# Drugging the kids to sleep...



## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Does anyone here use Hyland's Calms Forte to help their kids sleep? I use it very rarely - in the past when ds was teething badly to help him sleep better, and now because the kids have colds and are napping so much during the day they're restless at night. It seems to work well, but whenever I drop the little "pill" into their mouths, I always feel guilty - like I'm sedating them or drugging them or something.

This stuff IS safe, right? Anyone else use this occasionally? It's okay, right? Or am I just a bad mom?







:


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## pbjmama (Sep 20, 2007)

You are using the 4 kids formula? I don't use it but I didn't see anything in the formula that alarmed. However, I don't know alot about homeopathy.

It seems like this site http://abchomeopathy.com/
has alot of information and you can search by the individual ingredients.


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pbjmama* 
You are using the 4 kids formula? I don't use it but I didn't see anything in the formula that alarmed. However, I don't know alot about homeopathy.

It seems like this site http://abchomeopathy.com/
has alot of information and you can search by the individual ingredients.

It's the regular formula - 1/2 strength for kids (so the directions say).

Let me check that link...


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## Maggieinnh (Apr 3, 2007)

As my first reaction I would say, no it's not o.k. in my opinion!
I have never used anything like that and hopefully never will, even homeopathic!

Now, it also depends how old are your kids? If they are very little and sleep during the day under healthy circumstances a lot and now so much so that they can not sleep at night, I would say "maybe", BUT my first reaction to this situation would be to keep them up more during the day with whatever, so they still fall asleep in the evenings, let them nap only until 3pm!

As your second guessing yourself already with what you are doing, you know in the back of your head that it is not right, I would say follow your gut instinct and do not use it!


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

Maggie, do you know anything about homeopathic stuff?
Calmsforte for kids is completely drugfree, totally safe, even for small ones.
OP is not talking benadryl, here. It is not even like Rescue Remedy, which most formulas have some alcohol. Homeopathic medicine is at such minute doses that it is safe for even little ones.

I use it occasionnally for my 6 yo ADD child, who sometimes cannot settle at night. And no, she is not on Ritalin or any other ADD meds. But there is no reason, to my understanding, that it can't be given every night if it helps your child settle.


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## Maggieinnh (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gingerstar* 
Maggie, do you know anything about homeopathic stuff?
Calmsforte for kids is completely drugfree, totally safe, even for small ones.
OP is not talking benadryl, here. It is not even like Rescue Remedy, which most formulas have some alcohol. Homeopathic medicine is at such minute doses that it is safe for even little ones.

I use it occasionnally for my 6 yo ADD child, who sometimes cannot settle at night. And no, she is not on Ritalin or any other ADD meds. But there is no reason, to my understanding, that it can't be given every night if it helps your child settle.

YES! I do know about homeopathic stuff! The poster asked if people were using it or not, I said I would not and obviously she is second guessing herself as well! I am not saying that she is a horrible mom or anything like that, but there are other ways to get the children to sleep!

Also it might start with just a little homeopathic pill, ....it is the principle idea of giving a pill for them to sleep that is a no go for me! Sorry if this does not agree with you!


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

The kids are 3 and 1.5

And, as I said, I don't use this nightly. Today was our third time and I bought it two months ago when ds was teething so badly he couldn't sleep. I used Hyland's teething tablets and then gave him the Calms Forte. I really don't like using meds, so Tylenol is a last resort for teething pain.

Today, as I said, they both have colds and have been napping on and off, so their sleep is all messed up. Both were wound up but still visibly tired at bedtime, so the CForte helped ease them into dreamland.

My concern is that I haven't used this stuff before and I feel a bit weird giving it to them, as though it's a drug, even though I know it's not....


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maggieinnh* 
there are other ways to get the children to sleep!

Ideas? Both my kids fight sleep like some wouldn't believe. That night ds was teething, we were up till 3 am - rocking, singing, walking, pacing, bouncing, snuggling, but he was hurting so badly he just couldn't shut off the pain long enough to fall asleep. Maybe I should have used Tylenol then? Nah - I really didn't want to. Poor guy, though, perhaps I should have.


