• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

  • ​Click here for printable chart

  • ​CAUTION: Consult with a physician or pharmacist before combining any medication. Some drugs may contain additional pain relievers. Aspirin should not be given to your child.​

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• ​Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, Medipren)

  • ​Click here for printable chart

  • ​CAUTION: DO NOT GIVE TO AN INFANT UNDER 6 MONTHS OF AGE. 
    Consult with a physician or pharmacist before combining any medication. Some drugs may contain additional pain relievers. Aspirin should not be given to your child.

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• Itching & Allergies

  • Click here for printable chart​

  • CAUTION: Consult with a physician or pharmacist before combining any medication. 
    Some drugs may contain additional pain relievers. Aspirin should not be given
    to your child.

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Tylenol or Ibuprofen?

Parents frequently ask whether to use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) for a child with a fever.  First of all, it is important to understand that fever is not harmful to your child.  It will not cause brain damage.  Fever is a healthy response to an infection.  When you have an illness, your body naturally makes inflammatory cells to try to fight off the illness.  These inflammatory cells may contribute to your child’s fever.  We treat the fever simply to allow your child to feel more comfortable.  This may then enable your child to continue to drink fluids so as to reduce their risks of getting dehydrated.  The medication will bring the fever down some (not necessarily to normal) for a short period of time.  This is OK.  A warm bath may also help to bring a fever down as well.

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We routinely recommend acetaminophen(Tylenol) for fever instead of ibuprofen(Motrin/Advil).  Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory agent.  Some infectious disease experts feel that an anti-inflammatory could interfere with the body’s natural defense mechanism in fighting an infection.  Ibuprofen may also mask signs of a more serious illness.  Numerous studies have been done comparing the efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.  These studies do not show that one is better than the other.  We also do not support the practice of alternating between acetaminophen and ibuprofen.  There are no studies to support the safety of this practice.  Tylenol has a long safety profile if used in the correct dosage for short periods of time.

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This policy is for fever only. Ibuprofen may be recommended over acetaminophen for some complaints such as sprains, migraines, cramps, and other musculoskeletal problems.  This can be discussed with your doctor.

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Which cough/cold preparation do I use?​

If you look in any pharmacy, you will notice there are a lot of different cough/cold preparations available.  Many of these preparations include multiple medications such as cough suppressants (dextramethorphan), decongestants, and antihistamines, which  supposedly help to reduce the symptoms of the common cold and other flu-like illnesses. 
 
Numerous studies have been done which have not demonstrated any real benefit of these products in treating the symptoms of the common cold.  Adverse effects of these medications have been reported as well as overdoses.  We therefore do not recommend routine use of these cough/cold preparations, especially in young children who may be at an increased risk for side effects, to treat the symptoms of cough and congestion. 

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Most coughs and other symptoms such as congestion and runny nose due to respiratory illnesses are self-limited.  These symptoms can usually be managed with rest, fluids, and humidified air (cool mist humidifier).  When a cough is persistent, it may be a manifestation of an underlying illness such as asthma, pneumonia, sinusitis, or allergy.  Therapy should then be directed towards treating the underlying illness. Feel free to discuss this with your doctor.