Calpol

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Salem

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Here are a few links which talk about Calpol. Pretty interesting stuff. Maybe some of you medical folks out there will weigh in with your opinions.

From what I am reading, Calpol should be used like we use Tylonol here in the states. However, it appears that Calpol does have some "sedating" properties.

http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/assets/c/html/DisplayDoc.asp?DocumentID=18969

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/311/6997/132

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/30002011/

Apparently the "sedation" factor is just a bonus of the product. It does not appear that it is advertised for anything more than fever and pain.

Overdose can cause severe liver damage and overdose symptoms may not show up for 2 or more hours.

Salem
 
Salem said:
Here are a few links which talk about Calpol. Pretty interesting stuff. Maybe some of you medical folks out there will weigh in with your opinions.

From what I am reading, Calpol should be used like we use Tylonol here in the states. However, it appears that Calpol does have some "sedating" properties.

http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/assets/c/html/DisplayDoc.asp?DocumentID=18969

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/311/6997/132

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/30002011/

Apparently the "sedation" factor is just a bonus of the product. It does not appear that it is advertised for anything more than fever and pain.

Overdose can cause severe liver damage and overdose symptoms may not show up for 2 or more hours.

Salem
Click to expand...
Very interesting, especially the link where they referred to how quick it calmed down a 3 yr old.
 
Here are the ingredients of Calpol, from the product's patient information at :
http://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/medicines/medicines/c/calpol/calpol_infant_sachets_sf.htm


This product is a pink, strawberry flavoured oral suspension which contains 120 mg of the active ingredient Paracetamol per 5 ml of medicine.

It also contains the following ingredients: Maltitol liquid, glycerol, polysorbate 80, sorbitol solution, methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218), propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216), ethyl parahydroxybenzoate (E214), dispersible cellulose, xanthan gum and purified water.

It's active ingredient paracetamol is acetaminophen (Tylenol). It's not LIKE acetaminpphen. It IS acetaminophen. http://www.assistpainrelief.com/info/paracetamol/

The other ingredients are sugars, mold inhibitors, preservatives, thickeners and water. Just like Infant Tylenol.

The product contains no sedatives, mild or otherwise. Any sedating properties are in the minds either of the parent administering it or the child receiving it. Could be that children who are used to taking a spoonful of sugary liquid before bed begin to associate taking the liquid with sleeping.
 
They do make paracetamol with codeine, but hopefully that wasn't used in this case! That's strong stuff for 2 and 4 yr old children.
 
Calpol is supposedly just paracetamol, which is acetaminophen, or, yes, better known to us as Tylenol. From my understanding, and own experience of having to take paracetamol when I was in Europe, it doesn't have a sedative quality to it. I do ponder what else is in Calpol, besides paracetamol, to give that sedative effect... unless people are adding an antihistamine to it... then yeah, it becomes a sedative, then.
 
Taximom said:
They do make paracetamol with Codeine, but hopefully that wasn't used in this case! That's strong stuff for 2 and 4 yr old children.
Click to expand...



Very true! I was surprised at being able to get Paracetamol with Codeine at the drug store in London without a prescription.... but I couldn't get Neosporin without a prescription (I believe it is because it is an antibiotic ointment). It was rather funny when I tried to buy Neosporin in London. The look the pharmacist gave me made me feel like I just strolled in and tried to buy some crack. No Neosporin for me but I did leave with some Codeine LOL!

At any rate, I think the amount of Codeine in the OTC Paracetamol in England is a pretty low dose and usually the caffeine in the Paracetamol will counteract the sedative effect of the Codeine. Although they do have Paracetamol without caffeine. However I certainly would not feel comfortable giving it to a child. I felt odd taking it for a headache as an adult.


I don't know anything about Calpol though.
 
:laugh: :laugh:
dellemma said:
Very true! I was surprised at being able to get Paracetamol with Codeine at the drug store in London without a prescription.... but I couldn't get Neosporin without a prescription (I believe it is because it is an antibiotic ointment). It was rather funny when I tried to buy Neosporin in London. The look the pharmacist gave me made me feel like I just strolled in and tried to buy some crack. No Neosporin for me but I did leave with some Codeine LOL!

At any rate, I think the amount of Codeine in the OTC Paracetamol in England is a pretty low dose and usually the caffeine in the Paracetamol will counteract the sedative effect of the Codeine. Although they do have Paracetamol without caffeine. However I certainly would not feel comfortable giving it to a child. I felt odd taking it for a headache as an adult.


I don't know anything about Calpol though.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I wonder if they did indeed give them the stuff with codeine, since the stories keep referring to a sedative.

Isn't it interesting what is safe/unsafe depending on where you are? My pediatrician once suggested I try gripewater for my colicky baby, but I would have to go to the Indian grocery to get it. In England I hear it is commonly sold in the drugstores, but not here.
 
Calpol here is a paracetomol for children i.e. smaller doses. They do a range for children up to 6 months and then a normal one. I have to say the times I've used it on my DD for fever, headache etc during the day she has not been affected by drowsiness so I doubt M's gave it to MM for that reason.

PS gripe water rocks!!! Best thing ever for a unsettled tummy but tastes like pond sludge!
 