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## Maggieinnh (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
My concern is that I haven't used this stuff before and I feel a bit weird giving it to them, as though it's a drug, even though I know it's not....

If you are only concerned that it is a strong drug or similar, do not worry about it, ...if it is homeopathic!


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## Maxine45 (Oct 29, 2005)

I wish it worked for us, I'd happily drug them with calms forte for kids if that worked.
sleep is very important for babies/toddlers.


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## marlee (Aug 29, 2005)

I felt a little like this when I gave dd some Hylands for her cold. I am so used to not using any pills that this seemed weird to me. It worked wonders though and I only had to use it 3 times.

I have wanted to use the calms forte for when we travel as dd takes 1-2 hours to settle and then is up the same normal time in the morning. Making for a tired little girl the next day. We travel regularly and she often ends up getting sick on our trips as well (I'm guessing from the lack of sleep). I have never found it though. Always the teething and colic one but not the calms forte.

All the best,


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## JavaBean (Feb 7, 2004)

I've used the 4 Kids formula when we travel and it works great. I also use it when I know DD's going to have a rough night -- like if for whatever reason she didn't get her naps in for the day (or they were too short) and I know it will affect her nighttime sleep, I give her a little help to help her settle. Thankfully that's not very often so it's mostly used for travel in hotel rooms, etc.

Do I feel guilty about it? No. Because I also give her teething tablets for teething pain. I trust the product, I use it wisely and it works for our family. I've done my research and I feel comfortable with my decision.

FYI - You can also try other brands like Boiron for teething. Boirin camilia worked better on my DS but not Hylands, and it was reversed for my DD (Hylands worked, not Boiron).

Sleep is so important for everyone and if you've exhausted all other ways, then I wouldn't feel guilty about using it as long as you are educated about your choices.

For what it's worth, Calms 4 Kids doesn't drug my kids nor does it give them instant sleep. It just calms and relaxes them enough so they can fall asleep on their own (as opposed to tossing and turning and waiting for sleep to overtake them hours later).


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## Logan's Mom (Mar 2, 2006)

I actually haven't used the Calme Forte, but have used the teething tablets and wished we knew about the colic one when he was tiny. I think they are natural, safe and for us the teething tablets seem to be somewhat effective, when the pain isn't too great I'm guessing -- helps take the edge off.

Its not like you are giving it to them so you can take a nap. You are trying to help your little ones sleep relating to a trying time with an illness.

I think I'll see if I can find some and keep in on hand in case we may need it. Thanks for the info!


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## jenrose (Apr 25, 2004)

Homeopathics are *very* safe for little kids.

To give you an idea, at one point I had a collection of homeopathic remedies of approximately 25 tubes. My daughter was four, and a friend was over, a six year old, really old enough to know better, but a troubled little girl, and she found the homeopathics when she snuck into my bedroom (where the girls were not allowed to play) and she ate them all.







:

That's right, she ate $140 worth of homeopathics, the equivalent of maybe 750 doses (yes, that's right, seven HUNDRED doses), thinking they were candy.

The only negative side effect? I didn't allow her to come over to our house again for three months--that was a LOT of money to lose. But I was not worried for a second about toxicity issues, and there were none.


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

My dd used to wake from nightmares and they helped her tremendously.

I will give either kid a dose if they are tired but have had a rough day or aren't feeling well. It helps them sleep better and it doesn't have negative side effects, I don't see anything to feel guilty about. You aren't doing it soley for your own selfish reasons but to help your children.


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## Ambrose (Apr 20, 2004)

I've used it before with no worries. I've also used Rescue Remedy Sleep. One thing I do about once a week is take a cotton ball and a few drops of lavender essential oil and rub it on the wall just above DD's bed and a little on her fan we turn on at night. It makes the whole room smell so nice and calm. It seems to work for DD. She does have sleep issues but some of those are caused by the loud neighbor right above her bedroom stomping around all night.







