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Original poster

Phenergan ethics

17 replies

Jasmum · 28/04/2004 09:33

I'm due to fly to the US with DD who will be 20mths. She's not the kind of child to just fall asleep & just gets more & more hyperactive when tired...she's in a very good routine at home & falls asleep on her own in her cot but NEVER falls asleep in her pushchair & never has done even as a newborn.
I've enquired a few times about phenergan at the chemists & they always seem a bit cagey about it, why do I want it etc etc. I explained last time to a chemist about why I was thinking of using it & she agreed that it would be allright & she'd sell it to me. I've read the leaflet & it does say do not give to a child under 2.
I wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary & as a last resort but am battling with my morals on whether it's ethical especially as she's not 2?
Has anyone ever used it?

OP posts:

Blu · 28/04/2004 09:42

DS has had it prescribed when ill and hay feverish - but personally I certainly would not give anything to a child under the recommended age. especially when you are going to be out of reach of medical assistance on a plane for 8 hours.

Flip · 28/04/2004 09:46

I'd speak to your GP. They are very unstanding about how stressful long haul flights are on parents and babies. I'm sure they'd prescribe something if you explain the situation and that you'd only use it if you needed it.

Bouj · 28/04/2004 09:46

I would speak to your doctor. I am flying to Australia in June with DS who will be 14 months and I asked the doctor on Monday if there was anything "to make the flight easier" (felt very dodgy and shifty). He said he could have Phenergan, no problem. He told me to bring ds in to be weighed about 2 weeks before so that the correct dosage could be worked out, but it would be fine. By the way, ds is exactly the same - very particular about where he sleeps, and will battle sleep if not happy! I have visions of him being awake and hysterical for 28 hours!

twiglett · 28/04/2004 09:50

message withdrawn

Nutcracker · 28/04/2004 10:06

My doctor prescribed phenergan for my dd as she was nearly 1 and only sleeping for about 3 hours a night. I was like a zombie and something needed to be done.
I wouldn't even hesitate in giving it to DD Jasmum. After all you will only be giving her a small dose and only once.
I didn't use it all of the time with my dd but always made sure i could get some if she wouldn't sleep. I stopped using it when i felt that A) it wasn't really working abd B) when i thought it was effecting her in the day (ie, she was still drowsey).

princesspeahead · 28/04/2004 10:13

One thing I would warn you about phenergan is that it has a sedative effect on about 75% of children, and makes the other 25% of children hyper! Which is the last thing you need on a flight. So do a trial run beforehand - I did, and found out that my daughter is they type that goes completely hyper on it. Vallergan, however, has a v good sedative effect on my dd (it was prescribed for her when her eczema was v bad to help her sleep without itching).

Other than that, it is fine as long as you calculate the appropriate dose as someone said.

misdee · 28/04/2004 10:19

piriton has that effect too. so many parents of ezcema kids tried it, and one was up[ till 3am trying to get her dd to sleep. i think they resorted to spot videos at one point.

i'd speak to your gp and ask about something.

lou33 · 28/04/2004 10:20

My gp prescribed it for dd1 when she was less than a year, as her sleep pattern was atrocious. It worked really well, but can only be given in the short term, as the body gets use to the dosage. Shouldn't be a problem if it is just for flying tho. Go and see a gp about it.

Sari · 28/04/2004 10:25

Careful with the dose. We got it wrong when we tried it for a flight and ds1 was really out of it but not properly asleep, just lying there moaning. Horrible. We haven't used it again.

suedonim · 28/04/2004 10:33

I agree with PPH, have a trial run beforehand. My dd reacts to all 'sleepy medicines' with hyperactivity.

suedonim · 28/04/2004 10:36

Oh, and if anyone is having trouble buying phenergan, telling the chemist you want it for travel sickness will usually produce a bottle.

AussieSim · 28/04/2004 19:43

Be wary, because sometimes it has the opposite effect on some kids - this happened to a friend of mine. Just wing it I say (the US isn't that long a flight - not when compared to Oz anyway). I asked for it here in Germany and got treated like I was asking for heroin - my DS also under 2 - on my next flight to Oz I am going to do either one or two stop overs and turn it into a bit of a holiday and hopefully avoid a bit of stress with DS (and DH who has to be ASKED to help).

WideWebWitch · 28/04/2004 21:14

Oh yes, I've used it as a desperate measure when ds wasn't sleeping much at about 3yo. So clearly I have no problem with the ethics of it. I wouldn't use it all the time/regularly and no, I wouldn't think that was a great idea but the odd time is fine imo. If a chemist has told you it's ok for a 20mth old then just breezily buy it in another chemist and tell them it's for travel sickness (that's what it's made for). It is, in a way Have a nice time!

WideWebWitch · 28/04/2004 21:15

sorry, hadn't read the rest of the thread, repeated suedonim's point.

bloss · 28/04/2004 23:51

Message withdrawn

maryz · 29/04/2004 12:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

geekgrrl · 29/04/2004 12:46

definitely try it beforehand - dd1 does well with phenergan (also prescribed for eczema-induced sleep problems), dd2 had vallergan once for a medical procedure and ended up totally drugged for two days - poor thing could barely sit up.

Flip