So, my 7 month old is teething. He already has his bottom 2, and is now getting another. I really dont like the idea of giving tylenol to him everynight, but i have for the past 4 nights because he keeps waking up. My thinking is this...obviously he is in pain (he normally sleeps thru the night, and wakes up nawing on his hands), and he does need good sleep. I am able to give him cold toys/teething rings during the day time too help, so i never give him tylenol during the day time. I have orajel, but that wears off way too fast. Is it really ok to give him tylenol every night (if needed of course) for him to be able to get some sleep? I dont want to 'drug up' my baby!!!
I gave my kids it when ever they needed it. Your child will not become a "drugged up child". He is in pain and need the meds to be able to get his sleep.
I hesitate to give my children tylenol or any drug whenever possible. We have used the hyland's homeopathic teething tablets for both of our daughters and they've worked great! They also make a gel.
I have always only given them one or a half tablet instead of what the package recommends. Some people are scared to use them but I know a kid who ate a whole bottle of them and he was fine!
I used Tylenol as needed when teething b/c a good nites sleep is important. Also, sometimes if I have a qestion about medication I call the doctors office and instead of having to take the baby in for a check up.. the nurse will call me back that day with answers. The nurses are so helpful when in question call them anytime that is what they are there for. I have an almost 3 year old girl and 5 year old girl.
Best of luck,
Lenc
get some teething tablets they are natural and you don't run the risk of damaging your baby's stomach and heart from soo much tylonel and the tablets are natural and you can give them as much as needed.. they are a natural source sooo even though it may say on the package give like 5 or soo every hour or soo you can give them a bit more and it won't hurt. them i used them with my two children and will use then on my new one when he starts to teeth.. you can find them at walmart, target and i think you can find them in the commissary at McChord.. but i know for sure at walmart, target and Haggens and Fred Meyers... at Haggen's and Fred Meyers you will find them in the health food section...
it is so hard when our little ones are sick or hurting. Everyone is always worried about o.d.ing on tylenol. as long as you follow the directions adn give the right amount or less you should be fine. I always check the dossage with my DR since it is really important to give it by wieght rather than age for babies. Even as an adult I try to take the lesser amount that is effective. It says to take 2 pills, I'll take one and weight about 40 minutes, if it is not better I take the 2nd pill. You are only giving it at night and not during the day, which is fine. I think it would ba a concern if you were giving it to him every 4 hours for 10 days, that would be an issue. The first teeth coming in are always the hardest. You could try the teething tablets in the natural area of your store. They work pretty good. If you are still concerned that you have been giving the tylenol to much, call your DR and discuss it with them.
Hurray for Tylenol!!
I don't like taking medicine. I avoid it whenever prudent. BUT.
The body doesn't heal quickly when it's in pain. (Ask any post op nurse.) Babies are CUTTING teeth...obviously it's not like losing one to be replaced by another. Ever had surgery on your gums? OUCH!
I prefer Tylenol because I know exactly what's in it, and the dosage is so easily calculated by weight. (Ask your Ped. for the correct dose per weight if you don't know it already.) It's also veeerrry hard to "OD" on. It's not an actual pain killer, but a pain reliever...so you're not looking at addiction, withdrawal, etc. When we adults have mouth pain we're usually given an ACTUAL painkiller such as codeine, or oxycodone that is then mixed with Tylenol. Much easier to OD on...and what I would freely call "drugged up".
It's also a little ironic that as much time as we stress about getting our little one's to sleep restfully, that then we turn around with safe, gentle, & medically appropriate solution in hand and second guess ourselves. I say this because, Yep, "Been There, Done That." And undoubtedly, will do so again. :) We do it, of course, because we care so much.
Be gentle with yourself & those you love,
Zoe
My lil one is teething also, what works for him is baby Motrin, my mother suggested that and told me she used it on me, and i love it for him, i also used it for his sister when she was a baby.
I had the same concern and my pediatrician said it was okay as long as I didn't give him more than indicated on the box, i.e. dose and frequency. He also recommended infant's Motrin/Advil, which I think works longer than the Tylenol. When I've noticed my 5 mo son is having a bad teething day I will give him some Advil before his final feeding, which seems to kick in by bed time, and it seems to help him through the night. Also, I'm not sold on the Hyland's tablets or gel. Tylenol and Advil/Tylenol have been around a long time and tested. Natural doesn't mean safe for babies. He likes a wet/frozen washcloth best during the day, hates the cold toys. Hope this helps.
I know that some people don't like medications for their own reasons. But well it is true your body doesn't like to be in pain. And well let's face it you would not like to be in pain and would want to do something for yourself if you hurt. So it isn't bad and it isn't over medicating to help your little one relieve pain and get some comfort. If you give them the correct amount then you can give them tylenol or motrin or even both. They are two different medications and both relieve pain differently. You can talk to your doctor or the pharmacy about this. But motrin relieves swelling in the body and tylenol doesn't.