:


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ambrose* 
I've used it before with no worries. I've also used Rescue Remedy Sleep. One thing I do about once a week is take a cotton ball and a few drops of lavender essential oil and rub it on the wall just above DD's bed and a little on her fan we turn on at night. It makes the whole room smell so nice and calm. It seems to work for DD. She does have sleep issues but some of those are caused by the loud neighbor right above her bedroom stomping around all night.







:

ooooh....i love the lavender idea. thanks! and to the pp - 750 doses worth of homeopathics in her body? WOW! incredible stuff, that it doesn't harm them in big quantities yet at the same time a little dose can still help them, isn't it? if that makes any sense. it's late here.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

If you have the knowledge that there is something out there that will help your child when he's sick and tired and poorly and you don't use it because you think it's wrong, does that make you a better mother???

If you're using it for the same thing on a regular basis, I'd go and find a constitutional remedy with help from a VERY experienced amateur or a professional. If you're using it with the infrequency that you'd use rescue remedy, say, go for it.


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## ryleigh'smama (Aug 10, 2005)

I don't think there is anything wrong with using calms forte. Dd is 2.5 and she has a hard time settling, calms forte does not drug her, but it does help her to calm down, and decreases the liklihood of a meltdown. We don't use it daily, but I bet we use it 2-3 times a week, it just depends on her.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Using the correct homeopathic remedy is not drugging a child to sleep, IMO. If you're using the correct remedy for your child (the children's version for CF is the easily dissolving one, not the hard tablet), I see no harm whatsoever is using it. We use it all the time during teething.

A homeopathic remedy will have no effect if the symptoms it's designed to treat aren't the right ones for that remedy. It's absolutely safe.

If it doesn't work, it's not the right remedy, but there should be no side effects from administering it.


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## funkygranolamama (Aug 10, 2005)

we use teething and colic tabs pretty regularly, and calms once in awhile. i see nothing wrong with it. it's not like you're trying to knock them out or develop some kind of dependancy (that won't happen with homeopathics, anyway). if you're looking at tylenol in one hand and homeopathics in another, i'd always take the homeopathics.


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## WannabeaFarmer (Jul 7, 2006)

Dp thought that this is what I was doing when he saw me give DD the Calms Forte for kids. For DD when she is teething the teething tabs would be enough to help her sleep(she would get two at a time when she was older,like 9-12mo). We do us the calms forte to help her sleep every once in awhile. We only use em when she has had a rough day, gets candy to late in the day when we are out somewhere for a visit, is sick...etc....things that might alter her mood to the point that it makes it hard for her to settle. Usually she settles within an hour. If she has one of those days where it may take her two+ hrs to get to sleep then we use em.
I dont see anything wrong with using them if it helps your baby settle in. We also use Arbonne unwind to help her settle too. That is a great herbal spray. She gets all excited and tells me how good she smells when I spray her..


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

i have used newton's homeopathic fever-aid to help dd sleep when she has a fever. no shame in it. we used it on the plane, too flying from usa to australia.


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## tribalmax (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
The kids are 3 and 1.5

And, as I said, I don't use this nightly. Today was our third time and I bought it two months ago when ds was teething so badly he couldn't sleep. I used Hyland's teething tablets and then gave him the Calms Forte. I really don't like using meds, so Tylenol is a last resort for teething pain.

Today, as I said, they both have colds and have been napping on and off, so their sleep is all messed up. Both were wound up but still visibly tired at bedtime, so the CForte helped ease them into dreamland.

My concern is that I haven't used this stuff before and I feel a bit weird giving it to them, as though it's a drug, even though I know it's not....


I wouldn't worry about it at all. IMO it is a totally safe, natural way to help your little ones wind down when there are other things going on. Sleep is very important for everyone.

I don't see how this is any different than adults having a cup of chamomile tea, warm milk etc before bed.


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## liki (Jul 7, 2006)

I have some of the calms 4 kids, and it only gives a dosage for age 2 and up. Is it okay to give to an 1.5 yr old anyway?


