Overusing Calpol?

[cornflakegirl]

Have also posted this in Health, so apologies to anyone rereading...

My 1yo ds has started waking up around 11pm - not every night, but maybe one night in two. He gets himself really worked up, so I can't just pu/pd - think it's the heat getting to him.

We've been tending to change his nappy and feed him, so that he calms down, and he'll then go straight back to sleep.

However, a couple of times recently, that hasn't worked. I've thought he might be in pain (it's that kind of screamy cry), so have given him some Calpol - and it's worked almost immediately - far too fast for it to be the drug kicking in.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does he just like the taste? Is there anything else I could use instead?

How fast is immediately?. Ds reacts to calpol within 15-20 minutes usually. If it is much quicker than that it was probably co-incidence and whatever was wrong got better and would have done without the calpol.

Ds does like the taste though and often stops crying when he sees he is getting calpol though he usually starts again afterwards until it takes effect.

My dd used to be like that with gripe water.

Might be worth a try, I think it tastes awful but she used to love it then go straight to sleep afterwards!

How do you give him the calpol? Perhaps try giving him water on the same spoon or syringe to see if it's a habit he's got in to.

lazycow - immediately! he stops crying when he sees the calpol (spoon or syringe, he's not fussy) and doesn't start crying again after, even when we put him back in his cot - just rolls over and goes to sleep.

so i'm pretty sure it's not the pain-relieving effects. but i also don't think it's coincidence - it's happened a couple of times, and has worked when feeding hasn't - feeding being a pretty good cure-all normally :)

i'm just not sure what it is that's doing the trick - whether it's the distraction, or the taste, or what :)

panicpants - might try that - can't hurt! :)

Er my brother in law (who admittedly is a vet) said that Calpol takes on average 40 minutes to get into the bloodstream. My son settles immediately when he gets Calpol but I think it is simply that he associates it with a nice calm sit on mummy's knee, followed by a cuddle and a sleep.

mine usually settle as soon as being given medicine like calpol - I think it is the expectation that it will make them feel better that allows them to relax enough to get back to sleep.

If you don't think he actually needs it then give him water on a spoon and call it the special medicine that helps you get back to sleep.

How bout swtiching calpol for teething gel? - it could just be that a nice taste in his mouth is distracting him from the distress? Calgel has chamomile and a kind of honey taste, which dd loves. Some of the other teething gels are more mouthwashy IYSWIM.

I've started giving DD chamomila pills to chew if I am not sure if it is genuine pain or not (DD is 3, but was capable of chewing teeny arnica pills from very young) - it calms a bit if it is genuine, but isn't paracetamol if it isn't but she still thinks its medicine.

Yes, I used to give ds1 Pulsatilla, it is a homeopathic rememdy that would chill him out (taken with Chamomilla it is good for teething). It would usually make him relax enough to get off to sleep.

i do know what you mean about calpol though, my eldest used to love it and i wouldd hahve to stop myself from over giving it, just to get him to sleep.

good luck.