I never took Tylenol/Paracetamol/acetaminophen, or anything containing it or given it to my children. We never reduce fever below 39.5/103.1 either - risks of febrile seizures are overstated and if you're a responsible parent, not a lazy one, you can see if things are going South, but there are other traditional means to lower fever. People are just too spoiled nowadays!

I tested positive with COVID-19 on Tuesday and had a pretty high fever (103) with a terrible headache, but I didn't take ibuprofen. First, because it could lower my fever, second, because its anti-inflammatory effect would compromise my immune system response to the pathogen. Most people I know immediately try to lower their fever to reduce their discomfort and would immediately take it for headaches, too.

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efnx 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

I’m not a doctor but I’m pretty sure ibuprofen is _not_ acetaminophen.

	▲	nikolay 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Of course it's not - I clearly said I never take acetaminophen, if for headache/fever I would rather take ibuprofen instead... but I don't take even that w/o a solid reason!

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locallost 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

People do that because they haven't been "educated" (even superficially) about what fever really is, which is your body working hard to fight of the infection. And messing with it is counterproductive.

They also do it with their kids because they want to help them. Also, some people have a lot on their plate, calling them lazy is not right thing to do. I have health insurance that covers me when my kids are sick (not in the US), so I can take care of them "properly ". This doesn't make me more responsible and someone else that works two jobs and can't afford to have sick kids lazy.

Also, I don't lower fever, even with my kids unless it prevents them from sleeping. But overstated is relative, it's happened to the kid next door from me. You don't want to be careless with infants.

	▲	nikolay 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		They are lazy if they don’t educate themselves about what they are doing and what they are giving their children. Don’t get offended. I’ve never done anything health-related to my kids without doing thorough research. I’ve witnessed four major medical mistakes made right in front of me in Orange County, California, in some of the best medical facilities and by the best pediatricians in the area! That’s why I don’t blindly trust anyone, whether it’s a doctor or not. I use critical thinking and always look for alternative advice. Doctors often find me a nuisance, but that’s okay with me. Just try asking a doctor when they prescribe Tylenol for a fever: “Why should I try lowering their fever?” or “Why should I give them Tylenol exactly?” The hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen occurs when the production of the toxic metabolite NAPQI exceeds the liver’s glutathione detoxification capacity, which can happen quite frequently during infections! So, then ask your doctor: “Doesn’t it make sense to give them NAC with Tylenol as well, just in case?” They won’t know what to say, trust me!

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tralarpa 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I have not found any study published after 2020 (the year when the French minister made the statement) that advises against ibuprofen for COVID-19. But I'm not a doctor, so I'd be interested to know your source.

	▲	nikolay 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Studies showed negative efficacy. At best, no difference. [0] [0]: https://c19early.org/ib

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littlestymaar 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> risks of febrile seizures are overstated and if you're a responsible parent, not a lazy one, you can see if things are going South

Not always. Blaming “lazy” and irresponsible parents is disgusting.

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nikolay 3 days ago | parent [-]

But it's the truth. Something that has just a 2% incidence should not dictate 98% of the treatments. Compromising the innate immunity of the 98% is more disgusting!

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littlestymaar 2 days ago | parent [-]

> But it's the truth.

No it's not, in many case there's just no way the parent can tell something is about to go wrong.

> Something that has just a 2% incidence should not dictate 98% of the treatments.

This isn't the same argument, and I would agree if it was true, but you're distorting numbers as the actual prevalence estimations lie between 2 and 14%[1].

Now you could make the argument that 10% is low enough of incidence it shouldn't dictate the treatment of the other 90%, but that's not what you're doing, instead you are blaming helpless parents and cherry picking numbers, making nothing but noise.

Oh, and by the way, most parents aren't in fact giving their kids paracetamol for that particular reason (as most parents are simply unaware of the existence of febrile seizures), but to help their children sleep and rest (and so themselves can sleep). And in fact, resting being key in innate immunity efficiency, I'm not particularly convinced about the effectiveness of letting your kids cry all night because of the pain and fever. You do what you want with your own kids, but there's no justification for insulting other parents.

Good day.

[1]: https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4240

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nikolay 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

The vast majority of these seizures are benign. If your child had a febrile seizure, then there's a 30% chance of having it again, so, then you have some excuse to keep their fever under control (hopefully not with Tylenol as there are other antipyretics, too). Here's a nice summary by Gemini:

Key Takeaways

- No Lasting Damage: Simple febrile seizures do not cause long-term brain damage, intellectual impairment, or learning disabilities.

- Benign Nature: Despite how terrifying they are to witness, febrile seizures are considered benign events in the vast majority of cases.

- Focus on Reassurance: The primary goal for healthcare providers is to reassure parents and caregivers, providing them with the knowledge and tools to manage a fever and understand the low risk of lasting effects.

	▲	littlestymaar a day ago \| parent [-]
		Ah, a genius that need an artificial brain to overcome its lack of literacy and is somehow proud of that. How surprising given the rest of the conversation …

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nikolay 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I have 3 kids, all grown up and healthy. They all slept perfectly well with fever, so, there's no such thing as a febrile insomniac kid. High fever has a potent detox element as you sweat out the toxic metabolites. I'm tired of parents who overprotect their children while harming them this way - there are so many studies - from overdrugging kids (thank God that most anti-cough drugs are now off the shelves), to forcing them to wear helmets, no go alone, etc.

	▲	littlestymaar a day ago \| parent [-]
		> They all slept perfectly well with fever, so, there's no such thing as a febrile insomniac kid. Please stop believing your sample of 3 kids is representative of the entire population. You were lucky to have kids who sleep well and that's good for you, but that doesn't make other parents lazy or irresponsible. > I'm tired of parents who overprotect their children You know what's even more tiring? Parents who judge other parents while not knowing anything about kids in general just because they happened to be lucky on one particular topic. You won't be lucky all the time though. > to forcing them to wear helmets I hope you won't regret saying that ever in your life, but being anti-helmet really is as idiotic as being an antivaxxer.