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

liki, I give my 18 month old 1/2 the recommended dosage. It's had absolutely no ill effects whatsoever here.


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## moonlight mom (May 19, 2007)

I use it occassionally for my 2.5 year old son with no guilt. I have also used other homeopathic medicine for colds and teething.
Also try some cooled down chamomile tea before bed. It works the best for relaxing my ds after a long day.


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## Loris (May 4, 2004)

Thank goodness you are using a homeopathic remedy!! They are totally safe and you can never overdose on it. It works with the immune system, whereas tylenol or other medications suppress the immune system and are terrably hard on the liver.

Homeopathic is the way to go - I use it for my kids as well and they do work!


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## PreggieUBA2C (Mar 20, 2007)

I agree that homeopathic treatment is safe and, imo, necessary if your children are not sleeping. They are exhibiting a symptom of something that has gone amiss in their bodies, and giving them the remedy to help relieve the symptom while not hindering their immune systems' work in resolving the cause, is what a loving, responsible mum does (if she's aware, of course)!

If they are hungry, you give them food. Their hunger is the symptom of their bodies' need for nutrition, and you treat the symptom (sign) with nourishment. I don't see how that differs in your situation. If your child had a definite calcium deficiency, would you deny calcium-rich foods or even a supplement if it became necessary to correct what could then be a temporary issue?

It's impossible to overdose on homeopathics- quite possible to waste them, though, as a pp reported (and that sucks, btw; I felt a little twinge in my stomach reading about the $140 candy spree...).

OP, our boys fight sleep like nobody we've ever known (well... except me, maybe







) and we've gone through every system and recommended procedure/routine for helping them to sleep longer and better. NOTHING has ever worked and I've just had to come to terms with the fact that they have a similar constitution to me- they think of sleep as a 'waste of time' and their minds are very powerful over the signs their poor tired bodies give them. Like you, I give them homeopathics when they are not even sleeping their normal amount which is very little, because something else is going on. If they are having their normal not-enough-sleep, I don't give them anything, because I really just think they'll start having enough sleep when they are at an age when this short amount is adequate, and not before.

I'm exhausted too. I take kallium phosphoricum when I find it too hard to cope with the day after too little sleep; it really helps me.


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## awinkler (Jul 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
Does anyone here use Hyland's Calms Forte to help their kids sleep? I use it very rarely - in the past when ds was teething badly to help him sleep better, and now because the kids have colds and are napping so much during the day they're restless at night. It seems to work well, but whenever I drop the little "pill" into their mouths, I always feel guilty - like I'm sedating them or drugging them or something.

This stuff IS safe, right? Anyone else use this occasionally? It's okay, right? Or am I just a bad mom?







:

Some people think that homeopathic remedies are no more effective than a placebo, so from that point of view, the calms forte is akin to a sugar pill. (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/, http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...ics/homeo.html, http://arstechnica.com/articles/cult...homeopathy.ars)


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Once, out of sheer desperation, I gave BeanBean something to help him sleep when he wasn't sick. I can't remember what it was, but he had what's called a paradoxical reaction-- he was WIRED, and bounced off the walls. I took it as a sign that I was doing the wrong thing and never tried it again.







I haven't since, with any of the kids.


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## pdxmomazon (Oct 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PreggieUBA2C* 
I'm exhausted too. I take kallium phosphoricum when I find it too hard to cope with the day after too little sleep; it really helps me.

My homeopath (an ND), doesn't use combined remedies. Although Hylands and other mixed remedies can be helpful to some people some of the time, the power of homeopathy is in it's ability to respond very specifically to an individual's constitution. My daughter's teething remedy is based on lots of things, including her constitutional remedy. It's not the same as our friend's teething remedy though







So, if your kiddo has persistent sleeplessness, lots of teething pain, etc, it may well be worth your time and money to seek a more individualized response. Homeopathy is soooo completely different than western medicine, it's cool to learn about it: http://www.holisticonline.com/Homeop...principles.htm


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## Redifer (Nov 25, 2006)

I've used the Herbs For Kids Valerian Super Calm for my oldest DD, 3 years, when she had a wicked tummy bug two weeks ago. She was so uncomfortable and couldn't sleep; but she was exhausted and NEEDED the sleep to get better.

