There are various types of stomachache medicine for children. Different causes of abdominal pain, then different types of drugs that must be used. Any use of stomach pain medication can cause the complaint to not subside, it may even get worse.
As a parent, you must be worried when your child complains that his stomach hurts. Most complaints of abdominal pain in children are not caused by dangerous things and can improve on their own.
However, when your little one is in pain, he or she will have difficulty doing activities and studying at school. To relieve the complaint of stomach pain felt by your little one, there are several efforts you can do, namely:
- Give your little one enough to drink to prevent dehydration. However, avoid giving acidic drinks, containing caffeine, and soda.
- Make sure your child gets enough rest. Toddlers generally need 11-14 hours of sleep a day, while children aged 6-13 years need 9-11 hours of sleep a day.
- Give easy-to-digest foods, such as porridge, white bread, pudding, and biscuits. Avoid giving food that produces gas because it can make your little one's stomach bloated.
- If the child lacks appetite, feed little but often.
In addition to doing the methods above, you can also give your child's stomach pain medicine. However, before using it, you need to consult a pediatrician first.
Various Medications for Children's Stomach Pain
There are several types of drugs that are usually used to treat abdominal pain in children, including:
1. Pain relief
A child's stomach pain that is quite severe and bothersome can be relieved by giving painkillers, such as paracetamol. However, this type of stomach pain medicine should not be used if the child has kidney, liver problems, or has an allergy to paracetamol.
In addition, you should also not give your child other types of painkillers, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, because they can cause side effects in the form of gastrointestinal irritation and Reye's syndrome. This can make your little one's stomach ache worse.
2. Antiemetic
Antiemetic or anti-emetic drugs, such as ondansetron, can be given if the child's stomach pain is accompanied by vomiting. However, this drug is not recommended for use in children who have an allergy to this type of drug or children who have phenylketonuria.
This drug is also not recommended for use if your child has a heart problem or is taking medications, such as antibiotics, seizure medications (phenytoin), antipsychotics, and pain relievers, such as tramadol.
3. Antidiarrhea
Stomach pain in children often occurs along with other digestive disorders, such as diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. If diarrhea makes your child often vomit or have loose stools, then it could be at risk of making him dehydrated.
To prevent dehydration and relieve diarrhea symptoms, you need to give your little one enough to eat and drink. When your child vomits or defecates, you need to give him electrolyte drinks or ORS to replace wasted body fluids and electrolytes.
Administration of antidiarrheal drugs, such as loperamide, can also be done to relieve your little one's complaints. However, the administration of this drug must be as recommended and prescribed by a doctor.
4. Antibiotics
One of the causes of abdominal pain in children is a viral infection that can get better by itself. Giving antibiotics is only recommended to treat bacterial infections in the digestive tract of children.
This drug also cannot be purchased freely, therefore the determination of the type of antibiotic, dose, and duration of administration must be based on the results of the examination and doctor's recommendation.
5. Probiotics
In addition to the four drugs above, dealing with abdominal pain that children complain of can also be done by giving probiotic supplements.
This supplement can be used to relieve symptoms of stomach pain caused by various health problems, ranging from ulcers, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and constipation.
6. Laxatives
One of the causes of abdominal pain in children is constipation. This condition can be treated by giving children more drinking water and increasing fiber intake.
However, if these methods don't work to relieve constipation and stomach pain, you can give your child an over-the-counter laxative. When choosing a laxative, make sure you give it according to the dosage and instructions for use listed on the medicine package.
Appropriate treatment must be tailored to the cause. Therefore, avoid giving your little one any medicine if the cause of the stomach pain he feels is unknown.
It's a good idea to take your little one to the pediatrician to determine what causes the abdominal pain he is feeling, especially if his stomach pain has lasted more than 24 hours or is accompanied by a fever, there is blood in his stool, your little one seems to be getting weaker, or looks very sick.