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Original poster

To give Calpol everyday?

249 replies

PricklesPick · 14/04/2021 09:06

May be a stupid question but I'm a bit of a paranoid FTM so I apologise!

Is it okay to give Calpol every day? (For a period anyway) whilst teething?

He is only just 3 months old but already has a tooth showing and seems in pain mostly during the evening.

He's been having Calpol every night before bed for about a week now but I'm just concerned about giving it too often. It's the only thing that seems to settle him down though.

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 14/04/2021 09:26

My dd was a real screamer with teeth, from about 4pm till she crashed out for days on end - so I remember your pain. But the anbesol liquid sorted it out.

MichelleScarn · 14/04/2021 09:27

Definitely the anbesol liquid not the gel, the liquid. Its basically lidocaine so is fantastic for teething pain and you get it otc in the pharmacy.

Original poster
PricklesPick · 14/04/2021 09:29

Thank you, I've felt so alone with it and like I'm doing the worst job ever. My HV may as well live on the moon and family is all miles away. Just feel so sorry for him.

OP posts:

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ClarkeGriffin · 14/04/2021 09:30

Definitely go to your pharmacy, today. They can help in the interim between seeing a doctor and then you might not even need the doctor.

But definitely no more calpol. Put the bottle down. Grin

mynameiscalypso · 14/04/2021 09:31

Seconding baby nurofen - much better than calpol for teething. I never found any other remedies were particularly good. I tried not to give it more than three or four days in a row but if he needed a small dose at bedtime (when teething is often worse), so be it. I generally didn't give it during the day because it was easier to distract DS.

mynameiscalypso · 14/04/2021 09:32

@PricklesPick

Thank you, I've felt so alone with it and like I'm doing the worst job ever. My HV may as well live on the moon and family is all miles away. Just feel so sorry for him.
You are really really not! Your baby is in pain, you are trying to stop that pain. I always think it's a bit shitty when people refuse to give pain relief to their children but will happily glug a couple of paracetamol every time they have a bit of a headache!
someoneiou · 14/04/2021 09:32

No. It says on the label not to give more than 3 days in a row Confused

Newname12 · 14/04/2021 09:32

Try replacing the calpol with a spoon of sugar syrup.

There is evidence that the sweetness acts as a pain killer itself.

Honeybobbin · 14/04/2021 09:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WeatherwaxLives · 14/04/2021 09:34

I'm pretty shocked at PP jumping on a worried new mum, telling her not to give her 3 month old baby paracetamol once a day for teething, and telling her to use bloody lidocaine instead which isn't to be used under 5 months and not for more than 7 days! It's hardly a better alternative to paracetamol!

FelicityPike · 14/04/2021 09:35

@Newname12

Try replacing the calpol with a spoon of sugar syrup.

There is evidence that the sweetness acts as a pain killer itself.

That could cause tooth decay!
choosername1234 · 14/04/2021 09:35

There is no medical reason that you cannot give an age (or size) appropriate dose of painkillers every day. Honestly, the responses here are implying that it's better to leave a tiny baby in pain than to give safe and effective relief. It would be great if the powders & gels worked for everyone but sadly they don't. Yes, see a GP to exclude ear infection or other cause of pain but if you're sure it's teething and nothing else is working then do give pain relief to keep your baby pain free

HandsIntoTheFire · 14/04/2021 09:35

God calpol is delicious though 🤤 mine are 6 and 4 and rarely need it these days but it doesn’t stop them asking for a wee taste when they see it 😂 (they don’t get it obviously).

They should make a calpol cocktail.

choosername1234 · 14/04/2021 09:37

@someoneiou

No. It says on the label not to give more than 3 days in a row Confused
This is so underlying causes for pain (such as ear infections) are not missed
FTEngineerM · 14/04/2021 09:38

If you can see/feel the tooth and it’s poking through the gym now that’s usually the most painful part done with.

Neurofen not calpol for teething. Neurofen is anti inflammatory and as the melatonin rises in the evening and the cortisol reduces so does it’s anti inflammatory affect. Hence inflammation getting worse in the evening.

shouldistop · 14/04/2021 09:39

If it's just in the evening that he's fussy then it's likely due to over tiredness rather than the teething which would bother him at other times too.
At that age they should on average be having 4 naps a day and not be awake any longer than 60-90 mins at a time.

HandsIntoTheFire · 14/04/2021 09:42

At that age they should on average be having 4 naps a day and not be awake any longer than 60-90 mins at a time

Christ. Clearly mine didn’t read the manual Confused

These “should be” generalisations are so unhelpful. Not a dig at you in particular, shouldistop, but they’re all different and “should be” generalisations just cause angst to new parents.

HandsIntoTheFire · 14/04/2021 09:43

Apologies. It’s just a particular bugbear of mine.

shouldistop · 14/04/2021 09:45

@HandsIntoTheFire that's why I added 'on average'. If ops baby is fussy in the evening then they could well be overtired and it could be helpful to know the average nap/awake times for that age.
When ds1 was coming up to 3 months I had no idea I should be putting him down for naps after a certain amount of time awake and he was an overtired screaming mess until I googled it.
It's been much easier with ds2 knowing.

BloodyInternetFood · 14/04/2021 09:47

Does giving Calpol stop his screaming?

Original poster
PricklesPick · 14/04/2021 09:50

@BloodyInternetFood

Does giving Calpol stop his screaming?
Yes it settles him right down, it's why I've given it him out of desperation to help him the past 4/5 evenings.

As PP said, he is much better in the day, I find it easier to distract him then but in the evening nothing seems to work for him.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 14/04/2021 09:53

@shouldistop

If it's just in the evening that he's fussy then it's likely due to over tiredness rather than the teething which would bother him at other times too. At that age they should on average be having 4 naps a day and not be awake any longer than 60-90 mins at a time.
That's really not the case with a lot of babies - during the day, they're distracted from the discomfort but it's worse at night when they're lying in their cot. It's no different to a grown up!
northbacchus · 14/04/2021 09:54

I found Teetha powder was 100% the way to go, and a frozen flannel to chew on when I was with baby.

mindutopia · 14/04/2021 09:54

It's absolutely fine for a few days (maybe not all day every day, max dose for multiple days). I wouldn't for 2-3 weeks. But a few days, absolutely fine. I never found teething gels or any of that junk made a bit of difference in any of mine, and it's important to make them comfortable.

FTEngineerM · 14/04/2021 09:55

Nurofen* obviously 😂