For the younger, 3 months, I've only given her a Hylands Teething Tablet once when she was SO overtired she couldn't 'settle down' and was just crying in hysterics from being so overstimulated. We were moving, and it was such a long day for her, she had completely lost control. Nothing worked; eating, rocking, shushing, dancing, loud music, white noise.. .the list goes on. Finally, I gave her a teething tab and within 5 minutes she had quieted down, was peacefully looking around the room, and shortly after drifted off to sleep.

I see nothing wrong with it. A lack of sleep can be SO harmful on a little immune system, nervous system, even digestive system. Sleep is an important factor in maintaining a healthy body; so when they're sick or just overstimulated to the point that they CAN'T sleep, I see nothing wrong with using a homeopathic or herbal remedy in order to help them get that much-needed rest.


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

I don't have a problem with it.

Personally, I think it's cruel to withhold something that might help kids that's not harmful (eg if my daughter has a fever & isn't bothered by it, I don't give her anything, but if she is bothered by it I give her the correct dose of Tylenol- I would be really angry if I was feeling miserable & something that would really help me feel comfortable was withheld).


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy* 
Once, out of sheer desperation, I gave BeanBean something to help him sleep when he wasn't sick. I can't remember what it was, but he had what's called a paradoxical reaction-- he was WIRED, and bounced off the walls.

I know that can happen w/ Benadryl (Diphenhydramine). Something like 90% of people become drowsy w/ it, but 10% become hyper


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## cameliabrowne (Jun 22, 2006)

I wouldn't hesitate to use a homeopathic sleep remedy. Homeopathy is in a completely different league to pharmaceutical drugs and can be used without fear of overdosing or departure from natural parenting. It's use in natural parenting is completely appropriate.


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## akbirdy (Sep 26, 2006)

I use the teething tabs on my DS and they work like a charm. I'm actually really surprised to hear that some people are bothered by them... but I was raised in a family that when we got sick, we went to our ND and got a homeopathic remedy. If you learn how they are made its like a drop in a bucket of water, then a drop of that into a bucket of water, ect ect ect.... I think like the more diluted the better?

Anyways, no you can't od on them. I as a child got into my mothers stash and ate them all, (yum sugar pills).


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JenMidwife* 
I know that can happen w/ Benadryl (Diphenhydramine). Something like 90% of people become drowsy w/ it, but 10% become hyper

Yeah-- except that I know it wasn't Benadryl, because that's what happens with *me*.







I would never have given it to him hoping he would sleep. I'm thinking it might have been robitussin or tylenol...


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## tribalmax (Oct 10, 2004)

It was probably the cough suppressant in the robitussin.

That can be a BIG time stimulant...


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## Family4Christ (Oct 4, 2007)

Quote:

Some people think that homeopathic remedies are no more effective than a placebo, so from that point of view, the calms forte is akin to a sugar pill. (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/, http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...ics/homeo.html, http://arstechnica.com/articles/cult...homeopathy.ars)
This shocks me. I've seen what homeopathy can do for me throughout my pregnancy and It's the first medicine I turn to for everything now.

True, if the remedy doesn't work, it wasn't the right one (which I'm assuming is the case with the info on the links above)--BTDT--but, it sure is powerful when it is. I'm so glad that we have the ability to use homeopathy!


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## Virginia Mom (Feb 17, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
Does anyone here use Hyland's Calms Forte to help their kids sleep? I use it very rarely - in the past when ds was teething badly to help him sleep better, and now because the kids have colds and are napping so much during the day they're restless at night. It seems to work well, but whenever I drop the little "pill" into their mouths, I always feel guilty - like I'm sedating them or drugging them or something.

