Cruel for not using tylenol and orajel - Page 2

[Persephone]

I know a woman who uses plaintain tincture on her babes gums. It works so well for them that he actually gets excited about using it! Perhaps you could try that.

[wende]

Well, coming from someone who has had many dental issues and teeth pain, I would never ever subject my child to that without helping relieve the pain in some way. I do think letting your child sit around in pain w/o doing something is kind of cruel. If nursing and cuddling isn't working, you should be trying something else.

Now, saying that, I haven't used orajel since I put it in my own mouth when my oldest was a baby. It freaked me out and I couldn't see how it would be a very nice thing to do to a baby. I use tylenol sparingly, and only when I think it's necessary. I used hylands teething tablets and they seem to work well, though they freak my dh out because one of the main ingrediants is caffeine. Someone recently told me about chamemilla. You can buy them at the health food store, they come in a little blue container, they work wonders!

[meowee]

Originally Posted by kbridi

Am I nuts? Am I cruel? DH says I'm cruel for not giving ds these things that would make him feel better.

I used to think like this too, but, I now give them Tylenol if they are in pain. I figure they are too little for a voice yet, and if I were in pain, I would want pain relief, and I should extend the same consideration to them.

But I used to be VERY anti-med, but I'm not anymore. Everyone has a right to pain relief, is my opinion.

[nfpmom]

I would definitely go by the baby. If my child were miserable I would give him/her tylenol. If s/he was a little fussy, I would try other things first (ppl have already mentioned hylands). I am one of those moms who has not given her children any meds, not to be cool but mostly because I think natural responses are there for a reason... a mild fever I would just let go and do its work, and try to provide comfort in other ways (cool cloths, snuggling, nursing, ice, etc)... When my son has a bad cough I go the vapor rub route rather than the cough medicine route... it really works! If he has a cold I just let him have the cold and try to keep things flowing with lots of fluids, saline drops and bulb syringe...
I think my response is mostly out of concern for the meds and their potential side-effects, not being well-tested for children, etc... (I have a strong case of doctor mistrust and question a lot of medical advice) but also not wanting to suppress the natural effects of the illness symptoms (noses run for a reason, fevers happen for a reason, they don't all have to be automatically medicated away) but the disclaimer is (and this is key) that my kids have never been terribly sick... if they were miserable then I would turn to pharmaceuticals.

[Sherra]

I think after reading the postings of the original poster, I didn't get at ALL that she wanted to wear a badge of no tylenol. I think the issue is that some of us have not found tylenol to work and neither has the Original poster. So then the question is why use it?

Someone mentioned that motrin doesn't have an adverse effect of the liver, but it DOES have an adverse effect to a stomach or they would not tell gastric bypass patients with their new small stomachs to NOT take it due to stomach issues it can cause like ulcers. Gastric bypass patients can't even take it in small children's doses.

At one point mainstream thought aspirin was a good choice to treat babies and we learned different later...too bad it was too late for some kids.

Just giving out some things to think about.

Original poster, you may want to do a search in this forum for natural teething and see what you come up with. Some people have used some other homeopathic remedies that seemed to work for their child.


Sherra

PS. Found this article here on motrin (I know there are other articles floating around..just don't have the links handy ):

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weekl...motrin_sjs.htm

Keep in mind that there have been previous reports of serious reactions being caused by ibuprofen. In one study that found an association between ibuprofen and acute vanishing bile duct syndrome, a liver disorder, the author concluded that 'because this drug is currently widely prescribed in the pediatric population and has potentially very severe adverse events, even in the absence of overdose, it should remain a second-line treatment for fever and pain' after acetaminophen. But because acetaminophen (Tylenol) doesn't reduce inflammation and may not always control your child's fever or pain, avoiding ibuprofen (Motrin) altogether may not be practical though.

Guess it can affect the liver. I didn't know that.

[Neldavi]

FWIW, I tried it all too and none of it seemed to work so I stopped giving it, that just makes sense. That's hard when your dh is saying it is working and you don't think it is ... I always defer to mama instinct in those cases .. well, good luck, he'll get through it soon enough .. teething is so hard, isn't it?

Yeah, and I'd never give Tylenol just for a fever, but I would for pain ... especially in an instance like teething when it's just a temporary situation.

[be11ydancer]

We never had luck with Tylenol because of the red dye and sucralose or other sweetener that ours had in it. Turns out these two chemicals cause both my kids to be pretty hyperactive. We avoid them like the plague now. It's a shame but most kid's medicine will have a chemical dye and an artificial sweetener (sucralose, aspartame, or saccharin) in it. I would rather try some other natural remedies first than have a kid who is bouncing off the walls or throwing fits when they should be resting from whatever is afflicting them. My oldest (4) throws tantrums and wets herself when she gets either of these chemicals. My youngest (2) won't sleep much at all and acts similar to a kid who has had too much caffeine.

I love the plantain idea a pp had. How exactly does that work?

