Overusing Calpol?

[cornflakegirl]

My 1yo ds has started waking up around 11pm - not every night, but maybe one night in two. He gets himself really worked up, so I can't just pu/pd - think it's the heat getting to him.

We've been tending to change his nappy and feed him, so that he calms down, and he'll then go straight back to sleep.

However, a couple of times recently, that hasn't worked. I've thought he might be in pain (it's that kind of screamy cry), so have given him some Calpol - and it's worked almost immediately - far too fast for it to be the drug kicking in.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does he just like the taste? Is there anything else I could use instead?

Try a spoon of something sweet or a half dose of Calpol?

I wouldn't say that one dose of Calpol on a couple of nights is over using it though.

i've noticed that too. I wasn't sure if it was teething, in which case as it hits the gums it would work pretty quickly, or if the sweet taste jsut distracted them. If he is hot, won't a drink of water settle him?

soupdragon - i agree, we're not dosing him to the eyeballs! i just feel funny about using it when he doesn't need it... any suggestions on sweet things to give him? he doesn't really have much sweet stuff (maybe he's feeling deprived :) ) - i remember my grandparents used to give me a spoonful of honey sometimes when i didn't feel well... don't really want to turn it into a prop though...

kelly - i'm not sure it would work on the gums even if it were teeting (which he might be) - think it has to get into the bloodstream and reach the pain receptors (though willing to be corrected on that one!)

have been giving him water as well - which he gulps down. but it just wasn't cutting it last night! he'd calm down a bit, but then get worked up again. i really thought there was something causing him pain - until we gave him the calpol and he went straight down! little pickle :)

i thought that it could possibly be absorbed through the gums, same as druggies rubbing cocaine into the gums for a quicker high. I've done it with aspirin for really bad toothache and it helped, but it might have just been the rubbing.

DOES HE HAVE A DUMMY IF SO BONJELLA CAN BE RUBBED AROUND THE DUMMY AND WORKS STRAIGHT AWAY.

Try giving him a drink of water, then teething gel.

thanks guys, thing is, i don't think it is pain that's the problem - i don't think the calpol can be working that fast. i'm just not sure what it is about giving the calpol that calms him down...

My dd (13 mths) also goes down well after giving her medecine for teething (again too quick for it to hit pain receptors). I think it distracts them for long enough until the calpol kicks in. We've also used nurofen when it's been very bad.