Giving both paracetamol & ibruprofen to feverish children

[MatNanPlus]

story here

I think it is fairly widespread practice, particularly among GP's to recommend alternating both. Purely because many experienced GP's and as we have seen from here many mums, know it works. NICE guidance for not doing so was purely based on the fact that there wasn't evidence that doing so was beneficial. By evidence in this context they mean clinical trials - which is not surprising due to the ethical etc problems with undertaking trials on children. This is one of the problems with the way NICE is being used - simply through lack of evidence it can find itself contradicting the experience of health professionals.

Both my children had febrile convulsions so I was always very quick to treat a fever, I find ibuprofen far more effective than paracetamol and the combination more effective than ibuprofen alone and will continue to use both.

Can't open the link - does it say News! You can give paracetamol an ibuprofen to children!

If so yes, I was doing that 10 years ago, so I agree with everybody.

Fabio it says this

Thousands of sick children could have their fever kept at bay for longer if they were given ibuprofen first and then paracetamol plus ibuprofen, research has suggested.

Traditionally, parents have been told not to combine the drugs due to a lack of evidence on doing this safely. But now researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England have found that children spend less time with fever if both drugs are used over a period of time.

Fever is very common in young children, affecting around 70% of pre-school age youngsters each year.

According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), between 20% and 40% of parents seek help every year for their child's feverish illness. Most fevers will settle by themselves but a few are caused by serious infections such as meningitis or pneumonia.

I didn't know it wasn't rec'd.

Ta VS.

It was recommended to me years ago by a gp.
I suspect shoddy journalism.

My eldest is 12 and that was the advice we were always given. I always found it really effective- hardly ground breaking news.

The only contra-indications are if the child has stomach/bowel problems or asthma as ibruprofen is not recommended in those circumstances.

have always given both to DS & DD1...had no need-so far-to medicate DD2...was not aware there was ever an issue around giving both. surely as they help with different things it makes sense to use both..?

Paediatrician gave both to DS at five months after Calpol alone didn't work.

We were rushed to hospital with suspected meningitis but turned out to be viral.

I have been told both things by different Drs. But the most common one is one of each.

It is my understanding that Ibruprofen helps to reduces the fever, and paracetamol helps to keeps it down once it is down (or the other way around?) so it makes sense to use both.

However fear makes me use paracetamol every 4 hours and ibuprofen every 6 hours, when she is very poorly.

Same for me as an adult too!!!

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I have always given them both and DS1 is 8 now so a fair while. I always give ibuprofen first too , unless there is an upset stomach involved, because I have never found paracetamol that effective for reducing fevers. It seems to work better when in combo with the ibuprofen.

Thankfully it hasn't happened that often but it is odd that the guidelines have been at odds with the advice that doctors and NHS Direct have been giving out all this time. What is the point of the blessed things if they are ignored?

I went to buy the girls a big ol' bottle of Nurofen today, and the chemist in Boots gave me a whole spiel about mixing it with paracetemol (I wasn't buying any products with paracetemol in it).

I usually just use ibu anyhow, as I find it more effective than paracetemol.

i always use ibu first too as it seems to work quicker, have always combined the two aswell

I'm curious. How often do children without specific medical difficulties need to be given either?

It is not shoddy journalism! It's a straightforward news story saying there is new evidence that alternating ibuprofen and paracetamol is effective in treating childhood fever. Would you rather the journals suppressed it, or told journalists 'don't mention this'?

Yes, many parents know this already, thanks to GPs and hospitals. An example of pragmatism - if you waited until there was a significant body of evidence before doing anything, you'd have to stop a huge proportion of medical interventions. But it is A Good Thing that people check if what happens in day to day practice is a. safe and b. works.

I have been told to do this also. Have known this advice since DD was quite small, so def not new.

Seeker, if I am ill with a high temp I usually feel like hell, hence I will give myself a nice dose of either paracetamol or ibuprofen to help me feel better. same goes for my DS. Why should he feel like crap if he doesn't have to?? You don't need a 'specific medical difficulty' to take a paracetamol.Honestly.

Actually seeker I think less and less as they get older. I have not given any to either of mine for months. DD had some in April when she went over her handlebars and really messed up her mouth and nose, loose teeth etc. Can't remember when DS had some. Last time he had repeated doses (and the hospital sent us home with big bottles of both!) was after abdominal surgery at Easter of last year. But when they were younger and in day nursery so teething and repeated colds/other minor illnesses etc, much more often.

Guilty! found it brilliant for new teeth, high temps, you name it!
Thankfully, lo hasn't needed any meds for ages now (fingers crossed!)

surely it's about evidence though, not anecdote

I am just surprised by how much calpol and so on some children I know have. I don't take pain killers and things very much myself and I do try to avoid giving them to my children. I think that bodies are very good at mending themselves when it comes to most minor illnesses. I am very willing to use them when really necessary (dd's burst ear drum, ds's broken wrist, for example) but I don't use them for colds and things like that. But I think I'm on my own in this!

from personal experience, I can tell you that the eardrum doesn't hurt at all once it's burst

and there's really no point in withholding pain relief from a sick, feverish child in this day & age

But it hurt A LOT leading up to the point when it burst - that's what I meant.

Maybe I've been very lucky - but my children have very rarely been so sick and feverish that a hot water bottle, a bit of cossetting and cbbebies wasn't enough to make them feel better. I think medicine shouldn't be the first resort - that's all.

that's not what you said

leading up to a burst is incredibly painful, both me and dd2 have been through it

a hot water bottle for a fever?

Shorthand, bundle. Ds didn't need painkillers once his wrist was set and plastered and the sweling had gone down either - but it would have taken too long to write all that down - I took it as read.

A hot water bottle is very comforting if you don't feel well - have you never tried it?

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