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Original poster

Oh hell, pharmacist won't give me Medised

54 replies

giveusabreak · 13/04/2009 11:44

DD (3.5y) is writhing with itchiness from chickenpox at night, weeping and so uncomfortable. We have done oatmeal baths (seemed to make her more itchy), bicarbonate baths (helped a bit but she can't sleep in a bath), piriton makes her hyper and calamine cream has no effect. Just been to Boots and the pharmacist said he wasn't allowed to sell it for use in a child under 6. Both DD and I totally wrung out from basically no sleep for two nights. I want her to get some rest. She is in bed with me at night so I can keep an eye on her. I suppose I coudl go to another chemist and lie but I'm not wild about doing that and anyway it's Easter Monday not much open round here. I knew all about it being banned in under 2s but not under 6s. Is it because some parents are using it as a sleeping drug - surely they are exactly the sort of people who will just lie to the chemist anyway

OP posts:
TrinityIsGettingABabyRhino · 13/04/2009 13:06

but we have been told by nhs not to use it for under twos

BUT you are not allowed to buy it unless its for an over 12 year old

doesn't make sense so we lie to the pharmacist to give it to an over 2 year old

ruty · 13/04/2009 13:14

'March 2009: Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children have recently been under review in the UK. New advice is that several cough and cold medicines, including this one, are no longer recommended for children under six years of age. This is because there is no evidence that they work in this age group, and they can potentially cause side effects such as allergic reactions, effects on sleep or hallucinations. The packaging and leaflets for cough and cold medicines will be updated over the next year to reflect this information. When the newly labelled products become available they will only be sold from pharmacies, where advice on using the medicines safely can be given. Products with old labelling that give doses for children under six won't be immediately withdrawn from sale, because there are no immediate safety issues with them and they have been in wide use for decades. However, you should no longer give these medicines to children under six. The new recommendations are part of a long-term package of measures that are being phased in to improve the safe use of cough and cold medicines in children under 12 years of age. If you have just given this medicine to a child under six there is no need to worry, provided they were given the dose recommended on the bottle, but you shouldn't use this medicine for them in the future. Children aged 6 to 12 years can still be given this medicine, because the risk of side effects is reduced in older children as they weigh more, get fewer colds and can also tell you if the medicine is doing them any good. For more advice talk to your pharmacist.'

From netdoctor.co.uk

Ewe · 13/04/2009 13:17

Have you tried Poxclin to relieve the itching? Worked very well for my DD.

TrinityIsGettingABabyRhino · 13/04/2009 13:22

exactly ruty

SlightlyMadSimnelCake · 13/04/2009 13:31

Trinty the pharmcist is wrong I am afraid. Legally they are not allowed to sell it to you for a child under 6.

They can advise you to use alternatives for a 6-12yo...but I don't think they are allowed to prevent it's sale.

expatinscotland · 13/04/2009 13:32

Go to another pharmacy and lie.

That's what I do.

LackaDAISYcal · 13/04/2009 13:37

surely saying "no immediate safety issue" in the same statement as "they can potentially cause side effects such as allergic reactions, effects on sleep or hallucinations" is a bit of a contradiction? If the risk of allergies, hallucinations was that great the product would have been withdrawn immediately. The official press relief from the MRHA certainly does't mention hallucinations.

I'll continue to use it judiciously on my under 6 yo children if and when I feel they need it.

(and thankfully I can buy it legitimately as I have a nearly seven year old DS )

littlelamb · 13/04/2009 13:44

Am at this. I was told by a dr to give my son medised for his swollen willy this week He is 10 mo. When I said that dd had a reaction to medised that made her hyper he said to use piriton, which afaik is subject to the same recent age limit change as medised. I asked the dr if he was sure and he said yes. Luckily I had some at home but if I'd have had to buy it he told me to tell the pharmacist it was for my 4 yo. I was a bit shocked but tbh he was a dr so I am assuming he knew what he was talking about. I think the pharmacist you spoke to was way out of line, I well remember how miserable dd was whan she had chicken pox, (which was why we had the medised and piriton in the house in the first place). I hope you manage to get hold of something.

NorthernNell · 13/04/2009 13:49

Giveusabreak - go back and ask for piriton, or send DH, if pharmacist asks it's for hayfever symptoms. Has a very similar effect to medised and does help with the itching!

Can also be given with calpol.

LackaDAISYcal · 13/04/2009 13:51

littlelamb, the doctor would be able to give you a prescription for it afaik.

