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Original poster

How many bottles of Calpol?

48 replies

Dickers · 15/10/2003 11:50

My DS has just turned one and I have just finished my first bottle of calpol, we've used one bottle of medised and about a 1/4 bottle of Nurofen.
Is this normal? (What's normal!!)
Do we use too much pain releif because it makes our life easy? (I suspect I use medised sometimes more for my benefit, as it makes DS sleep)

OP posts:

ThomCat · 15/10/2003 12:00

I use sachets so hard to tell but I only ever give them when she's really cranky, ie in pain from her teeth and is in danger of chewing her arm off!

CountessDracula · 15/10/2003 12:05

Gosh I think I've got through about 4 in the first year! Use it for teething, when she has a cold, when she had earache lately etc.

I just dicovered Dozol which is similar to medised but tastes better. She seems to like that. She has had a cold followed by an ear infection plus new tooth recently so has had calpol or dozol every night before bed for a couple of weeks. I asked the doc and she said it was fine, better than leaving her in pain.

I very rarely use it in the day as she is not so bothered by teething then, and when she is upright the cold is not such an issue. Last couple of days she has had one spoonful at lunchtime due to very sore ear though.

Bron · 15/10/2003 13:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pupuce · 15/10/2003 13:12

I am sure my post will be controversial.... but you did ask the question! And if I don't post this no one who "disagrees with the regular or frequent use of Calpol" will post as they will feel that they would only be controversial... as I am being right now

Do people use calpol and medised a bit too quickly to make their life easier ? Why is that though ? Is it because one lacks time and energy (after a presumably very busy/stressful day) to actually care for child in his bed or in sofa in lounge with other means than drugs? Do these (very young) children really need that much medicine - this is not a sweet ? Why are they "this" sick in the first place ?
These are overall questions.... I am sure there are times when one feel at this stage my child really needs medication as her fever isnt coming down on its own or she's been in pain for several hours.... but do we very (too) quickly reach out for the medicine cabinet ?

Food for thought....

Anyone on here NOT use Calpol or Medised and alike ?

CountessDracula · 15/10/2003 13:14

pupuce I'm sure I use it more that I could, but then why let them suffer if they aren't feeling well. I don't reserve it for fever, but for nasty colds, teething and earache (so far). Dd is 13 months and already has 12 teeth so we have had more teething that most in the first year I should guess!

CountessDracula · 15/10/2003 13:16

Oh and the medised/dozol does help her sleep as she can't if her nose is very blocked.

Like Bron we have long periods where no drugs at all are used of course, and I never get near the recommended dose (ie 4 times a day) unless there is a very high fever (only happened twice)

lou33 · 15/10/2003 13:16

I've never used it for teething, and try and use it rarely , only for high fever, obvious sore throat, that sort of thing. Like the sound of Medised for me though .

pidge · 15/10/2003 13:24

Pupuce - well, I hardly ever use Calpol, but basically that's because I've been lucky and had a super healthy daughter. I reckon she got Calpol on about three or four occasions in her first year. I would never give Calpol unless my dd was obviously unwell, with a temperature etc - certainly I don't give it 'pre-emptively' following jabs etc. And with teething - my dd has 12 teeth, including 4 molars and really hasn't suffered problems.

Inevitably having barely used the stuff, we went away to France and didn't take it with us and my dd got really poorly and was inconsolable until dp went to the local pharmacy to buy "le calpol"! So now we have a huge bottle of barely used British Calpol plus the French equivalent.

CountessDracula · 15/10/2003 13:25

pidge you don't know how lucky you are on teething front!

aloha · 15/10/2003 13:28

Well, my son went through a patch recently of being clingy and unhappy and one night couldn't settle to sleep. I've since found out why when I got the same virus - and it was horrible. Made me ache literally all over - from my eyeballs to my legs - I hurt. I had a headache too. Added to this, my ds has teeth coming through, and I remember from my own wisdom teeth how painful this is. Now, for me a cuddle would not have stopped my shivering, fever or pain (nice though it would be) and I would have slept very badly and felt worse - as I did until I took some paracetamol. I instantly felt better - no pain, no aches and no shivering attacks. I don't feel I should deny my son the same relief. As it was a dose of baby Nurofen and some Medised helped clear his nose so he didn't have the distress of not being able to breathe, helped ease pain and helped him sleep really well. I can't think this is a bad thing. So I'd say, thank God for safe modern medicines!

CountessDracula · 15/10/2003 13:29

Dickers this is a great thread, you have really made me think about this again - the first time dd had calpol I was really in 2 minds about it but have obv got lax and give it too often. I will remedy my ways starting now.

BTW 4 bottles is prob an exaggeration. Try 2 of calpol, one medised, a little dozol and 1/3 bottle nurofen. Oh that is nearly 4.

oliveoil · 15/10/2003 13:30

I have a bottle of Calpol that is about half full and dd is one next week. She has it occasionally for teething but doesn't really like it and 'raspberries' it out all over me.

I read in a mag once that you shouldn't use it more than 3 days in a row but not sure on 'overuse' amounts.

IMO if your child in is pain, why not give them something that will relieve it?

Jenie · 15/10/2003 13:48

I don't think that I've used that much calpol or ibuprofen with dd about 1 bottle of each and dd is 4, anti-hystamines now that's a different matter atleast 3 bottles due to egg and peanut allergy .

Ds who is forever ill with one thing or another he has had about 2 bottles of calpol and 1 of ibuprofen and lots of re-hydration sachets, cold and cough medicine about 1 bottle and he is only 18 months.

