Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

phenergen

28 replies

hazlinh · 04/08/2004 02:03

er what's this for again??i found a bottle of it in my fridge. never had to use it, and dd's got a blocked nose, so i was rummaging through our emergency stash of medicines.what can i use for the blocked nose? she's about 25 weeks.

OP posts:

colinsmommy · 04/08/2004 02:20

Its for nausea, can be used for other things, like loosening phlegm for a cough, but not really for noses.

geekgrrl · 04/08/2004 06:22

absolutely not - it can cause cot death in babies, it's mostly used as a sedative for over 2s. And you shouldn't use it more than 4 weeks after opening, anyway.

katierocket · 04/08/2004 07:34

geekgirl is right - it's a sedative for over 2s

StickyNote · 04/08/2004 08:19

I think it's an antihistamine but DEFINITELY not for use in the under 2's.

gothicmama · 04/08/2004 08:20

dd had it prescribed for ecexma it can stunt growth so we did not use it

albert · 04/08/2004 08:35

Karvol capsules are good for blocked noses, just put a few drops on her pillow at night or on her collar during the day. I also used Snuffle Babe which is similar but not in oil form, more sort of waxy. But as the other MNs say, definately not phenergen.

strawberry · 04/08/2004 10:11

What are the side effects of this drug? We are going on holiday and flying overnight. DS is 2yrs 4mo. Is it appropriate to use this to help him sleep or can anyone recommend alternative? Thanks

Piffleoffagus · 04/08/2004 10:37

well we were given it for long haul flight from Nz to Uk, tested it the weel before under doc supervision and it sent him wildly hyperactive, mental, crashing into things, this was at age 3.5
So I've never touched it since.
We just kept him busy, yes it was tiring but it was 36 hrs out of my life, not much at all really..

wobblyknicks · 06/08/2004 10:21

I was asking the gp about medised the other day, which contains the same thing, and she said she was pretty sure it was licensed for under 2's but to ask the pharmacist. I did and she said it can be used from 3 months upwards!!

lou33 · 06/08/2004 14:41

It's an anti histamine with sedative powers. DD1 was prescribed it when she had sleep problems at about 6 m old, to break her habit of sleeping all day and being awake all night. It should only be used in the short term though.

wobblyknicks · 06/08/2004 14:47

but its basically the same as phenergan so who's right - when is it actually safe to use??

lou33 · 06/08/2004 15:03

I was talking about phenergan wk not medised, sorry. Should have made it clear.

wobblyknicks · 07/08/2004 13:30

But aren't they basically the same lou or am I confused? The active ingredient in medised (apart from paracetamol) is the generic name for what phenergan is a brand name for, from what I looked up a little while ago.

JuA · 07/08/2004 14:27

Medised infant contains diphenhydramine & paracetamol and is licensed to be used from 3 months.
Phenergan contains promethazine and is licensed from 2 years.
diphenhydramine and promethazine are both antihistamines

wobblyknicks · 07/08/2004 15:23

Are there different versions of medised then (sorry, hardly know anything about it)? Just, have found this stating that it contains promethazine hydrochloride and shouldn't be used for children under 2. Have only recently found out about it and was planning on getting some as dd seems to have a fair bit of pain when cutting teeth and I assume it will get worse for the back ones, but obviously don't want to get it if its not suitable - or if there's more than one type, don't want to get the wrong one!!!

Angeliz · 07/08/2004 15:31

Don't mean to contradict you albert, but i would put a few drops of karvol on a tissue out of the cot and out of reach of the child.
It's very strong to put directly onto a pillow for a baby!

wobblyknicks · 09/08/2004 20:50

bump (sorry, wanted to know the answer to my q)

Original poster

hazlinh · 10/08/2004 02:10

i don't know wobblyknicks. as am confused as you are.
and i'm also confused as to why my paed gave me phenergen to keep in the house 'in case'. if its true from what some of you have posted here that it's only for age 2 and above.

am using snufflebabe and nose drops instead. altho have heard someone say nose drops might be a form of steroid??!!!

OP posts:

geekgrrl · 10/08/2004 08:17

there are two types of medised, one from 3 months, one from 2 years.
I quote from this page:
"Children: Use is not recommended in infants up to 2 years of age because of the possible absence or deficiency of detoxifying enzymes and inefficient renal function usually noted in this age group, and also because of its possible effect on sleep pattern."
Here is something on the possible link with SIDS
More on Phenergan and SIDS is here I quote from there: "Some studies have associated to the use of promethazine with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and with an increase in infant sleep apnoea. Thus the use of promethazine is not recommended in children under 2 years of age."

I don't know why your doctor would give you phenergan to have 'just in case' - apart from it not being recommended for under 2s it also only lasts 4 weeks after opening. Doctors aren't always right and it's always worth reading the leaflet that comes with medication.

dejags · 10/08/2004 10:00

With Piffle on this one... I don't know how phenergan can be given as a sedative - we gave it to DS (under Dr's supervision) for a long-haul flight and he went mad, I have never seen him so hyper...

Will never touch the stuff again...

JuA · 10/08/2004 11:34

Hopefully this will clear up the medised confusion - I have just spoken to the manufacturers.
Medised (containing paracetamol and promethazine) has been discontinued (within the last year - I think) and the only medised product currently available is Medised infant (containing paracetamol and diphenhydramine)which is for 3 months and up. The net doctor link is out of date!!

fabarooney · 10/08/2004 11:50

Phenergan is an anti-histamine which can also be used for its sedating qualities. About 10% of children who take it can end up going completely hyper - always test it out on your children before long-haul flights!

We were prescribed phenergan to combat urticaria in dd1 and also used it, after getting advice from our GP, when flying long-haul with dd1 and dd2. It is not recommended for use in children under 2 unless on the advice of a doctor because there are concerns that in an immature respitory system, if a child was to experience breathing problems and be under sedation, there could be problems. This advice is from a pharmacist friend, not me btw - I'm not brainy enough!

Our children did not have any side effects and it was massively useful in combating the urticaria and helping them sleep on the plane. You can buy it over the counter in the UK.

suedonim · 10/08/2004 14:26

I'd support the idea of a test run of any 'sleepy' medicine. Dd2 went absolutely bananas with anything that was supposed to have a sedative effect, I'd have to practically scrape her off the ceiling.

wobblyknicks · 10/08/2004 20:21

Thanks JuA - just what I needed!! Thought there might be 2 versions, seeing as the info was so contradictory, but couldn't find any hard facts on it!!! Ta!!

Original poster

hazlinh · 12/08/2004 01:39

er, still dunno what to use on dd's nose!!!!! it's still blocked/runny!!!!!!!!!!!!1 after a week
help

OP posts:

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread