 6 hours. When you give a dose just hit re-start on the timer.

I hope you can both get some rest.

Keep it simple. Give it every 6 hours. If you gave the last dose at 1am, give the next one at 7am at the earliest. But you can leave it til later if you feel like he doesn't need it. Make sure you measure the dose correctly.

Do you feel better for being so rude?

Fuck me, some absolute arseholes on this thread. Mumsnet is first and foremost a parenting website, for parents to get support. Some of you should remember that when an ill parent with an ill child posts because she’s worried and probably fucking exhausted in the early hours of the morning.

Hope you and your child are both feeling much better soon OP.

The lack of kindness is awful. She reached out for help and support. Please dont post if you cant be kind. Hope you both feel better soon .

Some of these responses are awful.
You are doing great.
Like others have said we have a pad we write down doses and times.
I had to phone once 111 as I alternating between calpol and nurofen and I got all confused. The nurse I spoke to was lovely and said when her kids were young her and her husband had given their child a dose not knowing the other had already done it.
Take care of yourself

Will all due respect OP it’s calpol, not morphine - you could probably overdose it by a couple of doses and your child would be fine, honestly. You’re doing fine.

How many ml did you give each time? You haven't said.

You've spaced the doses out fine but I'm concerned you've asked "what dose should I give next time" - do you know how much to give?

How old is your baby/child op? Hope he feels better soon

I’ve had the same worry before now OP, hope you manage some rest and you both feel better tomorrow.

i have a WhatsApp chat with DH called ‘DSname medicine’ and we just put a message on there when we’ve given a dose. It records date and time accurately

He is 6 years old so i am giving 10ml
thank you for anyone that was kind to me and I am waiting for 7am to give next dose because his temperature still 38 😭🫠 it’s 5am now so two hours to go

my toddler have the same thing but because I can give him nurofen, his temperature goes down straight away

That sounds right, you got this op.

Not sure why you’ve gotten some rude responses!

My DC also can’t have nurofen and it can be very hard when the temperature is high but the 6 hours haven’t passed so it’s not as simple as setting an alarm for 6 hours time. Like others have said I write all the times down and start the 24 hour clock from the time of the first dose. It’s best to give it as close to 6 hours apart as possible, but it is not always possible. It’s a judgement call as if you give it early you can end up having to wait longer again for the next dose but of course you’re also hoping they will improve as time goes on. It’s not as straightforward as others have made out and can end up confusing when you’re stressed and also when you’re sick yourself.

Hope you all feel better soon.

Not to confuse matters further but in future it would be cheaper at his age to buy the stronger 6+ calpol so you only need to dose half the amount. A bottle doesn't last long dosing 10ml at a time.

Op has a younger child as well so I really wouldn't recommend this to save a few quid. One could reach for the stronger calpol by accident when trying to administer to the toddler, especially when tired/confused at night.

OP I find it confusing too. I struggle with numbers and time. Sorry you had some rude responses.

OP's situation is absolutely fine, but this is a false comparison. The OD risks of morphine and paracetamol are completely different and people shouldn't be blase about paracetamol overdose. As a scientist I'm quite disturbed if a nurse really told someone that a healthy child could probably drink a bottle of calpol and be okay. It might be okay. Its been known to happen. Or it might very much not, because hepatoxicity is unpredictable. Follow the dosages on the packet. OP, you're fine, don't worry about it.

I’m glad you’re sorted now OP but…

if his temp is 38 that’s a low fever. If he’s not complaining of pain you don’t need to give calpol. A fever is the body fighting a virus or bacteria. I only give calpol if dc are in pain or it is a high fever.

calpol will not as of itself make the child better, recover quicker, help with nausea and it is not a sedative so it won’t make them sleep (sleep comes from reliving pain or feeling very hot so they’re more comfortable) (some of the many claims I’ve seen)

Fevers are not harmful, OP. Fevers are the body's way of fighting infection. You don't need to give your child Calpol for a temperature of 38 unless he is in a lot of discomfort. If his temp got to 39/39.5 then usually people feel quite unwell so I'd wait until then to give Calpol again.

Also even if you accidentally gave your child one or two extra doses of paracetamol in a 24h period, they'd be absolutely fine (obviously you shouldn't purposely do this)

Why cannot he have nurpfen, is he allergic too ?

Don't be a dick.

A cool flannel and light clothing can also help to make someone with a fever feel more comfortable. Don’t forget a cool drink as well. If my kids have a temp of 38 and are feeling a bit warm, but are otherwise ok, I wouldn’t bother giving calpol just to bring their temp down. As someone mentioned above, a temp is just the bodies way of fighting off a bug. If they’re miserable though then it’s ok to give the calpol as directed. Definitely worth writing down when you’ve given a dose and when the next dose is due in 4-6hrs so you don’t get confused. I hope you’re all feeling better soon.