Nurofen Vs. Panadol

[Liz185]

I've heard that Nurofen is great for pain relief, but should only be once in a while, whereas baby panadol can be used a bit more often. Is this true? Why is this? My friend said excessive use of Nurofen on babies can cause ulcers.. has anyone else heard this? Thanks

[dee73]

Nurofen can cause ulcers in anyone if it's taken on an empty stomach, so same goes for babies. Panadol is pretty much ok though. We tended to use either with ds, one worked better than the other for some things. I found Nurofen worked best for teething and just made sure he had it after a feed, while Panadol worked better for fever.

[Liz185]

Thanks for that. I have to buy some Nurofen then, because DD's teething is driving me insane and the poor little bub doesn't want to settle

[tiggerandpooh]

I have found Nurofen more effective in pain relief and reducing temperature with all my kids, having said that, its advisable to use after a feed. The duration of pain relief also last longers, up to 6 - 8hrs, as opposed to panadol's 4 hours.

[~Kim~]

Hi Liz,
Nurofen (or ibuprophen is it's generic name) is what's called a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug(or NSAID). It is a bit harsher on the stomach lining and should always be given with food/milk. It does just what it says so obviously it works better for inflammatory type pain. There have been studies that have shown that ibuprophen isn't that great for little kidneys and livers long term, but neither is any drug if you give it over and over.
Panadol (paracetamol) is great for non inflammatory type pain. It's much better for example to pake panadol for a broken bone. Headache and period pain are others.
Neither drug is stronger than the other. They just work differently.
HTH

[Liz185]

Yes, a lot of people have said that Nurofen lasts a lot longer! I hope it helps my DD.. *Sigh* I just want some sleep hehe

[Erin_25]

I find Nurofen is more effective when Charlie is teething, panadol has worked fine in getting his temp down in the past. I always give a feed when using either.
I think like anything, it will have worse affects if you use it too much too often. I use only when I feel is needed, but I dont have a prob using it as when I'm in pain I need relief.....so I feel my DS should get some relief also.

[monnie]

We were using nurofen for teething but were advised by the GP to go back to panadol as the nurofen was giving him lots of tummy pains...

We had been using it for over a week...so that may have been part of the problem too!

[Astrid]

Had trouble with Nurofen causing hyperness, probably the flavouring in it, so we don't use it anymore. As with any meds follow the instructions on the bottle, not just when to give the dose (eg 4 or 6 hourly), but the max dosage for the day as well.

[Lucy]

Spooky. Me and my SIL were only chatting about this earlier on today.

I'll be honest here.......Nurofen gets my vote.

The dose is easier to administer with their little tube thingo, and my children happily take it (whereas they tend to gag on Panadol)

Plus it seems to last longer......ie right through the night usually

Also, the same bottle can be used for all 3 of my children (nearly 4, 2.5 and 18 months) so I buy one big bottle for the medicine cabinet rather than 3 different types of panadol......its just more convenient to buy, store and administer.

[Astrid]

The dose is easier to administer with their little tube thingo, and my children happily take it (whereas they tend to gag on Panadol)

The Dymadon brand of paracetamol also has this in the baby product, the taste is much better than panadol and it is cheaper!

[River]

.....

[Mother Goose]

You can also give the two together to enhance pain relief in your Bubba. We have done this when either med alone has been ineffective.

[Vixstar]

I took my son to the GP on Saturday and we just happened to discuss this very topic. He told me so many kids are being admitted to hospy with gastroIntestinal problem ie pains, bleeding etc and it is all realted back to Kids Nurofen. The adults version can cause stomach problems too.

He stated that in his professional opinion, kids paracetamol was better but as a last resort once the temp / fever hits 37 degress.

Before that he advised sponge bathing with water warmer than their body temp as their hot little body will then release the heat into the air. He said giving them a tepid bath with water cooler than their body only makes their little bodies heat up more and can also cause them to go into shock esp if the water is toooooooo cold.

So, just lay them on a towel and sponge their warmerst bits like their neck, armpits, groin. Don't do their head as they loose more heat from that area faster than other areas and can therfore send them into shock...rare but can happen.

Hope this helps. DS#1 just woke up, gotto run now.

[*Shell*]

Very informative to read everyones opinions.
To be honest i didnt know about the ulcers. I like nurofen as it seems to take the pain from Emily quicker and for alot longer, but after reading all this mabey i'll go back to panadol?! I have only given it to Emily just before bed IF she's playing with her ears or just looks/sounds grumpy from teething. I did give it to her two nights in a row, then not, then again - would i have done any damage to her??

MG - i didnt know you could give the two together, thankfully we havent need to but still good to know!

[Astrid]

I am suspicious of the double dosing, not something I would do unless under direct instruction from my Dr for a particular ailment. From what I have found with those who have doubled dosed IRL is that in doing so they have ignored the maximum dosages per day, they just think they can alternate them every few hours.

[STARRYSKY]

hi guys,
interesting subject hey?
the pharmacist I used to work for refused to stock baby nurofen or childrens, he thinks its an absolute abomination that it is available at all, like one lady said the gastro intestinal probs are a real problem, esp as parents then give them more doses as they are in pain! causing even more internal gastric lining problems, like bleeding and ulceration.eek!
I am also in doubt about its use in fever for children as ibuprofen was developed as a synthetic aspirin, the use of aspirin in fevers of children was ruled out as an option in the 70s, due to rhys syndrome (inflammation of the brain) hmmm. but thats just my opinion.
I have also spoken to doctors that would never reccomend the use of it.

anyway, ibuprofen and paracetamol are from two diff families of drugs and there is no interaction if taken together, but that said, a child shouldnt really be in that much pain.
hth.

[JordieC]

Hmmm intersting topic - I've just started giving DD Murofen over panadol simply because of the taste. She gagged badly on panadol wheras the nurofen smelt and tastes better and was easier to administer. I agree though you shouldn't give it too often because then they might get used to it.