This stuff IS safe, right? Anyone else use this occasionally? It's okay, right? Or am I just a bad mom?







:

Hi, we use tons of Hylands........Calms Forte for Kids (but usually when travelling)...we have also used the Chamomile for teething as well as the teething combo .............

but like anohter mom said, always go with your gut....if you aren't comfortable try an alternative........you can call the Hylands Nurse (number on the back of the bottle) or even try a chamomile tea for the kids...that might work too

good luck
FYI: as for safety with hylands...a friend of mine,her kid ate half a bottle of the stuff by accident.....according to hylands, it would take two or more bottles for there to be a problem......

hope that helps.


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## milkybean (Mar 19, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
Ideas? Both my kids fight sleep like some wouldn't believe. That night ds was teething, we were up till 3 am - rocking, singing, walking, pacing, bouncing, snuggling, but he was hurting so badly he just couldn't shut off the pain long enough to fall asleep. Maybe I should have used Tylenol then? Nah - I really didn't want to. Poor guy, though, perhaps I should have.










As someone who had sleeping issues that were just part of my Being, and now I don't, I would highly recommend visiting with a homeopath and getting them their individual constitutional remedy. That way you don't have to use it as "first aid", but help them completely.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Logan's Mom* 
I think they are natural, safe and for us the teething tablets seem to be somewhat effective, when the pain isn't too great I'm guessing -- helps take the edge off.

Safe and useful oh yes, but I have a hard time calling them natural. When you start looking at the ingredients in some of them, bleah. Oscillococcinum is particularly BLEAH. (and that one is never effective for me anyway b/c I never go out and spend the big bucks on it at the beginning of illnesses, LOL, especially b/c it takes me a few days to get OK with what it's derived from)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenrose* 
Homeopathics are *very* safe for little kids.

To give you an idea, at one point I had a collection of homeopathic remedies of approximately 25 tubes. My daughter was four, and a friend was over, a six year old, really old enough to know better, but a troubled little girl, and she found the homeopathics when she snuck into my bedroom (where the girls were not allowed to play) and she ate them all.







:

That's right, she ate $140 worth of homeopathics, the equivalent of maybe 750 doses (yes, that's right, seven HUNDRED doses), thinking they were candy.

The only negative side effect? I didn't allow her to come over to our house again for three months--that was a LOT of money to lose. But I was not worried for a second about toxicity issues, and there were none.


Well, she probably woudln't have been able to USE those remedies for any issues she might have had.

DS sucked down a tube of chamomile, and for the next year chamomile didn't work for him. Made him HYPER like you wouldn't believe. Slowly the "proving" of the remedy wore off, and we could use it again every so often, but not for that year after eating the whole tube!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *awinkler* 
Some people think that homeopathic remedies are no more effective than a placebo, so from that point of view, the calms forte is akin to a sugar pill. (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/, http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...ics/homeo.html, http://arstechnica.com/articles/cult...homeopathy.ars)

Silly Americans.

Isn't homeopathy used more than western medicines in some European countries?

But ya know, even if it were a placebo...if something WORKS, wouldn't you prefer a sugar pill over whatever is in all those other things???? When a placebo of any kind works, it should humiliate the makers of "real" drugs!!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JenMidwife* 
I know that can happen w/ Benadryl (Diphenhydramine). Something like 90% of people become drowsy w/ it, but 10% become hyper

Things like that are quite often made with corn syrup, and often even high fructose corn syrup, and from my son's experience, I would bet $100 that's what causes most of the opposite reactions people have.

Our dentist, who is normally a good person, got nervous b/c DS was overly excited during the very first visit when he was in the big shared room (instead of the closed-door room he was in the first 3 visits). INsisted we use a prescription benadryl-like medicine. I complied b/c I wasn't thinking, and the stuff never calmed him down, and as a matter of fact he got so hyped up he started freaking out a few hours after the dose. He was good during the visit, b/c he trusts the dentist and knows that the dentist is helping him, but before and after the appt he was a hellion, which only happens when he's "on" corn syrup.

