calpol/asthma alert - any thoughts?

[mamatilly]

mum just told me the Lancet has done a paper linking calpol with increase in asthma attacks - just realising that every time DS gets fever/sick, we give him calpol, he also gets asthma attack and ends up at doctor surgery - pure coincidence or no???

any other alternatives to calpol for flu/fever/colds etc???

Thats odd, I was told by GP no Nurofen for asthma-prone LOs

And hospital A&E said same thing...

ditto Elibean. We have always thought Calpol = good, Nurofen = bad

I've been told that you shouldn't use either for more than three consecutive days and you should aim for at least two days a week drug free. Which is all very well in principle and by and large is fine but when in the midst of teething and your LOs are crying because they can't sleep what are you supposed to do, refuse to help because 'you've had your quota?'

Ibuprofen usually a no-no for asthmatics.

Personally I'd stick with paracetamol given only when necessary. Also give plain paracetamol if he's old enough not stuff with additives. Mine had soluble paracetamol (Panadol) as soon as they were big enough.

This has never been mentioned to me at all.

There was something about this in the Times the other day. Link here.

It seems to be overuse of Calpol (using it more than once a month) in very young children which is to blame for the possible link with asthma. Pharmacists and GPs are stating that, used in the correct dosages, Calpol/paracetamol is safe and there is no reason to stop using it.

Christie, if that's what your pharmacist told you then he needs his backside kicking. Ibuprofen can cause problems for patients with asthma - it's one of the warnings on the label of every packet.

the study unfortunately didn't look at whether the 'overuse' of calpol was to blame OR the fact the child was more ill than average - most probably the second and nothing to do with Calpol IMHO

always understood that ibuprofen was bad for asthmatics

and didn't think they'd proven a causal relationship b/w calpol and asthma, only that more calpol use was equated with more asthma. so could be that sicker children [asthmatics!?] tended to use more calpol, which sorta makes sense....

I second fymandbean. Asthmatics are much more likely to get chest infections etc than non-asthmatics. Chest infections are likely to give you a temperature and hurt. You are likely to need paracetamol to bring down your temperature and soothe the pain. It all seems very chicken and egg to me.

Also, lots and lots of asthmatics are sensitive to ibuprofen and aspirin but relatively few have a reaction to paracetamol so please check with your GP before you give Calprofen.