Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

Giving Calpol ALL the time!

91 replies

Earrrrr · 27/12/2021 16:13

Has anyone been through a stage like this? Where it feels like I'm using Calpol all the time?!

My son has had a really rough few months. He had bronch and was in hospital first, then when he came out he had about a week where he was okay then he caught a horrid virus (not Covid) where he needed Calpol /Ibuprofen every 4 hours for about a week and a half to control his temp and now he has a perforated ear drum for the same virus which he seems uncomfortable with and the GP says may take a few weeks to heal.

Oh and he's got two teeth coming too!

All in all he's had Calpol or ibuprofen every day for about the past 3 and a half weeks!

The GP has seen him for all of these things and they have been the ones to tell me to give him pain relief but I just feel like it's too much but of course in the same token I can't stop giving him pain relief if he needs it!

OP posts:
Original poster
Earrrrr · 27/12/2021 16:13

He's 10 months

OP posts:
stressingmum · 27/12/2021 18:34

I had a similar experience about 2/3 months ago was continually taking something for about 5 weeks was seen in this time 3 times by a GP and they kept saying viral infections and it was fine too keep giving the pain relief. My son was about 20 months at this point and had just started nursery so was just picking up bug after bug.

Heruka · 27/12/2021 18:38

Yes definitely had periods like this. Wee love, hope he is better soon.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General health General parenting
Original poster
Earrrrr · 27/12/2021 18:39

Thank you! Need to go to the corner shop again tomorrow to get ANOTHER bottle. They will be wondering what's going on 🤦‍♀️

OP posts:
cherrycola7 · 27/12/2021 18:42

I really would be wary about using calpol so much.

It's not a harmless drug. Paracetamol is tough on the liver and it's not supposed to be used endlessly. I appreciate that your baby has been unwell and it's difficult. But there are other ways to soothe a baby.

cherrycola7 · 27/12/2021 18:44

@stressingmum

I had a similar experience about 2/3 months ago was continually taking something for about 5 weeks was seen in this time 3 times by a GP and they kept saying viral infections and it was fine too keep giving the pain relief. My son was about 20 months at this point and had just started nursery so was just picking up bug after bug.
I just don't understand why children need to be constantly dosed up with calpol just because they have a bug.
emailaddressplease · 27/12/2021 18:51

@Earrrrr

Thank you! Need to go to the corner shop again tomorrow to get ANOTHER bottle. They will be wondering what's going on 🤦‍♀️
In boots they do the big bottle of calpol if you can get to one. It's about £6 and double the size.
emailaddressplease · 27/12/2021 18:53

@cherrycola7 here comes the mum shamer. They didn't say it is a bug. A cold is not a 'bug' he had bronch now he has a sore ear. It's pain relief dear. He's in pain. Don't tell me you sit there in pain.

Original poster
Earrrrr · 27/12/2021 18:55

@cherrycola7

I really would be wary about using calpol so much.

It's not a harmless drug. Paracetamol is tough on the liver and it's not supposed to be used endlessly. I appreciate that your baby has been unwell and it's difficult. But there are other ways to soothe a baby.

To be fair when he had the virus his temp was nearly at 40 without Calpol or ibuprofen. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance because it wouldn't come down after Calpol and they even told me at the hospital to give him both Calpol and Nurofen at the same time if his temp got that high again or he could have a seizure.

He really was very unwell I couldn't have done anything but give him it otherwise his temp would have been dangerously high and that is what the doctors at the hospital told me to do.

OP posts:
Original poster
Earrrrr · 27/12/2021 18:56

And he was very unwell just before that with bronch, he was in hospital on oxygen for days with that. Then he caught something else not long after. It's not been a very nice time.

OP posts:
Blueducks · 27/12/2021 19:01

Calpol is safe if given in correct doses. Some children and people with chronic pain are prescribed paracetamol long term. Don’t worry.
We’ve definitely had similar periods. Teeth and never ending illnesses No way would I leave my child in pain when there is a safe way of helping.
As long as you stick to the dosage guides (I’m sure you are) it’s perfectly ok.
I hope he feel better soon @Earrrrr. It’s a nightmare when they are little and poorly all the time.

olderandwiserx · 27/12/2021 19:04

Poor thing. I'm going through exactly the same thing. 23 month old, very high temp for over a week only coming down with calpol and nurofen. Now endless snot and chesty cough. It's gone in about 3 weeks. Still having the odd dose of calpol. It seems like you are giving them loads in these times, but when there immunity picks up and less bugs you will have long spaces where you don't need it. I used to worry untill I was in hospital with mine and saw what they administer there to get temps down. Trust yr instinct x

Original poster
Earrrrr · 27/12/2021 19:06

Thank you both, that's what I needed to hear xx

Hope your little one is better soon @olderandwiserx

OP posts:
RichTeaCheddars · 27/12/2021 19:08

Poor love, hope he feels better soon.