[rainbowmoon]

has anyone tried gumomille oil? (I just ordered some through a co-op so haven't tried it yet)

I give tylenol as a last resort and use homeopathic chamomille or the hylands teething tabs or calms forte first. oh and there's also another remedy I have by hylands that I can't remember offhand (it's for older babies-maybe calcium phos?).

and really the only times ds has ever really tylenol so far is when he's been teething. I don't deny myself pain relief if absolutley needed so I wouldn't deny my kids either.

my DH grandma swear by vanilla extract rubbed on babies gums. my mom used whiskey on our gums as babies.

[lucysmom]

Originally Posted by Yo Becca

I probably wouldn't use orajel b/c it feels weird to me, but I would definitely use tylenol before night and naps and Hylands teething tablets otherwise. I do think that if you have the power to reduce or prevent pain for your infant, who can't do this him/herself, and you don't do it, it's for selfish reasons - most moms I've seen making these posts (NOT saying htis about you, just what I've observed) want to be able to say that they wouldn't give their baby xyz (a pacifier, tylenol, whatever it is they have a philisophical problem with) - but if your baby needs it, and you don't give it so you can be in the Cool Kids Club who refuse to do anything that isn't "all natural" or "AP" or whatever, that's ridiculous and selfish. NOT trying to flame you = just being honest in response to your question. I get so mad when I read posts like "my baby is in pain but I don't want to give pain medication" or "my baby wants to suck but I hate pacifiers" -- It's not about what YOU want, it's about what the baby NEEDS. And yes, Tylenol is not "all natural" but it is very safe and harmless. SInce when did a logical, sane use of science become our enemy?

Certainly, try the natural rememdies. But don't deny your baby comfort just so you can wear the "no Tylenol" badge.

Right on Becca!!

[baileyandmikey]

We use Hylands teething tabs, and occassionally, if it is a really REALLY horrible day, we use a little tylenol, but popsicles also work nicely

[Avena]

Hi Mama,
Didn't read all the posts so sorry if this is repeat info.
Heres are what we've had luck with for our DD who is teething:

* Boirion Homeopathics : "CAMILIA" for teething Liquid drops THEY WORK MUCH BETTER THEN HYLANDS!
* Clean washcloths soaked in Chamomile tea cooled ORGANIC of course! THIS WORKS GREAT!!!!!
* Hylands teething gel (not sure if it works & don't like that it has parabens in it)
* We just tried "gumomille oil" I put it on DD She FREAKED WITHIN 2 MINS and her mouth turned really red... It WORKS BUT USE A VERY SMALL AMT. LIKE ONE DROP! Try it 1st- I wish I had !
Poor DD screamed for a while after I put it on, I felt so bad!

I will NOT use any tylenol or Orajel.

DD isn't suffering when I keep up with the Chamomile washcloths and Boirion Homeopathics!
Best of luck! :

[ShadowMom]

To the OP - honestly, I don't think there's really anything that helps much with the pain.

And, consider that when we adults have a chronic, ongoing pain (which is how I see teething - more of a chronic pain that's going to go on for a while), you can reduce it for a while after you give medicine, but you can't really eliminate it for too long because it's continuous.

I tried everything when DS was a baby, and really nothing seemed to help him at all. Orajel only works for a very short time... tylenol didn't seem to help... ibuprofen didn't seem to help... hylands didn't help at all... etc.

So, I guess I share your point of view... he's going to be in pain no matter what you do. You might be able to reduce it for short periods of time, but there's not too much that's going to help most likely.

But, my DS was teething pretty much continuously for around a year. I think many other babies just cut one tooth at a time and that's it for a while, so I might feel differently in that situation.

Hope the teething pain passes soon!

[mandalamama]

*thinking* the teething fever isn't from infection, per se, so i guess however you are able to ease your babe's discomfort, go for it. we use ibuprofen, tylenol doesn't work for Willow. i use it only at night, when i can't be actively comforting her every moment, and she's able to rest. i also use Hyland's teething tablets. the frozen washcloth never works for her, and none of the teething toys interest her at all. she likes to chew on two things: anything wooden she can fit in her mouth, and the edge of a blanket that has thick, soft rolled piping all around it. i have a set of wooden stacking rings, i let her chew on the big (non-chokable) ones and i watch to see if she's able to get any paint/chips off, so far so good (it's Melissa & Doug brand).

just keep trying whatever you feel comfortable with, and go with whatever works and also, keep in mind it will change from tooth to tooth, what works for an incisor may not work for a molar.



ETA: i forgot to mention, i also look away from her mouth and the pain, and look to her whole body to see what distracts and comforts her at the same time. like a nice whole-body massage with lavender lotion or oil, or some really intense reflexology massage on hands and feet. i've noticed that if Willow is freaking out from teething pain, and i massage the center of the palm of her hand, her whole body goes limp while i'm doing it. so some days, i'm massaging the babe half the day! *lol* but i guess it takes her mind off the pain and eases her whole body. she likes playing in the bath, also.

