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Original poster

Medised or miracle???

35 replies

annmarieandlily · 12/02/2007 18:42

My 5 month old dd has been really poorly for the last couple of weeks, first with a virus (temperature & rash), now with a stinking cold.

After getting up probably 8-10 times a night to her waking with blocked nose, I gave her 3ml of Medised last night and she slept all night without a single peep!

I know the box says "may cause drowsiness" but is it really that powerful? Am now feeling guilty that I have drugged the child to sleep... Or am I deluded in believing that she just slept through on her own???

OP posts:
Tutter · 12/02/2007 18:43

it may well have given her a helping hand in the first few hours

if you're following dosage instructions i wouldn't worry, although i would say that i tend to use it only when calpol won't cut the mustard

WeaselMum · 12/02/2007 18:45

does she usually sleep through? I think it helps clear blocked noses so it probably just helped her symptoms and made her comfortable. Plus after a few sleepless nights, she was probably really tired and ready for a full night's sleep!

Sheraz · 12/02/2007 18:50

It contains antihistamine which is a mild sedative. Anti histamine also dries up the mucus. As long as you have not gone over the recommended dose or come to rely on it to get your baby to sleep it is not a problem.

Wheelybug · 12/02/2007 18:50

when dd is teething her nose runs constantly and she will wake up in the night and be awake for between 2-4 hours. If I give her 5 mls of medised she sleeps through no probs (like she would if she wasn't teething)even though the dose would have worn off. DD is 2, so I could be giving up to 10 mls twice a night so I don't feel too bad about it (well I do but I rationalise it).

As others have said, its most likely it cleared her nose and this helped her sleep rather than drugging her ! It may be that it allowed her to get to a level of sleep thats he was less disturbed.

I have taken it once in sheer desperation and it worked due to the fact it cleared my nose (mind you I also took it on top of a bottle of wine which may have helped - I don't recommend this for your 5 month old though ).

Original poster
annmarieandlily · 12/02/2007 18:54

She was sleeping through pretty much before she was ill.

Like the sound of a bottle of wine with a Medised chaser... Aaahh those were the days BC (before children) when we could indulge and bugger the consequences!

OP posts:
Glassofwine · 12/02/2007 18:55

My gp said that medised was better than calpol when the child is having a cold as it has antihistamine and will help to dry up nose etc. It's when you give it to them to get them to sleep and they don't have anything wrong with them that you're out of order - I have a friend who does this.

cruisemum1 · 13/02/2007 21:13

OhmyGod! I think I will request an intravenous infusion for my lo!

gnu · 16/02/2007 15:44

Is there any equivalent to Medised but without the paracetamol?

Scootergirl · 16/02/2007 15:45

Piriton or something like that is the same without the painkiller.

gnu · 16/02/2007 15:47

Can you get Piraton (or similar) for infants though? I don't want to overdo paracetamol but she does frequently need something to help her with congestion during the night. She's like this so often now with colds, teething, etc, that we seem to be using Medised half the week.

Nip · 16/02/2007 15:47

When my Ds is ill i give him calpol or nurofen during the day and then Medised just before bed...

swifterella · 16/02/2007 15:51

medi-sed rocks. My LO has terrible cold and snots at the mo and it defo helps him. If he wakes in the night I give it to him then and it enables him to sleep as he can breathe easier.

StrawberrySnowflakes · 16/02/2007 15:53

Hail Medised!..my dd almost 4 years had 7 ml last night and slept till 6am straight through and went back off until 7am when i woke her.
her cough and cold were better today after a good rest and shes been happier

gnu · 16/02/2007 15:58

I still worry I guess. DD has probably polished off at least 400 ml since starting to get chain-colds when she started nursery and began her first winter 6 months ago. That's getting on to half her bedtimes when she will get a 5ml spoon. She's begun to recognise the bottle and get excited . We try and not give it unless she's clearly going to have difficulty getting through the night (which, as a normally good sleeper, she finds immensely upsetting). Still concerns me though.

swifterella · 16/02/2007 16:11

my niece shouted down the stairs the other night 'mummy mummy, i need calpol, i am coming down with something' she is 3

StrawberrySnowflakes · 16/02/2007 16:12

try giving less and less and see how it works, you dont want her to become dependant on it, but easing off, you will see if it is that or just pure luck!..the first time my dd had it at around 5 months,she was asleep within 5 minutes!!!and she WASNT a sleeper!

Rantum · 16/02/2007 16:15

I shamelessly gave my ds(2) a dose of Medised to get him sleeping through at least part of a long haul flight. (Also decongestant relieved ears - he had a bit of a cold). He is rarely ill and has had very little medicine, so I wasnt too worried that I might start a habit.

StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/02/2007 11:19

..have just been to two pharmacies and both said they did not stock medised any more because 'some' people were using it for the wrong reasons?????..how on earth would they know wht people did with it once they left the store????..only place i def know that sells it is boots, do my dp has to get out of work to get some for us!..how ridiculous it that!..we give it to them when theyre ill, stuffed up, high temp, rash,having trouble sleeping fgs!not in a titty bottle with some coke..yes i am still ill myself and not in the mood for them after the two long walks ive had to do!

brightwell · 19/02/2007 11:42

I have to admit I was one of those who used Medised for the wrong reasons. At times sleep was a precious commodity that I craved!

StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/02/2007 11:49

no, i think a lot of people have given(ok maybe just you me and rantum!)a small amount to help them sleep when theyre jsut not sleeping, but when i did this when dd was smaller, it wasnt constant, it was when dd was tetchy, over tired, teething and you just cant stay awake and be happy mummy any more!

Original poster
annmarieandlily · 19/02/2007 12:33

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd update since posting the original message.

We had four nights of unbroken sleep when dd had a cold. Three with Medised and one without. I felt happy that she had got over her cold and stopped giving it to her and obviously hoped she might still sleep through as she had done once.

BUT...she has since been waking up about 4-5 times a night! Sometimes still quite congested so tried giving her Medised again - but it now has absolutely no effect!

So I'm afraid the debate remains about the side effects of Medised. I have no idea what's waking her in the night. She will now stay awake until I feed her each time - completely maddening as before she was I'll I didn't feed her at all after her dream feed.

Oh well will have to start a new thread about why the baby won't sleep now...

OP posts:
StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/02/2007 12:38

try giving her a little before she go's to sleep as it take s time to kick in, if she settles well, she may stay settled throughout night?.good luck

Original poster
annmarieandlily · 19/02/2007 12:46

Good idea StrawberrySnowflakes - hadn't thought of that. But I now feel that I'm entering the dangerous territory of relying on it to get her to sleep through...

The box says do not give for more that three days on the trot. I had only been giving her 3ml in 24 hours. Should I worry about using it for a more prolonged period?

Does anyone have any bad experiences of using Medised too often/for too long?

OP posts:
Original poster
annmarieandlily · 19/02/2007 12:50

Just wanted to add that I can totally sympathise with those mums on this thread who have admitted using Medised simply to get a night's sleep.

DD has only randomly been a good sleeper since the day she was born. I am going back to work in two weeks so have no idea how I'm going to manage if she doesn't start sleeping properly...

OP posts:
StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/02/2007 12:52

does she have any symtoms that would say she is unwell any other way?
3ml in 24 hrs isnt excessive, if dd was unwell with cold even at that age i would give her some until it cleared gradually decreasing the dose.

and IIRC, your can have 5ml now (check on box)so even jsut try the 5 ml about 20mins-1/2 hour before bed tonight and see how it go's if it doesnt work, then maybe speak to HV or make doc app and hear what they have to suggest?
Good luck