Is it harmful for children to take a lot of antipyretics?

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When a child has a fever, parents always want to find a fever reducer that works quickly and effectively. However, with so many over-the-counter medicines available to lower a child's fever, it can be difficult to know which type, method, and dosage are both effective and safe for your child. Overall, there is no single best antipyretic. It is important for parents to know how to use it, to avoid taking a lot of fever-reducing drugs that are prone to side effects of fever-reducing drugs.

1. How to use Acetaminophen for children

Acetaminophen is an extremely common pain reliever and fever reducer, present in almost every family's medicine cabinet and can be used by both adults and children.
Acetaminophen is presented in a variety of preparations, tablets, extended-release tablets, chewable tablets, capsules, liquid or suspension solutions and syrups, special rectal suppositories for infants birth, young children.
Common brand-name drugs that contain acetaminophen include Tylenol, Feosystem, and Mapap.
When taken as directed, acetaminophen is generally safe and well-tolerated. However, in some cases, this medicine can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, trouble sleeping, allergies, and including serious skin reactions.
Because acetaminophen is found in many over-the-counter medicines, it's easy for parents to give their children too much fever-reducing medication. That makes an overdose of antipyretics in young children a real concern. For adults, the maximum dose is 4,000 mg of acetaminophen in a 24-hour period. For young children, the maximum dose threshold is lower, depending on the child's weight.
In the case of taking fever-reducing drugs a lot, children may face the risk of drug poisoning, including an increased risk of side effects of antipyretics such as:
Liver damage If children take fever-reducing drugs a lot , acetaminophen can cause liver damage. In severe cases, liver damage from acetaminophen can lead to liver failure, the need for a liver transplant, or death. As such, it should be warned again, parents should only give a child one medication containing acetaminophen at a time and always carefully follow the dosage directions on the label.
Persistent fever or drug reaction acetaminophen should be stopped if the child's fever worsens or persists for more than three days. Also, stop using acetaminophen if your child develops new symptoms such as redness or swelling on the skin. In these cases, call your doctor right away as they could be signs of a more serious condition such as a reaction to a medication.
Drug Interactions Acetaminophen can interact with other drugs. Examples of drugs that can cause dangerous interactions when used with acetaminophen include: Warfarin, a blood thinner; isoniazid, a medicine for tuberculosis, and some seizure medicines such as carbamazepine and phenytoin.

Acetaminophen là thuốc hạ sốt và giảm đau vô cùng thông dụng có thể dùng cho cả người lớn và trẻ em
Acetaminophen là thuốc hạ sốt và giảm đau vô cùng thông dụng có thể dùng cho cả người lớn và trẻ em

2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for children


Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. This is also a group of drugs that help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and reduce fever. The mechanism of action of NSAIDs is by preventing the body from producing a substance called prostaglandin, which in turn suppresses the inflammatory response and fever by releasing various chemical signals in the body.
NSAIDs are also formulated in a variety of ways, suitable for use on many subjects such as acetaminophen, including tablets, chewable tablets, capsules or even liquid suspension, placed rectally.
Compared with acetaminophen, NSAIDs are used to reduce fever in children less commonly because of the potential for side effects, so they are usually only combined when acetaminophen is not effective enough.
Therefore, when it is necessary to use NSAIDs to lower a child's fever, parents need to pay attention to the dosage and how to use it, to avoid an overdose.
The most common side effect of NSAIDs is stomach upset. To help prevent stomach upset, take ibuprofen or naproxen with food or milk and not on an empty stomach. Furthermore, NSAIDs can also have many serious side effects, including:
Damage to the lining of the digestive tract, causing bleeding and ulcers. Cardiovascular damage, causing heart attack and stroke. Kidney damage. Allergic reactions to the drug with symptoms such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, swelling of the face, and shock.
Therefore, when observing the following signs in the child, parents should not continue to reduce the child's fever with NSAIDs at home, but should see a doctor:
The child's fever is increasing or persists for more than three days . Skin redness or swelling. Tinnitus or hearing loss. Signs of stomach bleeding, including: Pale skin, vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, bloody or black stools, stomach pain that doesn't improve.
Children under 12 years of age or recovering from chickenpox or flu are not prescribed aspirin.
Call the doctor at once if your child has nausea and vomiting along with behavior changes such as aggression, confusion or loss of energy. These behavioral changes can be the early signs of a rare condition called Reye's syndrome, which can be life-threatening if not detected and treated promptly.

So với acetaminophen, NSAID ít được sử dụng để hạ sốt ở trẻ em hơn do tiềm ẩn nhiều tác dụng phụ
So với acetaminophen, NSAID ít được sử dụng để hạ sốt ở trẻ em hơn do tiềm ẩn nhiều tác dụng phụ

3. Guidelines on the use of antipyretics by age


Fever reducers can affect each person taking the drug at different ages. Follow these age-specific fever-reducing medication guidelines to help determine which fever-reducing medication is best for your child and yourself:
Adults (age 18 and older) Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin Medicines commonly used to reduce fever in adults are safe if taken in the correct doses.
Children (ages 4 - 17) Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are generally safe to reduce fever in children 4 - 17 years of age.
Do not give aspirin to children unless your doctor tells you to.
If the child is under 12 years of age, it is best to consult a doctor before giving naproxen to a child.
Children (ages 3 and under) Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are generally safe to bring down a fever in young children. However, consult a doctor if the child is under 2 years old.
Do not give aspirin to young children unless your doctor tells you to.
For infants under 3 months, it is necessary to consult a doctor before giving any medicine.
Summary; acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are fever reducers for children and adults alike. Particularly for young children, each drug needs to have its own considerations, the most important is the dose used to safely lower the child's fever and minimize the possible side effects of antipyretics. However, if the child still has a long-lasting fever, the high fever does not respond to medicine, taking a lot of fever-reducing medicine on your own can be harmful to the child, but it is best to take the child to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. more positive value.
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Reference articles: suckhoedoisong.vn, sannhivinhphuc.vn, vientimmach.vn, hongngochospital.vn, drugs.com, healthline.com
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