Saturday, January 7, 2012

Toddler Fever Reducer: Advil or Tylenol?

My daughter had up to 101°F fever yesterday. She had runny nose and a slight breathing problem (which she usually gets when she has a cold). We noticed her fever around 4 in the morning. Children's Advil is what we had at home. The last time she had fever, this over-the-counter children's fever reducer was satisfactorily effective to bring her temperature down, and so when we ran out of it, we decided to get another bottle.

We gave her the recommended dose for a toddler. Her temperature decreased a little bit. Unlike the last time we used it on her, the children's Advil this time had not really help her feel better. Her temperature was noticeably hot (99°F - 100°F), making her feel tired and preferred to just close her eyes for a long nap. When my husband got home from work and found out that she still has high fever, he made a trip to the store and got her children's Tylenol. Amazingly, the medicine worked in just few minutes. Her temperature significantly dropped. She was acting her "not-sick" self, was playing, and even eating! What a relief for us parents!

We thought that her fever will come back after the medicine loses its effect. Surprisingly, she had normal temperature all throughout the night and until she woke up in the morning. Right now, she's back to her normal self—the girl who's got the whole energy in the world.

So, which is the best children's fever reducer? Children's Advil or Tylenol? When I told my husband how effective Tylenol was, he said that we can't really tell because the Advil worked best in her the last time. Well, I couldn't agree more. He's right. This time, it's just that Tylenol did the best work for us. We do not know the medical explanation why (I'm sure there is). It's best that we both have these OTC medicines in our kit when needed, and next time, find out which one does its wonder to a fever-stricken toddler.

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