Wanna stop me from buying cold medicine?

My boys have been sick at most 3 times (and that's a stretch) since birth and before, they were too young to know or express their discomfort so it wasn't much to deal with. But now that they're old enough to point to their nose and cry "noooooose" I feel like I'm going to lose it! I feel so bad for them and they are so uncomfortable. They don't have a fever and only a very mild cough, but their noses are dripping like faucets and they can't suck their thumbs becasue of it. And because they can't suck their thumbs they can't sleep. And because they can't sleep, they hate life and so on. I just want them to have some relief. Is cold medicine THAT bad?! You ladies have about 15 minutes to convince me not to do it. I already have shoes on..........

 

I have never had to use cold medicine yet. Did you call your pedi? Whenever my girls noses get like that we run the cool mist humidifier and use baby vicks and it seems to do the trick.

I hope they feel better soon!! :hug:

 

our pedi says 1.5 mil of benadryl should do the trick! (depending on weight)

 

I used nasal decongestant drops (for over 2yr old) on the boys last month. They have the cold back again and I'm ready to pull it out!!

I LOVE the J and J soothing face balm stick to soothe their sore noses. Last night (after getting up for the 5th time in 2 hours) I almost talked myself into some kind of cough med, but my pedi is against it until age SIX! Once they turn two I'm all over that stuff.

 

Benadryl. It's totally fine when they're congested and snotty and miserable -- warning you, though, that it helps about 90% of kids sleep. The other 10% get wired and bounce off the walls. So, proceed with caution...

During the day, the ped said the only thing that works is regular Sudafed. The good stuff that's behind the counter now, that you have to give your driver's license to buy.

Otherwise, I rely on tons of saline nose drops, Vicks, Zicam homeopathic nose swabs, and vitamin C.

 

Thanks for asking this. My girls have nasty colds and I was just about to ask if anyone ever gives Benadryl to help dry them up a bit. I seriously can't keep up with the runny noses. They are running into their mouths instantly after being wiped...so gross.

 

Another vote for Bwnadryl! You know what I mean... can't type properly because Jack is crawling all over me right now.

You can google Dr Sears / Benadryl Dosage and it should give you a great little chart for how much to give based on weight.

 

I just looked up the Benadryl dosage. Check out this link.

 

:hug: I've got three sickies here. I hope you find some relief.

 

Amen to the Benedryl! Even the ped and the allergist say it's just fine. AND.....from what I've been told by the pedi, it's near impossible to overdose it. (Seemed strange to me, but it was 7 yrs ago and DH and I hadn't realized that we had both given our son his daily dose at bedtime for his eczema) He was sleepy, but no problems from twice the normal amount. Made me feel better knowing that it wasn't a horrible mistake, althought I'm extremely careful still.

 

I think our dr is kind of more cautious about meds w/kids......whenever mine have had colds, they've always told me just saline drops & run the humidifier nonstop. I give them Motrin, though & it seems to help. My sister's pedi told her the Motrin will help dry up a runny nose.

I do remember asking one time about Benadryl......ds seemed to have a reaction to a bug bite. They told me (at the time) Benadryl's dosing didn't go down small enough for his age, but there was another one that did. Can't remember what it was, but it was right next to the children's Benadryl in the pharmacy.

 

I just went and bought some Benadryl, but it says not to use on children under 4. Should I still follow Dr. Sears??? Help, it's almost bedtime!

 

QUOTE(mommymeg @ Jan 20 2009, 11:29 PM) [snapback]1155082[/snapback]
I just went and bought some Benadryl, but it says not to use on children under 4. Should I still follow Dr. Sears??? Help, it's almost bedtime!


That's what I did when I couldn't remember the dosage.

 

You guys are awesome. I did NOT buy the cold medicine. But it is NOT from lack of trying :lol: . I saw it at Target last night and used my better judgement and passed it up. So after I posted, I hauled the boys to Wal Mart to buy it thinking it would be cheaper but they didn't even have it! Ah well, wasn't meant to be I suppose. I'll definitely be trying Benadryl tonight. Thanks again ladies.

 

I use cough medicine when needed and it has been rare that they are sick. Two weeks ago they had the exact cold you described, no fever so I saw no need for cough meds. I needed something so what worked for us was Hyland's sniffles n sneezes for two nights I also gave them tylenol before bedtime. Vapor baths at night, humidifier and vicks vapor rub and the bulb that sucks snots which they hate but they had to come out. HTH it sucks when they are up all night because they cannot breathe.

 

When my boys were your kids ages, the ped suggested Triamenic--it was "allowed" then. It never did any good, and wasn't worth it.

Now, interestingly enough, we were given some by the ped to use for their colds--we are 6 now, and it worked wonderfully. So, I told DH, there must be something to what they say about it now working for the kids under 6. It could very well be, that you can't safely give them enough when they are under 6 for it to be effective.