TrinityIsGettingABabyRhino · 13/04/2009 13:52

I know the pharmacist is wrong and so did the young lad trying to serve me
but she said to him
its not to be sold for under sixes is it
and he looked at her sternly and said,' no under 12's'

she couldn't do anything and said sorry a few times

I was fuming but was nothing I could do

LackaDAISYcal · 13/04/2009 13:56

trinity are you really getting a new baby rhino?

SlightlyMadSimnelCake · 13/04/2009 14:01

Oh yes and I want to know about teh baby Rhino....and have you found the giraffes yet?

littlelamb · 13/04/2009 14:09

That's what puzzles me though lackaDAISYcal. If he'd given me a prescription would/could the pharmacist have refused to fill it? I almost wish I'd tried it now but I don't like wasting a prescription if I've already got the medicine in the house

callmeovercautious · 13/04/2009 14:13

I made DH lie recently so we could buy some. I know it helps my DD when she has a cold and when she had CP I was told to use it once at night by my GP.

What else did the Pharmasist recommend or did you just run like I did They made me feel like such a bad parent!

SlightlyMadSimnelCake · 13/04/2009 14:16

TBH hte GP wouldn't (though they could I think) give you a prescriiption for medised - but if they felt that you needed teh medical benefits of a sedating anti-histamine (which is essentially what we are talking about here) they would give you a prescription for a suitable alternative.

Metatron · 13/04/2009 14:34

this is working brilliantly on dd2's chickenpox.

nappyaddict · 13/04/2009 16:08

giveusabreak i had benadryl when i had chicken pox. Also try some eurax cream or this

Original poster
giveusabreak · 13/04/2009 16:16

Wow lots of replies - I have been a bit busy errr looking after a sick child. I will take her to GP tomorrow as I think she also has an ear infection which is worsened by spots in the ear. I will ask about Medised or alternatives. What ticks me off is that Boots are blatantly selling Medised labelled as "suitable for over 2s" when I queried this he said "oh it's just old packaging". Em excuse me, isn't it dangerous then, if it is supposedly banned for the under sixes (or under 12s?) to sell it without some sort of warning sticker. What if I had bought some for my 12 y o nephew (do have one and he does stay with us) put it in the medicine cabinet and forgot about it (which is what we do - please no sanctimony). Then someone else caring for DD sees it and see the age limit of 2 so gives it to her.......... OK, it is really unlikely that someone, even DH, gives DD meds without my say-so but I think Boots are being a bit crap to say the least.

Thanks for the recommendation Metatron

OP posts:
Original poster
giveusabreak · 13/04/2009 16:19

... but I did smile at the idea I look too young to have a 12 yo child not in a million years I'm afraid. It would be totally plausible

OP posts:
SlightlyMadSimnelCake · 13/04/2009 16:22

"What ticks me off is that Boots are blatantly selling Medised labelled as "suitable for over 2s" when I queried this he said "oh it's just old packaging". Em excuse me, isn't it dangerous then, if it is supposedly banned for the under sixes (or under 12s?) to sell it without some sort of warning sticker"

This isn't Boots problem TBH. The MRHA recommendation was that, although it is being relabelled due to risk v benefit concerns the risks are not significant enough to do a full recall. You can only buy it for a 6yr+ child and I think that a pharmacist would give you that avice verbally. But you are right it could then go inteh cupboard not to be used again for 12m - by which time you don't remember the 6yr+ advice. However it is the government which are giving the manufacturers 9m to change the packaging - that is not Boots fault. Equally - although it isn't recommended for this age group - as they say the safety concerns are relatively minimal so it is highly unlikely to cause harm if it was given by mistale according to the appropriate instructions on the pack in 12m time IYSWIM.

TrinityIsGettingABabyRhino · 13/04/2009 19:34

lackadaisycal

well not actually a rhino but we brought our new puppy home yesterday

LackaDAISYcal · 13/04/2009 22:34

a puppy! I thought you were pregnant, lol!

SlightlyMadSimnelCake · 13/04/2009 22:36

So did I.

Bit of a letdown hey?

rooibosh · 16/04/2009 21:19

I believe medised is only no longer allowed for under 2s as not everyone realised it has calpol in so it is possible to give an overdose by giving both. Don't think calpol night was no longer recommended. And medised only has tiny amount of anti hystamine, if i child doesn't want to sleep i don't think s/he will. I used it for chicken pox as anti hyst is there to stop itching and sleep brings healing