Can You Give A Child Tylenol & Motrin Together?

The worst part about being a parent is having to witness your child being sick, and worse yet, not knowing if its safe to administer certain medications when fevers run high. Th most importing thing to take away from this article is that you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor about medications and what is safe to administer to your child based on his or her specific situations, conditions, and medical history.

Tylenol & Motrin

The first thing to know is that the names Tylenol and Motrin simply refer to two name brands of the medications we will be discussing, we are only using these name brands because they are the most widely accessible to many families and are well known. Tylenol is a name brand for the drug Acetaminophen, and Motrin is a name brand of the drug Ibuprofen. Both come in children's versions and can be used to reduce fevers and minor pains.

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is one of the more widely used drugs to reduce pain in both children and adults. It belongs to the drug family of non-opioid painkillers and includes several other ingredients. These medications actively numb receptors in the brain that sense pain and can reduce discomfort experienced by the user.

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug and belongs to the drug family commonly referred to NSAIDs (Nonsteroidial Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). Aspirin also belong to this family; the use of anti-inflammatory drugs mainly serves to reduce swelling and inflammation of affected areas in the body.

Using them Together

Both of these medications can reduce fevers, and they can generally be used in conjunction with one another. Because acetaminophen and ibuprofen relieve pain in different methods and are made up of different ingredients, doctors generally consider them safe to use together. In many cases, neither of these medications will interfere with one another.

Usually, the method of using both of these medications together to reduce fevers in children requires a method we call alternating administration. Acetaminophen is usually administered every four hours as long as symptoms persist; Ibuprofen can only be administered every six hours.

The first dose of ibuprofen can be administered, and parents should wait three hours before administering acetaminophen. After three more hours, the second dose of ibuprofen can be administered because the full length of six hours will have passed in between dosages of ibuprofen. Three hours later, you can administer acetaminophen again, with the span of six hours in between dosages of acetaminophen. Although you are administering medication every three hours, there is a safe six-hour span in between dosages of each medicine type. Essentially, you will be alternating medications every three hours.

The usage of both of these medications together is usually administered when a child is experiencing stubborn fevers.

You should always consult with your doctor when using this method and discuss it with them thoroughly. If you have questions or concerns, you can call the number readily available on each package of medication you purchase, or you can call the emergency contact number of your doctor. This article only serves as an informational example for the topic, it is not a substitute for medical advice and it is not intended to replace doctor instructions.