I have never given my boys Benedryl. I wouldn't give it unless expressly told to do so by my ped. I know that whenever I take Benedryl, I am out for the count for hours.

 

I found this on the Dr. Sears page. I'm going to return the Benadryl tomorrow. I bought a vapor plug in thing and rubbed their chests w/ baby vapor rub. Hope it works and I hope ALL of you sleep well tonight. I'll be taking Nyquil since I've come down with the same cold.

 

Hope you get through the night OK!!!

 

QUOTE(sharongl @ Jan 20 2009, 06:55 PM) [snapback]1155105[/snapback]
there must be something to what they say about it now working for the kids under 6. It could very well be, that you can't safely give them enough when they are under 6 for it to be effective.


That is what my pediatrician told me as well. Josh and the twins have never had anything besides Tylenol/Motrin, and I really can't think of the last time my older two have had it either. We did try it a few times when they were young(before all of the new warnings came out), but it never seemed to help them much.

We are sick here too....hope everyone is feeling better soon!

 

Does saline + suction help at all? I've never given my kids cold medicine (because I am too darn lazy to read up on what's safe to give & how much ), but we've always been ok with just saline drops and the boogie-sucker.

Poor kiddos! I hope they feel better soon. :hug:

 

I am absolutely not one to use meds on my kids but I have a thumb sucker too. My thumb sucker came down with a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes this afternoon. They haven't been sick in close to a year <_< Tried going to bed, 2 hours later, I caved and gave her some to help with the runny nose so she could sleep. I never give meds for a fever but will for a runny nose. It's just miserable to try and sleep when you can't breathe.

 

For us we have used saline spray (I think easier to use then the drops) and that seems to help. Poor kiddos, I hate it when they are sick (mine have been on and off sick for a month already!). Haven't tried benadryl, but would have no hesitation using motrin/tylenol.

good luck and I hope you all get some sleep!

 

We're struck with a nasty cold here, too. Thankfully, my thumb sucker is still surviving. It's my gagger I'm having an issue with. Last night, he coughed so hard that he threw up...three times! I was sooo sick of changing him & crib sheets that I caved & called the pharmacist. He told me that under 2 can get 2mls of Benadryl (the 12.5mg per 5ml concentration). I had some from our Hand, Foot, & Mouth debacle (it works great mixed with Maalox for mouth sores...I did it for me, not them!), so I gave it to him around 1am. That little stinker was up for another HOUR after that, although I'm not sure if it was from the med (that I desperately hoped would knock him out...even though it doesn't work for me) or the intense stimulation of in & out of pjs, in & out of bed, lights on/off, etc etc. He did stop coughing & I didn't hear a peep til 7am.

As someone else mentioned, it can rile a kid up, so be careful!

The pharmacist said if he were to dose by weight & not age, it would've been a higher dose. I went with the lower of the 2. I asked him what side effects to watch for that could be dangerous & he said none, as long as it was dosed properly. I had also mentioned the Sudafed that I've heard about & he said he would never willingly give it to a parent to give to a child under 4. As a parent himself, he has only used Benadryl, as has our Ped, so I'll stick to that. I haven't given it since last night...I only plan to use it as a last ditch effort.

On a side note, Motrin does NOT help with stuffy/runny noses like someone else posted. It's a pain reliever/anti-inflammatory & will not have any decongestant effect. My boys both got a dose before bed & fingers crossed we'll get some sleep tonight (it's 10pm & I haven't heard a pindrop! Although, they coughed all during nap, so they were tuckered out!).

Hope all our little ones get well soon & that us Mamas don't catch it (and get well to those that have)!!!!

 

I use children's sudafed here- 1/2 tsp. The regular behind the counter kind. Every time I call the peds- the nurse tells me to use it, I even double checked with the pharmacist, she said it was fine. I don't use it regularly, but it helps them breathe at night. I know when I've got a cold (which I do right now- same thing that they've got) sudafed makes a big difference in my sleep! Joel is also borderline asthmatic, and any bit of drainage really aggravates his cough. I've been given Rx cold meds for Bryan (decongestant, antihistamine, cough suppressant) but I don't like to use it since it has the cough suppressant in it. If there's junk in his chest, I would prefer his body to cough it up and not let it linger.

 

Oh hell yeah to the Benadryl! It helps SOOOOO much, and Diphenhydramene is pretty much side-effect free other than sleepiness/hyperness. I almost consider it a miracle drug, honestly. (I was able to help a friend who didn't know she had a bee sting allergy to avoid anaphylaxis by having it on hand in my house and getting her to take it til we got her to the ER.) It's just something I would not ever be without-like Tylenol, and band-aids. (Even your pets can take it if they have skin problems that are making them uncomfortable!)
Can they blow their noses yet? Because if not, the other thing I'd be lost without it this nasal syringe
The concept sounds a little gross, but I promise I've never gotten boogers in my mouth-the filter on it is GREAT, and it works so much better than a bulb syringe.

