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Original poster

Medised. Are people still giving it to under twos?

66 replies

MoooCow · 10/03/2009 16:01

I have given my baby medised in the past when she has has a bad cough and cold. I have just bought a bottle today and it now says for over 2's. I cant see that the ingredients have changed, just wondering if anyone is still giving it to under two's.

OP posts:
MrsJoeMcIntyre · 10/03/2009 16:03

I thought it had changed again to under twelves?

madwomanintheattic · 10/03/2009 16:03

i would be if mine were still under two... but as they aren't i can afford to admit that lol

mad4mybaby · 10/03/2009 16:05

they are changing to not under age 6. there is a thread frm last week about it.im still giving it to my 2.8 yr old. it used to be for over 3 months 2 years ago

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 10/03/2009 16:12

I bought a bottle from last week, and was told they were only giving it me as my son was over 6 and I'd used it before, but they had to inform me new goverment recommendations are for it not to be used by children under 12.

I've used it with my 2 sice they were babies, and since none of the 'ingredients' in it have chnaged would have no problem giving it to a child under 2.

WowOoo · 10/03/2009 16:12

Just had a weekend with a friend who is giving it to her 10 month old. She seemed unaware of new advice. Said she uses it rarely when she and dd need good nights sleep. I've never used it myself, only heard of it on here.

stubbyfingers · 10/03/2009 16:21

I'm still giving it to my 18mo. Still have a bottle with the original dosage on for under 2's and don't use it v often. I thought it was changed because stupid people were doubling up with calpol?

fruitful · 10/03/2009 16:29

Stubby, that is the reason they changed it, and the reason they are now changing it to 6+.

The other reason is because it apparently has no effect. This seems illogical to me. Firstly, there are a lot of medicines out there that have no effect, and they don't ban them. And secondly, if it has no effect on a 5yo then how come it works on their 6th birthday?

Fortunately they're not going to stop selling it.

fruitful · 10/03/2009 16:31

Of course, what they are going to do, is to continue selling it, without the dosage instructions for under-6s on the label. So that's really going to help the afore-mentioned stupid people, isn't it?

Sycamoretree · 10/03/2009 16:33

Yes, yes, yes. I am stillgiving it, what a load of old shite that new labelling is. Grrr.

Niecie · 10/03/2009 16:42

fruitful I entirely agree with you - it is illogical, especially as they are saying it won't do any child any harm.

We don't use medised but another one of the medicines that is on the same list raising the minumum age from 6mts to 6yrs - Benelyn Coughs and Colds. Apparently it shouldn't work but it does - stops the coughs that seem to get worse at night and helps them sleep. You can tell when it wears off because they start coughing again practically on cue.

Personally I wouldn't stop giving it but then my youngest is 5.5 now so nearly within the new age range. I would think, since they haven't withdrawn it completely, that there is no harm in continuing.

Bunch · 10/03/2009 16:44

They are advising against it in under 6s because it is believed to mask symptoms.

madwomanintheattic · 10/03/2009 19:06

mask symptoms?

what, like being awake and irritable?

i'm all for that lol.

CantSleepWontSleep · 10/03/2009 20:20

Yes. Ds (5 months) has had it on occasion (using dosage instructions from bottle pre the change).

Original poster
MoooCow · 10/03/2009 22:22

thanks for imput guys. I have given a dose as recommended, pre this month, which my previous bottle of medised said was ok for children over 3 months! She is super snotty, coughy, and hasn't slept all day due to this. Happy baby sleeping, happy Mummy not dealing with a very tired snotty baby!

OP posts:
Bunch · 11/03/2009 09:13

When I say mask the symptoms I mean that it makes your child sleepy and less alert which could hide other important symptoms of more serious illnesses. Is everyone aware that you should no longer alternate calpol and ibuprofen in a child with a temperature also?

BigTeuchLittleTeuch · 11/03/2009 09:17

I was informed by GP that, because they do different things, there was no need to alternate but that they could be given at the same time.

Example - very high temperature to bring down to 'manageable' level with either/or.

Bunch · 11/03/2009 09:19

Latest is that you should give one or the other not both or alternate. Gps are still telling people to starve children with diarrhoea and vomiting too and that is so out of date.

DaisyMooSteiner · 11/03/2009 09:21

Any links for that Bunch?

Bunch · 11/03/2009 09:31

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Rotavirus-gastroenteritis/Pages/Treatment.aspx?url=Pages/What-is-it.aspx

Bunch · 11/03/2009 09:36

And the link about given paracetamol and ibuprofen www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG47PublicInfo.pdf

wannaBe · 11/03/2009 09:45

find it quite that people take no notice of the updated guidelines on giving medicines like this.

Do people have the same attitudes to the new guidelines on weaning or updated guidelines re sids because "nothing's changed"?

Guidelines usually change for good reason.

DaisyMooSteiner · 11/03/2009 10:22

Having googled this though, there has been research since those guidelines were published showing that ibuprofen and paracetamol are fine to be taken together, with calls for NICE to change their guidelines...

turtle23 · 11/03/2009 10:39

I'm still giving Medised to my 11 month old. He has been so coldy this week he couldn't feed properly. Medised may not "work" but it has allowed him to breathe, sleep and eat for last two days.

Bunch · 11/03/2009 11:16

I think that the worry is if its allowing your child to sleep then you aren't necessarily going to be able to tell if your child is 'drowsy' and more unwell.

ForeverOptimistic · 11/03/2009 11:20

I used medised for the first time last year when ds was nearly 4, I have used it on 3 occasions in total. Last week ds was up nearly every night with a cough and temperature so I used it to give him a good nights sleep. Is this really so bad? I'm not sure what to do now.