QUICK....medicine by age or weight??

[kfeusse]

My 12 year old daughter just got her braces tightened (the first really painful one) and the amount of Mortin, given by her weight, isn't doing anything for the pain....can I up it to more? Her age says 3tsp where as her weight is 2tsp.

 

thanks.

[tearose]

I'd go with weight, too.

[kfeusse]

but what if that amount does NOTHING for pain....which is the case. Can I up it some??

[Miss Marple]

Try adding some Tylenol. Different types of pain can respond to different drugs. Where one might not work well, another will. And a 12 year old - unless unusually small - can be dosed by age. Pediatric dosing usually stops at age 12.

[Guest inoubliable]

Chiming in with "weight". That's what we've always been told by nurses.

[kfeusse]

we tried alternating with Tylenol...no relief either.

[kfeusse]

my daughter is about 50 pounds...so I don't know if that is unusally small for her age or not...

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

We go by weight, but if the dosage is too small I'll adjust for age. You can also call your doctor to get a recommended dosage if the low dose doesn't work.

[twoxcell]

At 50lbs I would go by weight, that is very small fro a 12 year old. My Dr. told me my oldest can take adult dosing now but he is about 100lbs. On most over the counter meds 12 and up is the same as adult dosage.

[kfeusse]

so what else can i do to help her pain relief, since dosing by weight is not doing anything?

[Arcadia]

Suck ice cubes. That help my brother a lot when he had his braces tightened.

 

There is also a numbing gel but I think that is not OTC.

 

50lb is on the low side for a 12 year old. I would call the docter and ask if the dosage can be up. If you up the dosage to the age limit, keep in mind the maximum daily dosage though.

[Miss Marple]

I would call the orthodontist and see what they recommend. They probably have a few tricks up their sleeves and perhaps another medication recommendation.

[MercyA]

My dentist once told me to combine Tylenol and Motrin; you could try giving them at the same time, instead of alternating them.

 

I agree that in general, you should dose by weight. However, I don't think upping the Motrin a little in this case is going to cause harm.

[Dmmetler]

Weight. I have a <10% 8 yr old, and she regularly gets dosed like a 6 yr old, because she's physically about the size of the average 6 yr old.

 

I will say, though that Motrin/Advil and Aleve both have prescription doses of the same exact drug that are much, much stronger than even the maximum daily OTC dose suggested, so it may well be worth it to call the orthodontist and see if they have a suggested dosage-I know I've been told, on several occasions, to take more than the standard dose of various medications, and my dentist recommends taking both tylenol and Advil together for serious pain (like post root canal or dental-surgery pain) before going to narcotics.

[BlessedMom]

:grouphug: I am sorry she is in so much pain.

Can you call the Orthodontist? They may be able to tell you the maximum dose that is safe for her weight, or they might be able to suggest or prescribe something stronger for her to take.

[CupOCoffee]

Weight, for sure!

 

Weight for 3 tsp is 72-95 lbs, your child is 50 lbs -- I would NOT do it.

 

~coffee~

[DianeW88]

Ibuprofen is one of those drugs where the dosage can vary. Adults can take anywhere from 200 mg to 800mg at one time. You need to call your dentist or doctor to ask how much they recommend for her. I'm not comfortable giving dosing information without your child being a patient, but she can most likely take more than what the label says.

[Jean in Newcastle]

my daughter is about 50 pounds...so I don't know if that is unusally small for her age or not...

 

Very small for her age. Call a pharmacy or the orthodontist's office. I take much more pain reliever than is on the bottle directions because the doctor said that was ok for me.

[Whereneverever]

With how small she is I would call a dr for medical advice. A quick google shows the average 12 year old girlie about 95-100 lbs, so I wouldn't just dose based on age without a dr saying it's ok.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Generally weight. Motrin can be taken in larger amounts, however I would consult a pharmacist or doctor before changing the dosage. You can actually increase the motrin and alternate with tylenol. Do NOT increase the tylenol. If both bottles say every 4-6 hours you can give a motrin dose at 2pm, then a tylenol dose at 4pm, another motrin dose between 6-8pm, etc. You do have to carefullytrack times to avoid overdosing. Check before upping the dosage, though. While you can increase it, too much motrin can be detrimental to your health.

[UniversalLearningAcademy]

That is really small for a 12yo. I would go by weight unless you talk to your doctor/pharmacist and they say otherwise.

[SKL]

Yep, I'd be calling the doc if the weight-based dose isn't working.

 

Hugs and hopes for rapid healing!

[magnificent_baby]

I agree with the other responses; due to her weight, please call the doctor to get correct dosages.

 

Are you certain she weighs only 50 pounds? That is very small for 12 years old and I think I would be very concerned, unless you have already addressed this with her doctor. (So sorry to bring up, but you mentioned you didn't know if that was small for age or not. My 5 year old weighs well over 50, so that's my basis for asking.)

[Embassy]

I typically go with the lower dose when age and weight aren't in line.

[2girls4us]

We use chewable Junior Strength Advil. The dosage for 50 lbs (the weight of my small 8.5 year old) is 2 tablets. Each tablet is 100mg.

 

Here is the chart (100mg/tablet):

48-59 lbs - 2 tablets

60-71 lbs - 2.5 tablets

72-95 lbs - 3 tablets

[kitten18]

Ibuprofen is one of those drugs where the dosage can vary. Adults can take anywhere from 200 mg to 800mg at one time. You need to call your dentist or doctor to ask how much they recommend for her. I'm not comfortable giving dosing information without your child being a patient, but she can most likely take more than what the label says.

I agree. I would think she could take more for a short period of time (a couple days) but I would check with the doctor first.

[kitten18]

 

 

Are you certain she weighs only 50 pounds?

I was wondering this too? My DD weighs 50lbs and I *know* she's tiny. She's the smallest 9 year old everywhere we go.

[ChristusG]

Definitely weight!

[kfeusse]

I was wrong...I thought she was 50 pounds...we weighed her she is actually about 58...so that is a little more normal, huh? Not that it will change any of the advice...I will call the clinic and ask for dosage information...but just wanted to post that information here so you aren't so worried about her being extremely small. But she is a samll, petite girl...I am too...in fact all 3 of our kids are small for their age...but healthy.

 

thanks.

[Whereneverever]

That's still under the 3rd % for weight. I would not dose her higher without talking to a doc. I hope the clinic can help you make her more comfortable!

[Carol in Cal.]

W/o reading the rest--whichever gives the lower dose. That's the safe choice.

[Parrothead]

I dose by weight.

[magnificent_baby]

That does sound a little better. I'm sure you are on top of it! :001_smile:

[Alice]

It’s always weight but it’s good to call your doctor to check the dose they would recommend. The labels give a dose for a range of weight that is safe for the entire range. So if you are on the lower end of that weight range the dose is good for you, if you are on the high end of the weight range it is a low dose for you. I often tell people to take more than the label recommends based on the actual weight of the child.