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Jan 21 2009, 12:31 AM) [snapback]1155144[/snapback]
Does saline + suction help at all? I've never given my kids cold medicine (because I am too darn lazy to read up on what's safe to give & how much ), but we've always been ok with just saline drops and the boogie-sucker.

Poor kiddos! I hope they feel better soon. :hug:


In a word, no. It WOULD work, however every time I clear their noses with it they cry hysterically thus producing more snot and the cycle continues. So for the 2 seconds after actual suction it does work but that's it. This thread has been quite informative!

Oh, and I gave them 3 ml of benadryl last night during their baths and they slept beautifully. I even turned the monitor on to be safe (we usually only respond to cries loud enough to be heard w/o monitor) and heard NOTHING! They're talking and playing in their cribs right now .

 

Glad you got a good nights sleep.

I haven't used the bendaryl before but now I would if I needed to.

I usually use what the dr. prescribes for me... but I have had used another OTC drug before on the advise of the pharmacist.

 

It's very tempting to run out and buy something for them because we just want to make them feel better. But its been proven that cold medicine in toddlers are not effective.
HERE is an article from BabyCenter saying that the AAP no longer recommends OTC cold medicine until children are 6 years old.
I have tried Benadryl a few times and it gets them to sleep nicely, but they both wake up at 1am ready to play. So, I really dont want to give it anymore. I do use Delsym at night for the nasty cough that keeps them from going to sleep.

As a parent you have to make the right decision for YOUR kids.

 

So so glad the benedryl worked for you girls. Since it's just an antihistimine, it helps dry them up without leaving them unable to cough. Cough medicines that adults take, aren't good for kiddoes, unless prescribed (like for those who vomit from coughing) because the cough actually helps them clear the mucous. Which is so important. I hope everyone continues to get better quickly!!!

 

I give my girls meds when the sickness is affecting their sleep. Sometimes it doesn't help anyways. Last night, they had the triaminic strips and i had the vicks in the vaporizer and none of it did any good. They absolutely will nto let me do the saline suction thing, so we were up ALL night. sometimes the cough medicine does help though. The problem last night was that they don't have a cough so to speak, the pleghm is what is making them cough. We did try benedril and it help Mia a little, didnt' do much at all for lily.. I guess what I'm saying is, I think that meds are ok when the alternative is NO sleep. They won't get better without any sleep.

 

I'm glad the Benadryl worked! I've followed the dosing chart on askdrsears.com, so I've given my two 1 tsp -- which I think is 5 ml. (They weigh about 26 and 28 pounds.) To be fair, I don't do it every six hours or anything, just one dose before bed works wonders for us when they're really congested.

I had to give Benadryl to Nadia twice for an allergic reaction when she was little, and both times she got totally wired -- so, I didn't try it again for her until she was older than 3. Thankfully, it now has the desired effect!

 

I'm glad the benadryl helped, our pedi suggested benadryl and a steam vaporizer. I think the vaporizer helped more than the benadryl, we've had it going for naps/nightime for several days and the coughing is so much less at night. Plus the menthol smells nice and soothing.

 

I give my boys cold medicine at night as needed. I am a nurse and I am not worried about giving them the wrong dose. I have found it effactive and it helped them breath better at night. I'm glad the benadryl worked for you though

 

My husband did a lot of research and basically he determined that using cold medicine has more potential negative consequences than positive ones. My boys don't love having a cold either. I put a warm-mist humidifier in their room for naps/at night, I rub them with Vick's, I give them a warm bath before bed, and I give them as much TLC as I can muster. But we don't give cold meds. In fact, cold meds for infants and toddlers aren't even available in Canada anymore. I don't think you'll find a doc who will recommend them to a child under 5 or 6. Having said all that, I know some people do administer cold meds to young children without worry.

As for the thumb sucking, I know it's hard for them, but my boys plug away at their soothers and it actually helps to keep their noses a bit clearer once they get going.

Poor kids - hope they feel better soon. You've been sooooo lucky to only have 2 colds before this! Wow!

 

QUOTE(NINI H @ Jan 20 2009, 10:20 PM) [snapback]1155000[/snapback]
Amen to the Benedryl! Even the ped and the allergist say it's just fine. AND.....from what I've been told by the pedi, it's near impossible to overdose it.


Three or four years ago a 13 month old little boy in my community died as a result of a Benadryl overdose. His day care provider had given it to him (without the parents consent) to encourage napping, and it killed him. The day care provider is now serving five years in prison for his death.

There had been some concern that he had an undetected heart problem and that was why the Benadryl killed him, but that turned out to be unfounded.

There is a reason the AAP tells us not to use some of these products on our little kids. With that said, I still do, on occasion, give my kids cold medicine when they are really miserable, so I'm not trying to preach about that. I just wanted it known that Benadryl CAN have dire consequences when used incorrectly.