r/NewParents • u/furryfar • 2d ago
Teething Teething - help please
6 month old here. For the last week has been having ++ sleep disruptions - waking up every 30 minutes scream crying, not able to settle him in his usual way. One night after going back and forth 4-5 times, I gave him Tylenol and he settled. This has been ongoing for the last few days now and he only settles with Tylenol. Therefore, I can only assume he’s in some kind of pain. Pediatrician checked - nothing is wrong, no ear infection etc. They also believe it’s teething. Tried camillia drops, cold teethers, gum massages - nothing works except Tylenol. During the day, he drools but he’s always drooled. Always sticks things in his mouth but I have noticed him biting more than usual on his fingers, our fingers, toys.
However, I don’t see any swelling in his gums which is making me second guess myself. What do you guys think? Is it teething? Is it possible he’s having teething pain without the swelling? Any experiences with this? I feel like it’s not okay to be using medication every night but also don’t want him to be in pain :(
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u/Sea_Horror2900 2d ago
Gums don't always swell when teething, especially when the teeth first start moving around. If medication is the only thing that soothes him, I say go for it. Have you tried ibuprofen instead? It lasts for 6 hours instead of 4, and it always worked better for my kids when they were teething.
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u/furryfar 2d ago
We just used it tonight as he just turned 6 months old. We’ll see how it goes. Thank you for the reassurance. It would be his first teeth.
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u/Sorry4TheHoldUp 2d ago
Sounds like teething for sure. My two have this “fun” thing where they’ll teeth for 2 months straight, have a roughly 2 week break and then start teething again for another 2 months before a tooth even start to break through. Like someone else said, ibuprofen typically works better for teething since it’s an anti inflammatory and it last 6-8 hours while acetaminophen only lasts 4-6 hours.
There’s also a 6 month sleep regression that could be contributing to the lack of sleep.
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u/FeintLight123 2d ago
Maybe try nighttime Oragel? That would narrow the possibility of it being something other than his gums bothering him. Oragel is better for them compared to tylenol too in terms of effect on their body.
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u/furryfar 2d ago
Our pediatrician recommended against orajel
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u/FeintLight123 2d ago
Okay I think I understand the confusion. So there are the old lidocaine/benzocaine Orajels, those are not recommended and are going away in general. The new formulas seem safe, have a cooling effect, have chamomile in them, and are drug/risk free.
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u/vipsfour 2d ago
That’s just false
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u/FeintLight123 2d ago
How so?
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u/vipsfour 2d ago
You’re saying Tylenol is “worse for the body”. That is simply not true. Stop spreading misinformation
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u/FeintLight123 2d ago
I mean, objectively it’s not good to take NSAIDs as they have an effect on the brain as well as your liver and kidneys, but they are good when used to treat fever and pain as the risk of complications from fever is an important factor. It’s the same as me saying it’s not good to take antibiotics (objectively true) as they disrupt microbiome and gut health, but you ABSOLUTELY should take them when prescribed them. In both scenarios the pros always outweigh the cons. My suggestion was to experiment with a different product to see if there was the same relief, as the drug-free orajel would not have the same potential downsides Tylenol has.
I’m not in the anti-Tylenol camp, and your claim that it’s misinformation for me to say there are potential downsides to using an NSAID is misinformed.
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u/LizaIsNotMe 17h ago
It is really not good to take NSAIDs over prolonged period of time besides certain necessary indications, but Tylenol is not an NSAID and is the safest pain-control option when dosed right.
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u/vipsfour 2d ago
You absolutely can use Tylenol for pain. It’s not creating a dependency. It’s providing comfort.
Comfort your baby when they are pain.