If you ask at the pharmacy counter you can get non branded / generic paracetamol and ibuprofen suitable for babies in big bottles. It's a lot cheaper than Calpol. (Obv after bank hol and assuming your baby likes it. Mine prefers it;)

AColdDuncanGoodhew · 27/12/2021 19:14

My kids are 5 as we still go through phases where I feel they're practically drinking calpol straight from the bottle.

I take paracetamol if I have a headache, head cold, general aches and pains related with a cold so I wouldn't let my kid suffer through bronch/viruses without it. You're doing as the medics advise and as long as it's given as per the dosage instructions I wouldn't worry at all.

I remember when the kids were babies and with various viruses I'd have to write down who had what at what time as it was an almost constant cycle.

Fireweeds · 27/12/2021 19:25

For teeth do get in some anbesol liquid helps to reduce the calpol. I recall going thru similar but we seem to be out the other side for now. I used to try to hold off unless they were miserable with a temp tho.

stressingmum · 27/12/2021 19:27

@cherrycola7 thank you for your judgemental comment. My child didn't have a bug...
There was numerous viral infections with temperatures and symptoms like sore ears, throats etc. I wouldn't dose up for the fun of it - my child was ill and I was helping relieve his pain.

firetruckmum · 27/12/2021 19:45

I went through this period just this summer where he caught stomach bugs and infections on top of teething on our long holiday (3 months in my home country). We were literally consuming so much calpol during that period. I could see him in pain and only calpol helped. Now since getting back from holiday in September and until now, we only used calpol for 1 x cold, 1x for teething and just recently for covid just for 2 days for each occasion.

ViceLikeBlip · 27/12/2021 19:48

A perforated ear drum is excruciating. I understand you want to cut back on the painkillers, but right now is not the time.

AliceW89 · 27/12/2021 19:50

@cherrycola7

I really would be wary about using calpol so much.

It's not a harmless drug. Paracetamol is tough on the liver and it's not supposed to be used endlessly. I appreciate that your baby has been unwell and it's difficult. But there are other ways to soothe a baby.

This just isn’t correct. Taking an overdose of paracetamol can damage the liver, for sure. But, given at the correct dose, paracetamol isn’t inherently bad for the liver, even if taken regularly.
Mittenmob · 27/12/2021 19:52

I went through this with DD, also sent to hospital and told I should have given more calpol earlier and to give both calpol and neurofen. She had a very bad year (first year of nursery) and we had stages like this but it calmed down and she's rarely ill now.

RickyZooom · 27/12/2021 19:52

Another weary mum here OP! Calpol and infant nurofen have been my best friend these past few weeks. I don’t hesitate to pop some painkillers when I’m poorly so why would I make my 22 month old suffer? He’s miserable with a temp and Calpol makes him feel better. Keep doing what your instincts tell you!

BertieBotts · 27/12/2021 19:53

It's fine. You're following medical advice. Don't listen to random scaremongering posters on the internet. If it was a problem the doctor would have said oh no, you can only give calpol for X days in a row. They haven't said that so you're fine. If he's in pain it's important to give him the medicine that will help with that.

Mittenmob · 27/12/2021 19:53

There's a good sketch by Michael MacIntyre on this actually, YouTube it, it'll make you feel better!

ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy · 27/12/2021 19:54

@cherrycola7

I really would be wary about using calpol so much.

It's not a harmless drug. Paracetamol is tough on the liver and it's not supposed to be used endlessly. I appreciate that your baby has been unwell and it's difficult. But there are other ways to soothe a baby.

When I had a shoulder injury and was waiting for surgery, my GP told me that paracetamol is a very safe, long-term, painkiller, if taken at the correct dose.

Stop trying to shame the OP with your utter nonsense.

Swipe left for the next trending thread