To those who give Calpol and Nurofen together

[IAteRosemaryConleyForBreakfast]

Found this ... NICE say no.

Interesting. I give neither at home but ds2 has recently been given both in hospital.

Well, they say really, not quite no.

I've given both to DS1 when his temperature's been pushing 42.

And when I take painkillers (rarely) I usually take both.

DS3 was given both (alternated) in hospital end of last year.

ds1 has kidney issues. started after we treated a fever with ibuprofen. apparently it is not an isolated case(tho is rare). I don't give it to my other kids now, not worth the risk

I think it's fine for adults, that query is specific to children.

I just was surprised given that their combined use seems commonplace.

I've given both too, on drs advice.

And when I was having the issues with my eye I had to take both (paracetamol obviously not calpol ) to come anywhere near managing the pain.

I haven't given them together - seems a step to far but I have alternated them every two or three hours and it works better than giving one every 4 hours.

I am not sure the link is saying no emphatically - it seemed a bit inconclusive to me.

Will proceed with caution though.

Are we talking together or alternately though?

I was given both in hospital

Message withdrawn

I don't give them together but I do alternate them every 3 hours (P at 6, N at 9, P at 12, etc) so there isn't as long a gap between doses.

It's interesting that they say there's no study on alternating as there was a big study in Bristol (think it was run by Britol Uni) last year that we were involved in. I wonder if it's not yet finished then.

NICE states that there is no documented interaction in adults. Children always have to be considered as completley different entities to adults rather than mini versions as their systems function so differently.
However it is a caution rather than an outright no and advises that further research is indicated,
No statments have been made to hospitals (so far as I know) to revise current practice

I think what NICE questions is the tendency for some people to go for a combination of paracetamol/ibuprofen first line instead of trying just one or the other initially and then combining drugs when this fails.

I frequently advise staggered combinations to control pain and fever and also saw this recommended often when I worked in paediatics and A&E.

i was told to give ds both for a week after he had an operation,i was horrified when i saw the nurse giving both to him but they explained they where fine to take together and ds would need it as he would be in a lot of pain

I've been advised by DR and/or hospital to give both, alternately before now, usually if paracetamol alone doesn't seem to be getting results. Sounds pretty much like these guidelines to me.

TBH I've only ever given more than one dose of anything in 24hrs if DC very poorly, hasn't happened often.

"There is some limited evidence to suggest that alternating ibuprofen and paracetamol treatment is superior to monotherapy, although the safety of this treatment has not been studied."

This is what most people mean by giving them together. Not both at the same time but as others have said at alternating intervals.

we have and have been told by the GP and by the local hospital to do that.
infact they only wanted to see DS1 at the hospital if we had tried that and it ahdn't made any difference to his temperature, because she said that is what they would do on arrival.

I have also been told to give both at the same time for treating high fever. Not just by one GP either.

When dd2 was in hospital she was given ibruprofen and paracetamol IV alternately to try and keep her temperature under control to prevent further convulsions.

I've also been advised by my GP to alternate them both, and it seems to work.

I've given them alternately to both dds, and myself, and dh has too. On one occasion, when fever was rushing up beyond 40+, I gave both to dd before she went to sleep - within half an hour of each other (ie when one didn't work).