Giving a baby adult panadol

[Babyluv]

Hi Ladies,

I was out recently and bub was unwell and someone recommended I give my baby adult panadol, cut into 1/8ths. I of course know the risks and would never do this but I'm concerned because this person often cares for my child and thought I was ridiculous for not taking the advice.
I can't seem to find any of the articles that were about recently on the dangers of giving a child the wrong dosage of paracetamol, liver damage etc.
Can you please help me out with this?

Thanks

[PumpkinZulu]

Can't link you to anything, but I recently saw on the news a story about how 100's of children are admitted to hospital every year with paracetamol overdoses from parents not administering panadol properly. You definitely were not being ridiculous.

[Lenny]

I know that paracetamol overdose causes liver failure.
Also, that unless stated, many pill/capsules shouldn't be halved and taken - due to the fact that other things are added to make it into that shape/form, and you cannot guarantee that 50% of the active drug is in 50% of the tablet, ITMS. cutting it by an eighth would be impossibly, and ridiculously risky.

[Bella29]

the panadol is just the same in adult as it is in children. If you knew the amount of miligrams that you wanted to give and could accurately give that by breaking it in half then it isn't actually dangerous. For example the recommended dosage is 15 miligrams per kilogram. So when my DD was 14 kg I gave her 210mgs of panadol. so half of one adult tablet would be 250mg and then if you took a bit off that you would have close to the amount you want.

You are right that overdosing with panadol is very dangerous and can kill. However because of this dangerous fact, the dosage recommendations for panadol are actually much lower than what you can safely give. In some loading doses for PR panadol I have known emergency dr's to give a dose of 40mg/kg if the child has had no previous panadol for the past 24hrs. So you see there is quite a bit of leeway. I wouldn't freak out if I were you.

Having said all of that. If you don't want this person to give your baby adult panadol, then the carer should respect your parenting choices without question.

Good luck

xx Bella

[Bella29]

you will notice on panadol tablets that they are scored across the top Lenny, and therefore can be cut in halves. Most nurses stations that I have ever worked at have pill cutters on them. It is only the enteric coated tablets that give a slow release of a drug that can't be cut.

[ellasmummy]

I saw the same thing PZ, as easy as mum giving bub panadol and dad not realising and giving bub panadol. I read of an adult recently who died from organ failure due to taking cold and flu tablets + panadol + lemsip its not taken seriously by enough people as its 'just paracetamol'

[*Ash*]

I just wouldn't feel comfortable taking a risk with dosage, so I wouldn't do it.

ETA - I might feel differently if I was a nurse or Dr. but I am merely a 'lay' person, so wouldn't feel confident taking a 'risk'.

[Bella29]

I just wouldn't feel comfortable taking a risk with dosage, so I wouldn't do it.

ETA - I might feel differently if I was a nurse or Dr. but I am merely a 'lay' person, so wouldn't feel confident taking a 'risk'.

yeah being a nurse means I do feel comfortable and certainly if you don't know what you want to do you shouldn't muck about.

That being said most of the panadol overdoses we saw in emergency were quite deliberate because ppl wanted attention and felt that panadol was a safe option..... little did they know. It is very treatable tho if you know it has happened, you can treat with another drug.

[Eenee]

Sure you can half half of a paracetamol tablet but seriously who can accurately cut a paracetamol tablet into 8ths! Sorry but IMO this should never be done that's what baby paracetamol is designed for. I'd tell your friend to never ever give your child any form of medicine without ringing you first.

[Bella29]

Just asked my dr hubby and he said that you would need to give an 8kg baby, 4 tablets before they would even think about treating.... So guys as worried as you all are you really don't need to be. they would need to be given 200mg/kg for treatment to be considered. I wouldn't expect you guys to know that kind of info. Just a reminder that when I was a kid mums used to crush up panadol with a bit of jam to give to kids. It isn't crazy what she suggested. It just isn't what Babyluv is happy with. that is enough for the carer not to do it, but nothing to panic about

[Babyluv]

Thanks ladies I saw it on the news recently and was wondering if there might be something online about it?
I asked my Dr today and she said never give a baby adult panadol, its not something you can accurately measure and it's important to stick to the guidelines for weight not age. I guess if you're a Dr and you know the weight to dose ratio it might be a bit different.