Homeopathics don't have corn syrup (though, hmm, there could be a remedy derived from it...that would be interesting).


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## happy2bamama (Apr 29, 2006)

We have used the teething tablets almost every night since DS was around 10 months or so (that's when he started getting teeth). He has always been one of those babies that has a really hard time with teething. Never was one to just wake up and have a new tooth - we always knew when one was on the way and it would take months to come through. We have used Tylenol about three times for when he was clearly in severe pain and couldn't deal. I always felt torn about using it because I don't use anything like that for myself, but I also didn't think it was fair to let him just deal with the pain in these really bad cases. Now that DS is older (22 months), he handles the teething so much better, so we don't dole out the teething tablets like we used to, but it's been pretty frequent lately as he has his finger in his mouth all day and is getting his canines, poor guy. I don't feel bad about using the teething tablets because IMO, it's the safest thing to help him relax and to take the edge off (next to breastmilk, that is - which he still gets







). I can't imagine what it must feel like to have teeth CONSTANTLY pushing through your gums for two years on top of learning how to be a human being in this world (crawling, walking, eating, talking, etc...).


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Yep. Did it last night. After two nights in a row of 2+ hours of screaming to sleep, I gave DS some Hylands and *gasp!* Tylenol last night before bed. No screaming to sleep, his teeth got a rest (he is cutting 4 canines right now) and we both got sleep.


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

I was thinking about getting calms forte for travel and now I think I will.

I have also given ds "sleepytime tea" cooled down in a sippy cup, or by syringe (he prefers it by syringe, because he's werid!)


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## Nolamom (Jan 29, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
Ideas? Both my kids fight sleep like some wouldn't believe. That night ds was teething, we were up till 3 am - rocking, singing, walking, pacing, bouncing, snuggling, but he was hurting so badly he just couldn't shut off the pain long enough to fall asleep. Maybe I should have used Tylenol then? Nah - I really didn't want to. Poor guy, though, perhaps I should have.









Sorry to hijack, but wondering why you didn't use tylenol... am I missing something? DS had TERRIBLE teething pain, too. Tylenol was the only thing that relieved it. We used it sparingly, but I was glad the option was there. It was so hard to watch my LO suffer, I can't imagine choosing not to use it.


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## *Erin* (Mar 18, 2002)

the title of this thread made me think of some children that i cared for one time when i was a teenager-a girl who was 22 months and her sister, 6 months. They spent the night at my family's home, and neither one slept all night because their mother gave them nyquil almost nightly and they were addicted







she actually left the bottle and told me to give it to them. i most certainly did not.

ot

anyway, hylands is NOT a drug like nyquil! i give my dd calms forte sometimes if she's restless after a busy day or something is stressing her and she can't settle in to sleep. i used to give it to her when she was a tot, too.

i take it myself sometimes. It works for us both.


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## Mel*APMomma (Oct 23, 2008)

I don't even give my son tylenol unless he REALLY needs it.I have given him hylands on a few occasions when he was in obvious pain/discomfort from teething but never would I give him anything to make him sleep. Same goes for my daughter.


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mel*APMomma* 
I don't even give my son tylenol unless he REALLY needs it.I have given him hylands on a few occasions when he was in obvious pain/discomfort from teething but never would I give him anything to make him sleep. Same goes for my daughter.

Well since Hylands is homeopathic & by nature homeo barely has anything in it, I would use Hylands in a heartbeat over Tylenol. I don't have a problem w/ Tylenol or Motrin & do give them to my child occasionally for pain (I absolutely give them for teething pain), but for a restless nights, I think it's totally safe to give kids Hylands.

In fact, I respectfully think the title of this thread is a bit of a misnomer & kind of inflammatory... I don't think most people who are educated about homeopathics consider them to be drugs. Just my 2 cents


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JenMidwife* 
In fact, I respectfully think the title of this thread is a bit of a misnomer & kind of inflammatory... I don't think most people who are educated about homeopathics consider them to be drugs. Just my 2 cents









But if you'd read the whole thread, you would have seen that at the time I didn't understand homeopathics - and it FELT like that's exactly what I was doing - drugging them. So with that in mind, no, it's not inflammatory. It's the way I saw it at the time.


