Tylenol and Motrin are both NSAIDs--non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. The ingredients in each medication are different, but they both reduce a fever and inflammation. The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen, and the fever-fighting component of Motrin is ibuprofen. You may be able to keep your child's persistent fever at bay by alternating doses of the two medicines.
Step 1
Take your child's temperature before you give him any fever-reducing medication. Dr. Greg Germain of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital states that sometimes letting your child ride out a fever is the best treatment of all. Unless your child is extremely uncomfortable, you may not necessarily need to give Tylenol or Motrin for fevers lower than 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Weigh your child or refer to notes from her most recent medical appointment to ascertain her current weight. Both Tylenol and Motrin are dosed according to body weight. NewCastleNOW.org recommends dosages of 7mg of Tylenol per pound of body weight and 4.5mg of Motrin per pound.
Step 3
Offer your child the proper dosage of Motrin. Children's Motrin is available in a liquid suspension or chewable tablets. The Ask Dr. Sears website states that drugs containing ibuprofen tend to take effect more quickly than acetaminophen-based medications like Tylenol, and work longer as well. Write down the dosage and time that you gave your child Motrin to prevent confusion or accidental overdose.
Step 4
Check your child's temperature three hours after the first medication dose. If the Motrin has not brought down the fever, give the appropriate amount of Children's Tylenol, either in liquid or chewable form. Note the dosage and time in your notebook as you did for the Motrin.
Step 5
Repeat the Motrin after another three hours if your child's fever is still high. Ask Dr. Sears explains that alternating these two medications every three hours is generally safe for several days. Seek medical attention for your child if his fever does not drop with the alternation of Motrin and Tylenol or if his fever disappears only to return within a few days.
Things You'll Need
- Thermometer
- Scale
- Notebook
- Tylenol
- Motrin
