https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:42:35 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871508 Tue, 12 Feb 2019 03:54:20 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2871508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only give Motrin to reduce a fever if it’s impacting my son’s regular behavior. Usually a single dose does the trick. His most recent bout with a fever I had to give him medicine 3-4 times in the course of two days. It was really one of those things where I waited for his temp to rise and also looked at his behavior and the doses were probably 8-9 hours apart.</p> <p>I could be totally like your coworker and send my kid to school sick and by the time he needs more medicine if the fever wasn’t gone it be pick up. Besides little people getting sick they can infect the adults in their lives and that’s not cool either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871503 Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:39:59 +0000 lamariniere 2871503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There is such a wide inter-individual variability that I wouldn’t try to compare, even though what your coworker is doing sounds kind of shitty. Like @Kaohinani: said, people metabolize differently and there are a number of factors that play into how long a drug works for any individual. </p> <p>To answer though, my kids need Tylenol about every 4 hours when they are feverish. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871491 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 23:15:17 +0000 Grace 2871491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daycare’s policy is temps over 100.4 get sent home. With my kids, they’re feeling pretty rotten by then and I’ll give them meds if they are refusing to eat, or to help them sleep. But even with the meds, they aren’t back to normal. They are really tired and don’t want to play. I find it wild that it seems to work much better on others. Having said that, motrin usually works for ~ 6 hrs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871488 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 22:50:44 +0000 Jess1483 2871488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in the 5-6 hour window for ibuprofen with both of my boys.</p> <p>But I'm a preschool teacher and pregnant and literally BEG my parents to follow the 24-hour rule. A mom brought her daughter one morning and said (to other moms, I overheard) that her daughter had a 103 degree fever the day before. I told her she had to leave. Now mom has the influenza A. Keep your germs home!! /end rant/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871449 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:11:21 +0000 Lindsay05 2871449@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like my kids metabolize medicine quickly. We have instances where we are maxed out of medicine but temps are still high. I would say 2-3 hours for Tylenol and 4-5 for Advil. And both have a 20-30 minute window before they kick in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871446 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:56:42 +0000 Foodnerd81 2871446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids don’t often get fevers but yeah, I think Tylenol is about 3-4 hours and ibuprofen is closer to 6, unless they are really sick. </p> <p>@periwinklebee: I’m pretty sure the policy is pretty standard, and these parents are just intentionally going around it. It’s totally crappy. I mean, pushing it like they have only been fever free for 22 hours not 24 is understandable. This is just mean. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871430 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:40:12 +0000 Sams Mom 2871430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ibuprofen is about 5-6 hours if the fever isn't really bad, Tylenol is about 4 1/2 ish hours no matter what really.</p> <p>I know it's hard to find last minute backup care, but damn! I have pushed the 24 hour rule a little before, with the blessings of the daycare provider. Like he had a fever at like 4:30-4:45 ish, I picked up at regular time, his fever broke at like 8:30 ish the next morning, and she only said we had to stay out that day, and come back the next. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871418 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:21:31 +0000 bees_knees 2871418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: That...is...really bad. I'd be ticked if my kid was in the same childcare facility as hers.</p> <p>Anyways, Tylenol usually lasts 3.5 hours for my kids. Motrin 5-6. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871416 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:11:42 +0000 wrkbrk 2871416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: That behavior is shady AF. I hope you threw her some serious shade for that confession. 😡 As to your question, four hours max for my 3 year old. He has a fever today in fact! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871415 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:10:45 +0000 wrkbrk 2871415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: Same. