p53lifraumeni t1_j0w7pp4 wrote
I don’t know about the shortage, but in case things don’t work out, a typical children’s Motrin is 50 mg per dose. The regular adult Advil (those brownish orange circular pills) dosage is 200 mg. If you can get a pill cutter, you can simply cut the adult pill into quarters to get the correct child dosage. Mind you, the sweet coating on the pill will be breached, so it may taste pretty bad, but in a pinch this should work. Hope this helps, and good luck!
vivaldilover t1_j0xq8lt wrote
Be sure to reference the correct dosing based on your child's weight. Medications in children are dosed by weight, so a 50 mg dose of ibuprofen would be appropriate for a 5 kg child (10 mg/kg per dose). While a common tablet dose of ibuprofen is 200 mg, that is not universal (e.g., 800 mg) and an effective adult dose is usually a multiple of 200 mg (generally 400-800 mg). If the dosing is appropriate, though, cutting pills is a great way to get around liquid medication shortages! Unfortunately with all the kids getting sick, liquid medication shortages are getting worse by the day: Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, at least 3-4 common antibiotics, Tamiflu... (source: I'm a pediatrician, but I'm not your doctor so consult your doctor. This does not constitute medical advice, merely explanation of common dosing)
tignas OP t1_j0xa5yz wrote
Thanks! Unfortunately my son is still well under the pill swallowing age, but noted for the future.
RogueInteger t1_j0xrqmq wrote
Hey, here's an easy workaround on that that's used in ERs. You can use whatever pill you want and make it into an emulsification in a syringe for oral administration.
bostonchef72296 t1_j0ywlii wrote
You can add a drop of mio water flavoring or some Gatorade powder to it so it doesn’t taste like absolute dogshit. I’ve had to crush some of my medications before and that isn’t a taste I’d like to relive.
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