Tylenol and Motrin shortages |
My grandson Elliot isn’t feeling well. It turns out that he has croup. He flew with his family during the holidays and came down with a fever the day after they got home. Lauren asked me to pick up some children’s Motrin for him. I had seen the news stories about the shortage of children's pain and fever relievers, but I still wasn’t quite prepared for the impact that the empty shelves had on me. Fortunately, as a planner, I had snared a bottle of children's Motrin several weeks ago when I first heard about the shortage. We couldn't find any liquid, but had been able to get the chewable, but that was fine. He turns two next week, so he is old enough that this wasn't an issue. No one who knows me will be at all surprised that Elliot is familiar with chewables. He has been taking the Sambucol lozenges for quite a while. Having a child who is sick with a fever is stressful. I imagine that not being able to get medication is adding to anxiety. The lack of these medications is not dangerous! While I am quick to suggest the use of acetaminophen and Ibuprofen as needed, they are mostly about comfort. In fact, it is important to keep in mind that fevers are doing an important job.
As Dr. Ted shares in the fever post, He doesn’t actually worry about a fever unless it is higher than 105. But we still would like to have the medication on hand. The big chains may be out, but some parents have success at small health food grocery stores or convenience stores. The ‘natural’ or generic brands are fine. If you aren't finding what you want, consider getting suppositories if those are available A Compounding pharmacy may be another option. Check in with your local one to see if they have access to what you need. Laws vary by state, but in California they can only ship to addresses here in CA. My favorite compounder Eddie Lau from Feel Good Pharmacy says: The taste is probably not the best as the commercial item uses many syrups, sweeteners, etc. to make it palatable. But generally speaking, this is exactly the situation where a compounder can step in to help address drug shortages of commercially available products. If your child is young and you can get your hands on the chewable version, you can try your own hand at compounding. Take the chewable, grind it up and sprinkle on applesauce or yogurt. When Elliot decided he was too tired to cooperate with the chewable last night, my son-in-law Adam ground it to a powder and added it to a little fizzy water with a bit of simple syrup. The fizzy ‘medicine soda’ was a big hit. Turning it into a little game got every drop down (dilute it in as small an amount as possible). For older kids, it might be worth seeing if you can get them to actually learn how to swallow pills. Start with a little piece of candy. A Tic Tac works well for this. See if they can swallow one either with water, or by putting it in a spoonful of yogurt or jelly. If they have success, you can then try with a small caplet of the appropriate dose of medicine Even if you are able to procure medication, that doesn’t necessarily need to be plan A. Here are some natural ways to reduce fevers.
Preparation for future situations This supply shortage will likely pass before too long. If you got caught without some basics on hand, don’t beat yourself up. Just try to do some basic planning so that it doesn’t happen again. A fine New Year's Resolution is to stock up. Here is a post on stocking your medicine chest . And don’t hoard! |