[Cherished]

Hi girls, I was searching today to see if there was any info on here about adult panadol before I started a new thread so I'm glad I found this one. I first jumped on the panadol website to see if they had any powder type of panadol for babies/toddlers but they only have the horrible chemical smelling/tasting liquid and suppositories which I would not give to ds and the couple of times I gave the liquid to ds months ago he vomited it up. So I thought powder would be the perfect option to put into something that tastes good and ds would be able to take it no worries then. Because they don't sell a baby powder panadol I started wondering if an adult tablet crushed up and the amount given matches ds's weight then I couldn't see what the fuss would be about. I also read that article a while back about overdoes in babies. At the time I couldn't help but question the drug company because if bub is throwing it up and then you give more there is no way to know how much has been absorbed so why don't they sell a powder? My guess is that they are making loads and loads and even more loads of money of this yucky baby panadol.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

My DD once swallowed a panadiene tablet (panadol and codiene) i panicked and rang that nurse hotline and they asked me how old she is how much she weighs and how much she had and i think he said that she would have had to have more than 3 to have any effect but was told to watch her regardless.

I remember my mum giving us kids quarter of a tablet crushed on a spoon mixed with water, it was so gross but it was great pain relief. I do think we were older than 10.. we never had panadol as little kids in her opinion we didnt need it and if we did her GP gave it to us.

[Tegam]

Cherished there is a way to safely crush an adult tablet and then workout how much to give. I'm sorry but I'm not going to tell you how. I don't feel like that's the right thing todo. But I don't see why a chemist wouldn't walk you thru how to do it.

My ds once ate 4 Panadol so 2000mgs that DH had left out. Again even being a nurse I freaked however the poisons hotline said that ds could have had double that. They said that their little livers can process that amount. It is in fact as we get older that our livers can't cope.


Thinking that thru the dangers of people giving the incorrect dose of Panadol must be going to have HUGE impact on their health later in life.

To the OP: hugs its a horrible feeling when you don't feel it's safe to leave you LO's with a carer as you don't feel they will follow your wishes. You are right to be shocked and upset!

[[M]umma[M]ia]

Cherished there is a way to safely crush an adult tablet and then workout how much to give. I'm sorry but I'm not going to tell you how. I don't feel like that's the right thing todo. But I don't see why a chemist wouldn't walk you thru how to do it.

My chemist has showed me how to do it. Baby panadol has always made DD1 go spastic with all the added sugar, colours etc in it.

[Cherished]

Thanks for that feedback girls. I was kind of expecting some back lash (like in some previous posts) about giving the wrong dosage etc. But I just think it's common sense really. I appreciate that many GP's may say not to do it but I believe like most things they are just covering their own buts. I trust my own intuition and as I said it wouldn't be the first time a drug company scared people into buying products.

I'm also feeling a bit rude not addressing the OP as I have hijacked your thread! I would be pretty horrified if I left ds witih someone and they gave his drugs without asking me. Unless I was uncontactable and ds was really distressed and it was definitely pain that was the problem.

[nickle730]

Cherished, my DS vomits on contact with oral panadol and can't take ibuprofen due to renal issues. On the rare occasions her has required analgesia or an anti-pyretic I have use the PR Panadol (suppositories). They are fantastic, and work very quickly. I use a little bit of lube and wear a glove. My DS is now 6 and lies on his tummy if I need to insert one. As long as he relaxes his bottom there is no discomfort for him. If I have needed to use it, he has been unwell enough that the idea of a suppository doesn't bother him!

[mummame]

I have given adult panadol to my children, but again I am also a nurse so feel quite comfortable doing so. OP I don't like the fact that someone is possibly giving your child any medication without your say so. Maybe next time she looks after your child put a bottle of baby panadol in the nappy bag JIC so she is not tempted to use adult panadol. I would also tell her you want to be notified if medication is required before giving it