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Nolamom* 
Sorry to hijack, but wondering why you didn't use tylenol... am I missing something? DS had TERRIBLE teething pain, too. Tylenol was the only thing that relieved it. We used it sparingly, but I was glad the option was there. It was so hard to watch my LO suffer, I can't imagine choosing not to use it.

I didn't use it for him mostly because, while I knew it would take away his pain, Tylenol also keeps him up all night. I have no idea why - he's still like that. If he ever needs Tylenol for anything, it wires him.


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
But if you'd read the whole thread, you would have seen that at the time I didn't understand homeopathics - and it FELT like that's exactly what I was doing - drugging them. So with that in mind, no, it's not inflammatory. It's the way I saw it at the time.

Gotcha







& I never meant that you were being inflammatory, just that someone could see the title of the thread, not read the whole thing & then jump all over people for drugging their kids to sleep... which none of us advocate.


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

I wish I could find gentler ways to help DS to calm down and get to sleep... he's no toddler, though! Our toddler, we're doing okay with... we have some rough nights... she's a late bedtime gal, but we're getting through.

My 10yo though is a different story. I've tried homeopathics, I've tried the Calms Forte. I'll come right out and say that I'm in the camp that believes homeopathy is a well-orchestrated placebo that some people are making tons of money off of. Interestingly, I was just reading an article today about how half of American doctors admit to prescribing placebos to their patients without their knowledge, and how the research shows how strong the placebo effect is, and -- get this -- the more expensive the placebo, the better it works!

So I'm not poopooing the placebo effect... if it works, it works!







But I don't, personally, for a moment believe that the body works the way the homeopaths would have us believe.

But, I tried it. I have been wrong about many things in the past, and upon trying them, convinced myself that I'd been wrong all along. EC, for instance. Tried it as a total skeptic, figuring it couldn't hurt. Now I'm a total EC evangelist.

With the same state of mind, we tried the homeopathics - at the worst, it couldn't hurt, and hey I might even be wrong. Allergy stuff for DH's hay fever and exzema. Calms Forte and other remedies for DS's hyperactivity. Candida for myself, other supposed gut-healing remedies.

Zilch, zero, nada on all counts. You might blame my skepticism, but honestly, if you have to 'believe' in a remedy for it to work, then it's not the remedy itself that's doing the remedying... And DS went in with a youthful, open mind. I didn't tell him anything about homeopathy vs. allopathic blah blah, just said here's some stuff to take.

ANYWAY. We've resorted to melatonin for DS and it works. He goes to sleep at a decent hour and we've seen noticeable improvement in his daytime attentiveness and focus. I'd long suspected he wasn't sleeping well. My only worry is that he's becoming dependent on it... but we'll deal with that when we need to. For now, it works.

We'd tried cuddles, quiet music, white noise, meditation CD's, different bedtimes (earlier and later), let him set his own bedtime, all the tricks and tips. I was always insomniac as a child, he probably just gets it from me.


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## Virginia Mom (Feb 17, 2006)

So I'm not poopooing the placebo effect... if it works, it works! But I don't, personally, for a moment believe that the body works the way the homeopaths would have us believe.

I just had to share in response to your message ........Two years ago I was diagnosed with chronic lyme disease, after six months of meds and then developing severe allergic reactions to most everything used to "control" lyme and babesia, my doctors (three of them) were at a loss....it's only been thru my homeopath that my lyme is finally in remission...something that couldn't be done with antiobiotics ---and it's been about 8 months of being symptom free.

Homeopathy is not a placebo. Just like all "medications" you have to find the right one.

Thanks.


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## blue butterfly (Nov 28, 2005)

i use it sparingly with dds (5 & 2) when they've had a crazy day in which i can see that they are going to have a hard time settling in for the night.


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