Where is there a SOLID statement that Maddie was given this drug ? Is this coming from the blog ? The tabloids ? I keep reading that Gerry has admitted to using this "drug", but where is the original valid statement found ?
 
I use paracetamol all the time... well that is, whenever I need a painkiller. Family brings it over for me from Europe because it's the only thing I can take that doesn't upset my stomach. People have said it in this thread before but I hope you don't mind me emphasizing that paracetamol does have NO sedating abilities whatsoever.
 
Edwards20 said:
Where is there a SOLID statement that Maddie was given this drug ? Is this coming from the blog ? The tabloids ? I keep reading that Gerry has admitted to using this "drug", but where is the original valid statement found ?
Click to expand...
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53156 post 13 from CaliKid. I'm just throwing this out because I don't know if it's true.

Diario de Noticias is a Portuguese newspaper, and one of the biggest hurdles we here at WS have had over the past 4 months is trying to figure out what kind of media we're dealing with. So I don't know if the DN is a respected paper or a rag like the National Enquirer.

That said, I want to point out the according to the 9/08 issue of the DN, Gerry McCann has admitted to sedating Madeleine.

http://dn.sapo.pt/2007/09/08/socieda..._madelein.html

It's in Portuguese, but a translation of the 2nd paragraph says:

Kate is suspected of ‘homicide by negligence and hiding the body” ( the latter constitutes a sentence of upto two years in prison). A circumstance confirmed in principle by the spokesperson Justine McGuinness who said “ the portuguese police suspect Kate of having accidently killed her child”. However, sources connected to the inquiry have revealed that Gerry has admitted to the investigators he had administed a sedative to the children on the night of May 3rd. And one of the investigation lines followed at this moment is precisely, as the DN has gathered, the hypotheis that the child was sedated with an overdose of medication.
 
Edwards20 said:
Where is there a SOLID statement that Maddie was given this drug ? Is this coming from the blog ? The tabloids ? I keep reading that Gerry has admitted to using this "drug", but where is the original valid statement found ?
Click to expand...

Edwards - you would have to check the media links. Calikid also posted the link in one of the other threads, but I have to tell you.... there are so many threads and so much discussion going on right now, I have no idea where it might be.

The media reported that Gerry told the PLE that he used Calpol on the kids during his last interview on Friday, Sept 7, 2007.

Salem
 
Here is my take on the sedation - especially where the twins are concerned...

It has been reported that police officers took the twins from their beds / cribs in the apartment. Now, if they were just 2, chances are they wore some kind of diaper to bed. The police should have changed those diapers and had them tested. I haven't seen anything to suggest they did...has anyone else??
 
Brefie said:
Here is my take on the sedation - especially where the twins are concerned...

It has been reported that police officers took the twins from their beds / cribs in the apartment. Now, if they were just 2, chances are they wore some kind of diaper to bed. The police should have changed those diapers and had them tested. I haven't seen anything to suggest they did...has anyone else??
Click to expand...

Reportedly they asked to test the twins but were denied. It's not clear whether they are in diapers or not.

The twins slept through all the commotion and being removed from their beds, lights, etc, which was what prompted the "maybe they were sedated" line of thought from the police.
 
dellemma said:
Very true! I was surprised at being able to get Paracetamol with Codeine at the drug store in London without a prescription.... but I couldn't get Neosporin without a prescription (I believe it is because it is an antibiotic ointment). It was rather funny when I tried to buy Neosporin in London. The look the pharmacist gave me made me feel like I just strolled in and tried to buy some crack. No Neosporin for me but I did leave with some Codeine LOL!

At any rate, I think the amount of Codeine in the OTC Paracetamol in England is a pretty low dose and usually the caffeine in the Paracetamol will counteract the sedative effect of the Codeine. Although they do have Paracetamol without caffeine. However I certainly would not feel comfortable giving it to a child. I felt odd taking it for a headache as an adult.


I don't know anything about Calpol though.
Click to expand...

You NeoHead, you, trying to score some antibiotic.

Just kidding, back to our regularly scheduled thread.
 
STEADFAST said:
Here are the ingredients of Calpol, from the product's patient information at :
http://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/medicines/medicines/c/calpol/calpol_infant_sachets_sf.htm


This product is a pink, strawberry flavoured oral suspension which contains 120 mg of the active ingredient Paracetamol per 5 ml of medicine.
 It also contains the following ingredients: Maltitol liquid, glycerol, polysorbate 80, sorbitol solution, methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218), propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216), ethyl parahydroxybenzoate (E214), dispersible cellulose, xanthan gum and purified water.

It's active ingredient paracetamol is acetaminophen (Tylenol). It's not LIKE acetaminpphen. It IS acetaminophen. http://www.assistpainrelief.com/info/paracetamol/

The other ingredients are sugars, mold inhibitors, preservatives, thickeners and water. Just like Infant Tylenol.

The product contains no sedatives, mild or otherwise. Any sedating properties are in the minds either of the parent administering it or the child receiving it. Could be that children who are used to taking a spoonful of sugary liquid before bed begin to associate taking the liquid with sleeping.
Click to expand...


So why the need for syringes then???? Weren't syringes supposedly found in the apartment?
 
Both these parents are Drs so they could get anything they wanted to give Maddie.
 
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