[westernmamomma]

Originally Posted by Avena

* Boirion Homeopathics : "CAMILIA" for teething Liquid drops THEY WORK MUCH BETTER THEN HYLANDS!

Ds is on his way to start teething, where would I get some of these teething drops? There aren't too many places around that carry a variety of natural products

[AEZMama]

I usually use the Hylands tabs and gel. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. It really depends on how hard those little teeth are pushing on ds' gums. I leave Orajel as a last resort when I see he's in pain. They now make them in swabs so it's easier to pinpoint the spot that hurts, and that's what we've used (sister's leftovers) for our last resort. In my family with my cousins, brother, sister & myself, my grandmother used a spot of whiskey. I don't think I would ever resort to that, but it's one of those old world things. Ds is REALLY going strong with the teething right now, so I'm not sure what I'll do when I really see him in pain. Most likely will get the Orajel swabs again.

Good luck

[fairylotus]

My husband and I are both 2nd level reiki practicioners and when Dd is experiencing pain or discomfort of any kind, this form of energy healing works quickly & efficiently. With reiki there are no side effects, no drugs, no concern over suspicious and potentially harmful ingredients and it's free to boot, convenient and has a deeply calming effect on Dd in addition to soothing her pain. We have not yet had to rely on medication of any kind, although she has used homeopathic teething gel and bio~88(an organic, vitamin & mineral rich edible substance containing all necessary pre & pro~biotics)in combination with reiki for those really extreme moments.

[neveryoumindthere]

another vote for boiron homeopathic camomilia (sp?)
dd would calm down very soon after. ..she used to 'ask' for them

[mollyeilis]

Everyone else is calling it like they see it, I think I will too.

re: western pain meds. IMO, the rampant use of those things, without any clear idea of all the ways they might affect a child's health in the future, is far crueler than going through the "old fashioned comfort" box and figuring out different ways of helping the teething baby.

Go ahead and google "tylenol and asthma", scroll past the advertisments and press releases, and see what's being found now. Talk to me about how shortly after I switched from advil to tylenol I developed asthma. And wonder if a bit of normal, natural, since-time-immemorial pain now is worth trying to keep baby from asthma.

I just don't think "science" knows a THING about those medications. Giving a kid something to ease pain which might very well (and DOES, in our household, all the time) stop entirely a moment from now, just isn't good.


DS likes to get 8 teeth all at once. He is NOT happy about it. He's been working on the second 8 since March in dribs and drabs. Last week he had a 102 temp each night from the teething, and was perfectly fine in the morning. I used old fashioned comfort methods. Tepid baths, cold washcloths, lots of nursing. That required hubby to be up, too, to take care of me while I took care of DS (he wouldn't go to DH). A bit of a pain for us, but ultimately I believe is better for DS's health and future health.


When we got back from our trip (oh, we were vacationing at my ChildFree brother's house when DS got the fevers) I came here and found many testimonials that the pattern of the temp went right along with teething. Someone mentioned that their doctor theorizes that a high temperature somehow softens the gums, to help the teeth come through easier. So, going on that interesting idea, if we falsely lower the temperature, isn't that making it harder on the child?

Reaching for medication everytime something normal and natural is hurting is NOT doing anyone any good.

Now, right after getting three teeth, my son had a highchair accident and popped out one of his teeth. I *would* have given him pain meds for that. After all, something was, indeed, WRONG with him at that point. Strangely enough, the milk seemed to help him with that, once he wanted something in his mouth.


Homeopathy. I think people really need to know what it is, before saying "it doesn't work for us". It's all about remedies. Looking at the entire symptom pattern and seeing what remedy is called for in that situation. The great thing about homeopathy is that if it's not the right remedy, it doesn't do anything, positive or negative. Hyland's is great, but it's a shotgun approach. Sometimes my son needs one of the aspects of Hyland's, and I'm working on getting the single remedies that make up Hyland's. It's amazing how I can be *right* on the brink of getting DH to go get a bottle of western medicine, will give DS a dose of Boiron chamomile (even the non-easily-dissolved pellets work, by the way), and boom he's fine. Sometimes I know it's inflammation that's causing problems, and since I don't have the single remedy for that, yet, I give him a Hyland's to deal with it. I've even given him a pellet of Arnica and that worked IMMEDIATELY. It was *amazing*.

But sometimes you can't find the right remedy, or everyone is too stressed to really figure out which would be correct. So you nurse, so you get out frozen breastmilk to soothe gums and fill the tummy, you soothe the baby any way you can think of...and, as has been in our case (and in my case when I'm having one of my killer deep bone leg-aches or my husband's horrible migraines for which he used to medicate but now doesn't), eventually the pain starts to fade, and then the pain is a memory and no one is drugged.

So no, I don't think someone using old fashioned remedies to soothe pain is cruel. Not at all.