Nurofen is often prescribed for children with fever, since this ibuprofen drug effectively fights fever with ARVI, flu or other infection. Also, this medicine helps to eliminate or reduce pain, for example, in the throat with sore throat or in the joint after an injury.
For the treatment of children, Nurofen is often used in suspension, since this sweet strawberry or orange medicine is allowed from 3 months of age and can be used in young patients up to 12 years old. As a rule, children swallow the pleasant-tasting syrup without problems., and it is very easy to dose it using a special measuring syringe.
For the smallest, Nurofen is produced in candles. It is this form that is called the most convenient for babies. Patients who are already 6 years old are allowed to give Nurofen in tablet form, which contains 200 mg of ibuprofen in each tablet.
As with any medicine, an allergic reaction can occur to Nurofen. How to suspect an allergy to this drug in a son or daughter, why does it appear and how to act if the components of suppositories, suspensions or tablets have become a dangerous allergen for the child?
How is allergy to Nurofen manifested?
A negative reaction to taking such an antipyretic drug, if it turns out to be an allergen for the child, can develop slowly or very quickly. In the first case, it often looks like:
- Rash, areas of redness, scaly patches, itching, and other skin changes.
- Shortness of breath and dry cough, which occur in attacks due to laryngo- or bronchospasm.
- Loose stools, bloating, pain in the stomach and other manifestations of irritation of the digestive tract.
- Headaches or dizziness.
These symptoms may be subtle and disappear after a few hours, but quite often they persist for a couple of days and bother the child. At the same time, they are able to both disappear on their own and require treatment.
One of the most common manifestations of allergy to Nurofen is skin reaction in the form of dermatitis. Itchy patches, red spots, or rashes appear on the baby's belly, arms, face, and other parts of the baby's body. They can be small or quickly spread throughout the body and form large patches of inflammation.
In rare cases, taking Nurofen can provoke an immediate reaction, which can pose a danger to the health and life of a small patient.
This happens with repeated use of the drug, when the first dose of the drug effectively lowered the temperature and eliminated pain, but did not have any side effects.
The thing is that during the "acquaintance" the body became sensitized and each next use of Nurofen for such a child will be more and more dangerous. The baby may develop:
- Quincke's edema.
- Hives.
- Anaphylactic shock.
These forms of allergies can affect breathing, heart rate, and other important functions in a child's body. They require immediate medical attention as they threaten the baby's life.
Causes of an allergic reaction
The child's body can react with allergy symptoms:
- On the main component of Nurofen, which is ibuprofen. In this case, a reaction will occur when using any form of the drug, as well as to any of the analogues with the same active ingredient. In some cases, if you are allergic to ibuprofen, the child should not be given other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (cross-allergy occurs).
- For additional substances. Such a reaction usually appears when using a suspension or tablet form, and suppositories do not provoke it, since they do not contain harmful chemical compounds (only solid fats are added to ibuprofen in their composition). In such a situation, suppositories can be administered to the child, and if he is older than two years, then an analogue should be selected that does not contain an allergy-provoking compound.
Various factors can contribute to the appearance of an allergy to Nurofen and other medications, including:
- Frequent and prolonged acute respiratory infections.
- Allergic diseases in close relatives of the child.
- Adverse reaction to food, pollen, dust and other allergens.
- End breastfeeding early.
- Drug abuse.
- Inflammatory pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract or dysbiosis.
In addition, an allergy-like reaction can be caused by an excess of the dosage of the medication, and the simultaneous administration of other drugs, therefore, it is strictly not recommended to give any medication to children without consulting a doctor.
How to proceed?
If after the first application of Nurofen or a few days after the start of treatment with such a remedy, the child has any negative symptoms, it is important to immediately stop giving him the drug. Even if the parents have doubts that this is an allergy, the medication still needs to be canceled, and the attending physician should be reported about any ailments.
In case of a negative reaction to the suppository, microclysters are recommendedto remove the medicine from the intestines more quickly. If Nurofen was taken by mouth, the patient is advised to give some kind of sorbent, for example, Enterosgel. With a skin reaction, local agents are often prescribed, for example, Fenistil gel.
In addition, children with an allergy to Nurofen, depending on the severity of the reaction and age, are prescribed antihistamines in drops, syrup or tablets. For example, the doctor will prescribe Erius syrup for a one-year-old baby, Claritin syrup for a 2-year-old baby, and Zyrtec drops for a six-month-old baby.
If the allergy develops very quickly and the baby's condition worsens, an ambulance must be urgently called. Before the arrival of doctors with Quincke's edema, it is advised to apply a cold compress to the affected area so that the swelling does not increase.