Original poster

Dickers · 15/10/2003 14:22

Thanks for all your comments. Feeling a bit better about the amount we have used, as DS suffers with ear infections so most of calpol and medised has been used when he is suffering.

Like the sound of Dozol, as DS hates the taste of Medised

OP posts:

pupuce · 15/10/2003 14:30

I kind of knew I would have no answer to my question
" Anyone on here NOT use Calpol or Medised and alike ? "

aloha · 15/10/2003 14:46

I actually hardly ever use painkillers for myself as I am hardly ever ill, but this bug has made me realise why ds was so miserable lately. I didn't realise he was ill at first so didn't give him anything, but he was much happier when he had some Calpol - obviously something hurt. I don't medicate for colds unless ds is distressed by not being able to breathe - I think children's nasal passages etc are so small they get more blocked. And he's only had one ear infection in his life - so far!

SueW · 15/10/2003 14:50

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

ThomCat · 15/10/2003 15:06

Pupuce - I have used calpol and I have used Nerofen - but only for example on day of my mums wedding she was coming down with a cold and really teething so was grizzly and red cheeked and had her whold hand in her mouth chewing on it - so then i gave her calpol. Wouldn't use it if we were at home together and she was only teething, only when we're out in company and she's been in a bit of pain and not been able to chill out. Not had a need to use it for any other reason. Oh actually i lie used it in South of France when she seemed lifeless and as a worried mum of a 6 month old on first holiday I thought - right give her calpol and see what happens then.
The first time I ever gave it to her she was sick - hasn't ever been since - but that just helped pout me off using it in general.

waterbaby · 15/10/2003 15:07

We went through the not wanting to use it stage, the using it lots once DD started nursery and we were all ill for about five months on and off, now I have learnt a lot more about nutrition and we focus on strenthening our natural immunity... touch wood, we're feeling a lot better.

We use aloe to bring DD's temperature down if she has a fever, that way she's getting an immune boost at the same time as a natural pain relief and keeps her temperature down, plus no side effects.

I'm not saying that there is no need for Calpol, anti-biotics etc, just that there is a time and a place for them. I have a full bottle of Calpol/infant nurofen in the cupboard waiting for such a moment. Just that they are not the first resort in my house, unless its serious/prolonged, in which case we'd be seeing the doc anyway.

Blu · 15/10/2003 15:17

Pupuce, is it actuially BAD for them? In terms of long term health problems? Find it a bit hard to believe that any reasonable parent would use it as a replacement for cuddles, care, sensitive feeding, that go along with looking after a sick child. And no amount of cuddling is going to calm a child with a bad ear infection, it HURTS! People might comment about the sleepy side-effects of Medised, but that's different from drugging them up to the eyeballs for no good reason!
I did try homeopathic teething powders in an attempt to avoid Calpol, but they had absolutely no effect on my DS.

Jimjams · 15/10/2003 15:21

pupuce I very rarely use calpol of any over the counter meds now. DS1 turns into a raving lunatic on it (because of the sorbitol in it)- well more after it thatn when he's on it. The few days of wuthdrawal a bloody horrendous. I now use it if the boys temps go above 40 degrees C, otherwise I resist. I do need to go the pharmacist and see if they will make me up a colour free/sweetner free alternative. I am training to be a homeopath so I give that instead. In fact ds2 has just been given arnica because he launched himself head first into the table.

pupuce · 15/10/2003 15:21

SueW - DS is nearly 4 and I have yet to buy a bottle of ANY of this stuff.... my kids are healthy - but I refuse to believe it's down to luck.... (but feel free to think that) I can count on 2 hands the number of times they have had a runny nose (and they went to nursery 3 days a week at one point). They have never had anything more serious. So I don't see the need. But I have been told by friends "do you want some calpol for tonight?" when they saw my son sniffling and a bit lethargic (he is very dynamic so when he spends his afternoon sitting and watching tele - we all know he is a bit run down)....
They have both vomitted recently (the whole neighborhood did if I understand the other mums at our toddler group) and that was it... once the stuff was out of their system they were up and running.
I can't remember DD having had a fever. DS did once when he was teething.... then again I am also not thermometer happy - you can see when a child is feverish though.

I keep hoping they'll get chicken pox but even that they keep missing (even when playing with kids who get CP 1 week later!)... I wouldn't mind if they had measles either.

So - I am a hippie

pupuce · 15/10/2003 15:24

Blu - sorry posts crossed.... I think giving these things regularely can not be good for them... to start they get use to it and you could argue they don't find it as effective in the long run. I know several women who say that paracetamol doesn't do anything for them and admittedly say they have probably used it too often.

You also alter your body's way of dealing with illness and pain.... not saying we should let our kids suffer needlessly... By masking the pain you can also mask the symptom and not allow the body to treat the cause.

I was raised on calpol and all... so it's only more recently that I have come to this view.

pidge · 15/10/2003 15:31

Pupuce - do you think calpol etc are harmful in any way - if used sensibly? I'm also against using them unnecessarily, but they are fantastic if you genuinely have a sick child. As I said further down the thread, my dd has been fantastically healthy, but there have been a few occasions when she's picked up some bug and been inconsolable - crying and crying and obviously running a temperature, and the calpol I've given her has just let her sleep it off. I don't own a thermometer either - you know straight away if your child is really sick and has a fever.

Are there any proven and safe alternatives to calpol etc?

pidge · 15/10/2003 15:33

oops pupuce - posts crossed!
totally agree about using these things sensibly - but was interested that you havnen't used them at all and wondered if you use something else?

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