I don't like oral gel ever since when I was learning about teething with my first. You can over do it with that product and it numbs the gums, mouth, and throat. It isn't a product after learing about it that I don't even use on myself. This is a big thing for me. If I would not use it or take it then I would never give it to my kids. I try everything that they take (food, meds, everything).
So my son that is loosing teeth now takes tylenol from time to time because his gums get upset from the old teeth coming out and the new teeth cutting in. And my 2 1/2 month old is cutting 4 teeth now. So she is in pain and has that painful cry and well it breaks my heart to have her in pain so I do what any loving mom wants to do and that is to comfort your baby. It isn't hurting your babies to help them through pain and a tough time in life. You aren't doing this forever and they will be happier little ones too.
Good luck!
I freaked out with the medication thing with my first. He started getting teeth at 4 months and added several every month and was completely finished by around a year (except the 2-year molars). I held off for a really long time on the medication. But the bottom line was that he was way more comfortable and we were way more tolerant when he wasn't in pain. After awhile, if he was really actively teething, we started alternating Tylenol and Motrin almost around the clock until the teeth popped through. With him, that meant about 2 or 3 days a month. His doctor suggested it. If you don't like this idea, my advice would be to go with Motrin, not Tylenol. It works way better. We actually nixed the Tylenol after awhile because there was just no point. NOTHING adverse happened to him when we had him on these meds. We used teething tablets at other times. He never really took to teething toys. Hope this helps.
Hi Renee,
This is always difficult to see (and hear) your little one in pain. You are not doing anything wrong by giving him Tylenol every night. This phase won't last forever. One thing to do is alternate every other night between Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I had the same question for my pediatrician and he told me that alternating helps so that the medicine won't lose it's effect. Also what REALLY helped me was Hylands Teething Tablets. They are all natural and safe to give your baby several times a day. You can find them at Freddy's or New Season 's in the vitamin ailse. I too felt horrible and it seemed like I was "doping up" my baby, But after reasurance from my ped. and other moms I realized that pretty much every mom goes through a period where it's the only option! I hope this helps, Good luck!
Ash
Have you talked to your pediatrician about giving your 7 month old tylenol, and for how long it would be safe to give him tylenol. I have a drug guide reference book that states that with adults you should not give tylenol longer than 10 days and for children no longer than 5 days. Your healthcare provider should also let you know how to calculate the safe dosage for your child (dependent on childs weight) and demonstrate how to measure liquid preparations. This is very important because tylenol can cause liver damage if used inappropriately.
Yes it is okay
When my son was teething, I gave him Hylands Teething Tablets. They are all natural and helped so much with all his teething symptoms. I wouldn't personally give him Tylenol every night. I would see what other options you have. :D
Renee,
I am with ya on the tylenol. My daughter got tons of teeth right away as well and I found there are these natural teething tablets you can get that dissolve in their mouth. It worked for my daughter. We only had to use them on a few days, but she seems so unhappy. OK so I foget where we go them, but I think you could go to Rite Aid, Baby's R Us or something. It wasn't over the counter or somewhere special. Anyway, it will pass...if that helps.
Congrats on your little one!
Gabrielle
Tylenol is not good for babies, actually is not good even for adults, keep the Tylenol for high fevers as it works faster than ibuprofen (Advil, Aleve and etc.), read the labels. Use the one that has ibuprofen in it. There are quite few homeopathic teething pills over the counter, try them to see which one will work for your baby. Avoid any medications that has menthol in it. But Tylenol is not OK, at least not every night.
Have you ever heard of hazelwood necklaces? That's what we use. They are an old native american remedy to help with teething pain. The hazelwood apparently has the property of absorbing the body's excess acid. We just discovered them and they have been a miracle for healing our 7 month's old eczema(they help with a variety of ailments from teething, to eczema, to acid reflux; all associated with excess acid production) and helping with our just turned 2 year old's teething (he's gotten like 10 teeth in the last 3 months including 4 molars..he was a late teether) The necklaces are designed to be safe for babies to wear in case that's a concern. I know it sounds weird, but it might be worth a try...they work great for us. The website where you can get them is www.hazelaid.com
I hope your little one feels better soon. Teething sucks!
You can use Tylenol, but what works best is alternating with Ibuprofen (Motrin) if baby is having pain all night. I usually give Ibuprofen at bedtime and then you get 6-8 hours before you need to remedicate as compared to 4 hours with Tylenol. Then I give Tylenol only if needed. This works great for fevers too, as then babies don't get too much of the same medication (I was an ER nurse for years and this is what all the doctors recommended for reducing fevers safely) Good luck.
You might want to try Hyland teething tabs. They are a homeopathic teething remedy that many of my friends absolutely swear by, and they are widely available at places like Walmart and Target. (Occasionally, a child will be allergic to the stuff - mine was, and I knew immediately, because she threw it up within 2 minutes of exposure.)