How often do you use pain medication?

[clemette]

Sorry if this is repeating a recent thread. A friend of mine told me today that she read that one dose of calpol a month is considered "heavy usage! (not sure by who she read it in the Times).
My DS has been having alternate ibuprofen and calpol through the night for a week now - firstly to deal with the fever of an ear infection and then to deal with three teeth cutting at once (he is one and these are his 3rd, 4th and 5th teeth). I know he is pain when he wakes in the night as he is squealing rather than crying for a breastfeed (his normal reason for frequent waking).

Does anyone have any words of wisdom?
Thanks, Sam

My doctor told me that regular doses of Calpol are fine if your baby is feeling poorly, it is very mild. He said he wouldn't give ibuprofen so often unless baby had a fever to bring down.

If your baby is poorly, especially if they have a high temperature, it is important that you bring it/keep it down. DD has been ill a lot this year so far and has had more days with Calpol than without but I would rather that than her feeling terrible and being really hot.

Thank you. I normally work on the basis of if I am in pain, I take a piankiller, why should I deny my children pain relief? But it does seem like all I am doing is syringing pink gloop into them at the moment!

more squealing - mora calpol given

Oh clemette, I know what you mean! I feel like I've done nothing but give calpol to my DS for the last 4 months! 3 teeth, 3 ear infections, and 2 fevers!!! But like you said you have to- and it won't last forever. I have friends who tell me that it's all much easier when they can talk because you can actually find out what the matter is. At the moment a lot it's guess work.

My philosophy is the same as yours. Also, he's going to get better quicker after a good night's sleep, so that's what I try to give him.

you should do what youthink is best for your child and not worry about what others think TBH.

I very very rarely use pain meds but that is me. I rarely use them myself and very rarely give them to my children. But everyone is different and every child is different.
When DD broke her wrist before christmas i remember the nurse being really non plussed that she said no when offered calpol. It made me laugh actually

I have a philosophy of treat the child, not the fever. So if she's ill or in pain then I would give her a painkiller. She's had calpol perhaps 5 times (each time is a couple of days at most). She's 20 months. I don't treat fevers unless she's in pain with it.

Ibuprofen shouldn't be used for more than a couple of days without medical advice really.

It might be to do with this article which links paracetamol with asthma:

Calpol generation may be vulnerable to asthma and hay fever, study says

Thank you for that link.
Pagwatch, I am not really concerned about what others think but was just wondering what people do. Both of my children had fevers over 40 as tiny ones and I would never hesitate to give them paracetomol/ibuprofen to reduce a fever. It's the teething pain that causes me a bit of anxiety - I want to soothe them but was interested in the view of others about the long-term implications. If only the bloody amber necklace worked!
Sam

You do what you think is right/best in terms of advice and guidelines. And you sound like you've thought a lot about it. It's miserable when they're in pain and if you can help them then of course you do.

I don't treat a temperature in dd because it's nature's way of getting rid of a bug. The temperature is a sign her immune system is working. Obviously if she's in pain it's different. And with small babies too it's different but dd is 20 months and a temp can be a good thing for her. I take care not to overdress her or wrap her up at night if she's ill but otherwise I like to let nature do its thing.

Have you tried teething granules or powders? I found them very good indeed when dd was struggling with teeth.

Thanks ShowOfHands.
Sadly he can't have the granules or powders as he is lactose intolerant and lactose is used as the base.

The above article is interesting though as they both suffer from excema (no family history).

DS is a regular Calpol user, he suffers terribly with his teeth. During the day he can usually be distracted with teething gel, cuddles and playing but when it comes to trying to sleep he just cannot do it and without meds he is up all night screaming in pain. I'm not prepared to put him through that, so if cuddles/ BF/ rocking/gel doesn't work then he is Calpol-ed. This happens quite regularly.

I can't wait until he can talk!!!