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871410 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 16:15:04 +0000 periwinklebee 2871410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At my son's daycare the policy is that you have to be fever free for 24 hours and cannot have taken fever reducer within the past 24 hours. </p> <p>For my LO I don't think it works for more than a few hours. But we try to avoid using it unless he has a really high fever because with high odds it makes him puke. He sees the medicine dropper and starts wailing and flailing around, poor guy... </p> <p>The fever policy is not perfect, i.e. my son often gets a low grade fever for just a few hours with a cold, like exactly at their cutoff. He then has to be out the next day b/c of the 24 hour policy, whereas the other kids in his class have the same cold and are spreading it around everywhere with their dripping noses but don't hit the cutoff so they stay at daycare and keep spreading the germs. That said, since a lot of more serious illnesses are contagious for 24 hours after the fever is gone, I completely understand the need for the policy and respect it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871404 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 15:15:06 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2871404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow that would make me not want to be friends with that coworker! That’s so crappy. I guess it’s a symptom of our work/life culture that creates a scenario where people take their kids or themselves places when sick because they don’t have the option to stay home and not spread sickness everywhere. How horrible for their kids too! My son is a mess when he has a fever that requires medication.</p> <p>Tylenol does nothing for my son but Advil is like 5 hrs max and same as you, we can practically set a watch to the next dose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871399 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 14:32:48 +0000 Petitduck 2871399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: Tylenol wears off for my kids after about 4 and Advil after about 6-7 usually. Sometimes a bad fever isn’t held off long by the drugs for them. I’d be super irritated by someone telling me they drug their kid who has a fever and then sends them off to school. Ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871398 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 14:31:55 +0000 littlejoy 2871398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This post feels triggering. That coworker is irresponsible, and not to mention, being a neglectful parent. </p> <p>We try to hold off on fever reducers (generally, fevers are fighting a virus), and give them before bed, to help our little one's sleep when they're sick. All I know is the fever is generally present when they wake back up, but that's 11-12 hours. When they have something painful (like HFMD), we do the rotation of Tylenol and Ibuprofen on the ever 4 hour timeline, so I don't really know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871390 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 14:08:23 +0000 LadyDi 2871390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I usually only give Motrin and I’ve noticed it wears off about an hour or so before I can give the next dose...but I’ve not had to deal with very high or lingering fevers (knock on wood) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871388 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:42:23 +0000 erinbaderin 2871388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have to admit, this thought has occurred to me, but I've never done it. Advil usually gives me a solid 6 hours, which would mean I dose at 7, send them to daycare, they're fever-free through 1 at which point napping, by the time they wake up it's 2:30 and I've gotten almost a full day of work in! Tylenol gives me 4, but I only use it if I have to double up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871386 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:40:05 +0000 Kaohinani 2871386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It may vary by child. Just as some individuals are medication sensitive and find lasting effects hours (or days) past what would effect the "typical" person. I believe it is based on metabolic processing, the medication (and if there is a sensitivity), and the dose given versus one's BMI (taller/larger individuals may need a larger dose than a smaller/leaner person of the same age). It also depends on what the medication is being used for. With that stated, both of my children metabolize medication fairly quickly: Tylenol wears out between 2-1/2 &amp; 4 hours, Childrens' Advil in 4/5 hours, &amp; Benedryl in 3/4 hours of it's 4-8 hour duration. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871385 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:36:28 +0000 KT326 2871385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on the virus. Sometimes Ibuprofen only works 3-4 hours with my kids and other times it works 7-8 hours. Tylenol is usually only 4 hours no matter what. I tend to only use Tylenol if it is a really high fever and I need to rotate meds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-does-medicine-work-on-your-kids-fevers#post-2871384 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:29:25 +0000 Corduroy 2871384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long do medicines suppress fevers for your kids? Does this differ kid to kid?</p> <p>My kids are sick and a co-worker was confessing to me that she sends her kids to school with fevers (yuck). She doses them right before school and by the time the fever comes back it's almost time to pick them up. Ignoring how rude that is to other people's kids I can't understand how that works time wise. </p> <p>If medicine works on my kids' fevers their fever is back at almost exactly 3 hours with Tylenol and 4 hours with Advil. I can practically tell time based on it. By that time they are hot mopey puddles again. The effects of the medicine never lasts as long as the time window given for the dosing instructions. There is no way they would get through a morning let alone a school day (not that I would try it). I questioned my coworker about this aspect of it and she looked at me like I had three heads. Ibuprofen worked for 7 hours for her kid every time. </p> <p>Does it vary that much kid to kid? </p>